Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1903-05-16
GREAT FIRE IN OTTAWA.
Hundreds of Houses Destroyed By
Flames In the Canadian
City.
WATER MAINS WERE FOUND DAMAGED.

scene and Locked Up for inycHti-
gation-TuO other Fires started
in Unknown mnnner-Millions of
Feet of Lumber Burned.
Ottawa, Ont, May 1l.-A'fre sus-
pected Of being Of incendiary origin,
Sunday afternoon and evening, de-
stroyed hundreds Of houses and mil
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 near where the fire was
first discovered. He was taken to the
police station and will be charged
with starting the conhagration.
The FIRE originated within stones
throw Of where the great Hull fire of
April 20, 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 &, 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 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 into the corner
OF Margaret and Preston streets. The
fire area was on the fats below the
cliff.
Entire City in Danger.
| At two or three points it came very
near getting over the cliff, and had it
done 50 nothing would have saved the
city. At $50 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 he Richmond roal Is
about one mile and from First avenue
to Division street is about one quar-
ter Of mile While the fire was burn
ing ferccly among the lumber piles
the whole brigade Of the city which
: had been summoned were forced to
remain idle
Mass of Glowing EmberH.
For an hour not drop Of water
was thrown into the flames \ 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-
0 teryille, but which is now united to
the city. Every house in the little
settlement was destroyed.
Another lumber yard in a thinly-
settled section northeast of Roches-
J teryille was swept by the fire in an
d incredibly short time This brought
0 the fire to the more thickly-settled
i sections.
After leaving the lumber piles the
= y flames swept over Pine street, which
= runs east and west, down willow
r Poplar, Anderson. Echlgs, Somerset
Spruce, Elm, Maple, Albert and on tC
t. the Richmond road or properly speak
ing, Wellington street, where it wa.
, stopped a short distance from the Ca