Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-05-21

Ottawa Has Rep titlon OF Calamity q
1900 Burns over Same District

peCteu or DelnR OF lncenulAry OrlglDt
Sunday afternoon and evening des.
troyed hundreds Of houses and mill
ions Of feet of lumber 10 this ci ty.
John White, who has just been re-
leased from the penitentiary after
serving term of imprisonment FOL
arson, was caught near where th,
fire was first discovered. He was
taken to the police station and will
be charged with starting the confla.
grafton.
The fire originated within stone,
throw Of where the great Hull fire Of
April 20, 1900, was checked.
Two hours before the principal fire
started two smaller blazes we're dis.
covered and quickly extinguished In
the lumber yards near the Canadian
Pacific railway. 1t was $3.50 when the
third was discovered. When the bri-
gade arrived at the scene it was
found that the water main had been
damaged and 40 water could be OBJ
tained.
When the brigade did get water
the fire was utterly beyond control.
1t swept along over the same ground
Thu E the former fire had gone, the
only difference being that 1t was 60
Ing In the opposite direction. There
is 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 1T done Sc nothing would have
saved the city. At $50 last night
the fire was under control and 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 anC
from First avenue to Division street
Is about one-quarter of mile.
While the fire was burning feIcely
among the lumber piles the whole
brigade of the city which had been
summoned were forced to remain
idle. For an hour not drop oil
water was thrown into the flames.
After leaving the lumber piles the
flames swept over Pine street, which
runs east and west. down Willow, Pop
lar, Anderson, Eckles, Somerset
Spruce, Elm, Maple, Albert and on Il
the Richmond road or properly speak
ing, Wellington street, where it wa!
stopped, short distance from the
Canadian Pacific railway depot.
At 9 D. M. it was feared that the
fire would get over the cliff, on the tor
of which is st Jeanne Baptist church.
The firemen, however, succeeded In
keeping back the flames,
Fifteen million feet of lumber were
destroyed. The loss on the, lumber
will be about $300,OO0 The buildings
burned were principally dwelling
houses and stores. They were all built
since the last great fire end were eth.
er solid br ci or rex We eered as the
city "a not permit If any other
kind being erected The loss on the
buildings was estimated at various
figures at night Mayor Cook said that
there we're from five hundred to six
hundred families homeless or about
1000 Individuals. All the parties are
supposed to be well insured.
The mayor said the city would op.
pose my aid being asked from outside
Canada and personally he thought that
the city should grapple with the sit
uation without any appeal for outside
halp.
Mayor Cook estimsted the loss on the
bui dings at $780, 900, making a total
loss of 100000