Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-05-14
GREAT FIRE IN OTTAWA.
Hundreds Of Houses Destroyed By
Flames in the Canadian
City.
WATER MAINS WERE FOUND DAMAGED.
Convict Caught Near this
Scene md Locked Up for Investi-
g~atiOn-TwO Other Fires Started
in Unknown manner-MiIlions Of
Feet of Lumber Burned.

Ottawa, Ont, May 11.-A fire sus-
pected of being of incendiary origin,
Sunday afternoon and evening, de-
stroyed hundreds of houses and mill
lions of feet of lumber in this city.
John White, who has been released
from the penitentiary, after serving
a term of Imprisonment for arson,
was caught neal where the fire was
first discovered. He was taken to the
police station and will be charged
with starting the confagration.
The fire originated within a stones
throw of where the great Hull fire of
April rs, 1900, was checked. The Hull
fire started on the opposite side Oh
the river and spread to ottawa side,
destroying millions of dollars worth
of property. 1t burned out near where
the Ottawa G. Parry Sound railway
enters the western part of the city,
and it was in the lumber yards near
the railroad that Sundays originated.
Fire Beyond Control.
Two hours before the principal fire
started two smaller blazes were dis
covered and quickly extinguished in
the lumber yards near the Canadian
Pacific railroad. 1t was $3.50 when
the third was discovered. When the
brigade arrived at the scene it was
found that the water main had been
damaged and no water could be OBJ
tanned. When the brigade did get wa
ter the fire was utterly beyond it's
control. 1t swept along over the
same ground that the former fire had
gone, the only difference being that it
was going in the opposite 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.
Entire City in Danger.
At two or three points it came very
near getting over the cliff, and had it
done so nothing would have saved the
city. At 9:30 Sunday night the fire
was under control, and was confined
to the following area: The Ottawa &
Parry Sound railway on the south,
Division street on the east, First ave-
nue. on the west and the Richmond
road on the north. From the Parry
Sound road to the Richmond roal is
about one mile and from First avenue
to Division street is about one quar-.
ter of a mile. While the fire was burn
ing tiercely among the lumber piles
the whole brigade of the city which
had been summoned were forced to
remain idle.
Mass of Glowing Embers.
For an hour not a drop of water
was thrown into the flames. A stiff
southwest wind was blowing, and by
the time the water main had been re-
paired the lumber yards were a mass
of glowing embers. From the lumber
yards the flames spread to a group
of frame houses on the outskirts of
the city formerly known as Roches-
terville, but which is now united to
the city. Every house in the little
settlement was destroyed.
Another lumber yard in a thinIy-
settled section northeast of Roches-
t~erville was swept by the fire in an
incredibly short time. This brought
the fire to the more thickly-settled
sections.
After leaving the lumber piles the
flames swept over Pine street, which
runs east and west, down Willow,
Poplar, Anderson, Eckles, Somerset,
Spruce, Elm, Maple, Albert and on to
the Richmond road, or properly speak
ing, Wellington street, where it was
stopped, a short distance from the Ca.
madam Pacific railway depot.
Henrse in Readiness.
At 6 p. IN. it was feared that the
fire would get over the cliff, on the
top of which is St. Jeanne Baptist's
church. In the rear and a short dis
lance back from the church is the
residence of the late Hon. David Mills.
The family began moving out at 6 p.
and the hearse was in readiness to
remove the remains of the distin-
guished Canadian, should the neces-
sity arise. The firemen, however sue.
ceeded in keeping back the flames.
Yates VetOes a Bill.
Springfield, ILL.,, May 11.-Gov.