The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-27
FIRE DEYASTATES OTTAWA
Forty Blocks Burned and Hundreds
Of People Left Homeless.
SUSPECTED INCENDIARY HELD

A Man, Who Recently Served . Torn In
Prison For Arson, Under Arrest The
Blaze Starts Where tue Big Hull Fire
Of 1900 Ended - Millions Of Feet OF
Lumber Consumed.
Ottawa, Ontario.-A fire, suspected
of being of incendiary origin, destroyed
hundreds Of houses and millions Of
feet of lumber in this city. John White
who has just been released from the
penitentiary after serving term Of i'm
prisonment for arson, was caught near
where the fire was first discovered. he
was taken to the police station and
charged with starting the confagratlon.
The fire originated within a stones
throw of where the great Hull fire Of
April 26, 1000, was checked. The Hull
fire started on the opposite side Of the
river and spread to the Ottawa side,
destroying millions Of dollars worth of
property. 1t burned out near where the
Ottawa and Parry Sound Railway en-
tiers the western part Of the city, and
it was in the lumber yards near the
railroad that the latest fire originated.
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. It was $50 when the
third fire was discovered. When the
brigade arrived at the scene 1t was
found that the water main had been
damaged and no water could be OBJ
tanned. When the brigade finally did
get water the fire was utterly beyond
its 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 to Margaret
and Preston streets. The fire area was
on the fats below the cliff. At two or
three points 1t came very near getting
over the cliff, and had it done so moth
ing would have saved the city. At
$50 at night the fire was thoroughly
under control and 1t was confined to
the following area:
The Ottawa and Parry Sound Rail-
way, 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 mile.
Fifteen million feet Of lumber were
destroyed. 1t belonged chiefly to j. R.
Booth and was sold. The loss on the
lumber will be about 100000. The
buildings burned were principally
dwelling houses and stores. They
were all built since the last great fire,
and were either solid brick or brick
veneered, as the city would not permit
any otler kind to be erected.
Mayor Cook said that there were from
500 to 600 families homeless, or about
1000 individuals. All the property is
supposed to be we'll insured.
The Mayor said the city would op-
pose any aid being asked from outside
Canada, and personally he thought
that the city should grapple with the
situation without any appeal for out
side help.
Mayor Cook estimated the loss on the
buildings at 100000, making q total
loss Of S600,000.
On the cliff overlooking the ruins
were thousands of people looking upon
the desolation which the confagration
created. The large majority Of those
burned out were taken charge Of by
friends.
Alderman Ploufere, who represents
the ward in which the fire occurred.
estimates that between 500 and 600
families were burned out.