Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-13
Business Blocks Worth Nearly
a Million Are Destroyed
by Flames
STARTED IN THE BuLMAN BLOCK
Flames Could Not Be Stayed in the
First Building and All F;remen Could
Do Was to Protect Adjoining Prop.
erty-conflasration was Threatened
Rivaling Toronto and Montreal.

Winnipeg, Man., Oct. 3.-Never In
the history Of Winnipeg has the city
been visited with a most appalling fire
than that which Tuesday night total
ly destroyed two of the most important
business blocks and in the short space
of about two hours did damage esti-
mated at nearly a million dollars. The
fire was remarkable for the marvellous
rapidity with which it spread, the ex-
traordinary spectacular features 1t
presented, the terrifying fury of the
work done by the fire brigade in get
ing it under control.
At one period it looked as If the con-
f1agration was about to rival those of
Toronto and Montreal, but the fire was
checked both back and front and
danger to the Union bank and the
Leland hotel was averted. No lives
were lost.
The new Bulman block, with stock
valued at 100000, was totally de-
stroyed. The Davis block and the
Rialto block were badly damaged by
water, smoke and heat.
The firms financially affected are
Bulman Brothers. engravers and fine
art printers; j. III. Ashdown Hardware
Company; j. L. Meikle & Co.'S Bryce
& Co.; ]. 4. Cleghorn, manufacturing
agents; Teele & Co., photographers;
Duffin company, Kingston Smith Arms
Company.
At 10 o'clock Tuesday night some
passerby noticed flames in the base
ment of the Bulman block, which had
only just been completed. One of the
operators from Central fire hall was
passing and says that at this stage a
bucket or two of water would have put
1t out. The alarm was given exactly at
9:55 and minute later the alarm was
sounded, but the fire went up with a
single flash. and in a few minutes
sheets of flames were pouring from the
top of the Bulman block, which even
at that stage presented most terrify-
ing spectacle. Probably owing to the
chemicals in the building, it blazed up
like a gigantic oil barrel, and imme-
diately threatened other buildings.
AS far as the Bulman block was con-
cerned, the task Of saving anything
was hopeless from the first. The heat
from it in a few minutes after 10, in
side the closed windows of the tele-
graph office showed the firm hold II had
got. Tongues Of fire many yards in
length shot out on all sides and reached
out over the Ashdowns. At a quarter
past ten in spite Of the efforts of the
brigade, the latter building had caught
fire. the devouring element leapt Ban
natyne avenue as If there was no gap
there The window frames of Ash
downs were soon ablaze, and the roof
burning. The best the f1remen could
do was to localize the outbreak, and
even this looked well nigh impossible,
owing to the rapidity with which the
fire made its way thru the Ashdown
block and threatened Banifelds. the
Leland hotel, the Rialto block, the
Davis block and the Woodbine hotel
The walls of the Bulman block and
Ashdown block have all fallen in and
tho firemen had the blaze under con-
troll early yesterday morning it will
burn for some time yet.
The losses are now estimated at
100000 with insurance Of 100000.