Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-11
Canadian City Suffers
Severely From In
cendiarism.
SIX HOURS OF 1T
Six Hundred Families
HOrne1eSS--NO Water
For an Hour.

Ottawa, Ont, May IA nre sus-
pected of being of mcendiary origin
destroyed hundreds of houses and
millions of feet of lumber i'll this city.
John White. who had just been re-
leased from the penitentiary after serv-
ing a term of Imprisonment for arson,
was caught near where the fire was
first discovered. He was taken to the
police station and will be charged with
starting the cOnflagration. The fire
originated within Il stones throw of
where the great Hull fire of April 26,
1900, was checked. The Hull fire
started on the opposite side of the riv-
er, and spread TO the Ottawa side, de-
strOying millions of dollars worth of
property. 1t burned out near where
the Ottawa and Parry Sound railway
enters the western part of the city, and
it was in the lumber yards near the
railroad that this latest fire originated.
No Water To Be Had.
Two hours before the principal fire
started two smaller blazes were dis
covered and quickly eXtinguished in
the lumber yards near the Canadian
Pacific railway. 1t was 3:30 p. M.
when the third was discovered When
the fire brigade arrived at the scene
it was found that the main had been
damaged, and no mater could be OBJ
tanned. When the brigade did get wat
er the fire was utterly beyond its con-
troll. 1t swept along over the same
ground that the former fire had gone,
the only difference being that it was
going in the Opposit direction. There
is a large cliff which extends from
the Ottawa river into the corner Of
Margaret and Preston streets. The fire
area was on the flats below the cliff.
At two or three points it came very
near getting over the cliff. and had
it done so nothing would have saved
the city
Area That Was Burned Over.
At $50 p. IN. the fire was under con-
troll and was confined to the following
area: The Ottawa and Parry Sound
railway on the south, Division street
on the east; First avenue on the west
and the Richmond road on the north.
From the Parry Sound road to the
Richmond road is about one mile. and
from First avenue to Division street
is about One-quarter of a mile. While
the fire was burning fiefcely among
the lumber piles the whole brigade of
the city. which had been summoned.
was forced to remain idle, and for an
hour not a drop of water was thrown
into the flames.
Six Hundred Families Homeless.
Of lrtr1n1
destroyed. 1t belonged chiefly TO J.
r. Booth. and was sold. The loss OH
the lumber will he about 100000. The
buildings burned were principal
ly dwelling bouses and stores. They
were all built since the last great fire,
and were either brick or brick stuc-
coed, as the city would not permit of
any other kind being erected. The loss
on the buildings is estimated at vari-
Gus figures. Mayor Cook said that
there were from 500 to 600 families
homeless, or about 1000 individuals.
All the parties are supposed to be well
insured The mayor said the city would
oppose any aid being asked from out
side Canada.
Costly Blaze for GoIoOnda.
Golconda. Ills, May 1.-THE most
disastrous fire this city has ever eX-
perienced was discovered at an early
hour Saturday morning in the restau-
rant owned by j. Meyer and Wiggan
& Co., and before the flames were
checked it had destroyed u number of
business houses and a residence. The
loss is estimated from $4,000 to $780,
900. One of the owners of the reStau-
rant in which the fire originated was
arrested on suspicion of setting the
place on fire. .
Girls Jump From Burning Building.
PittsDurg, May 11.-During fire in
the Pittsburg Bedstead d Bedspring
company building this afternoon a
of girls at work on the fourth
floor became paBic-stricken and three
jumped frofn the window into a net
held by the firemen. All were seri-
ously injured The damage to the
building was $4,000.