Americus times-recorder., 1904-04-21
TORONTO SWEPT BY
A DISASTROUS FIRE
Loss Estimated Conservatively
at 100000.
WORST IN clTYs HISTORY
Prey to Flames and as Many as Two
Hundred and Fifty Firms Were Put
Out of Business.

Prey to Flames and as Many as Twt
Hundred and Fifty Firms Were Pu
Out of Business.
Toronto, Ontario, April 2O-The fire
that ragged throughout the night anC
up to an early hour today in Toron
to's wholesale and retail business
district was the most disastrous in the
history of the city. The total loss is
conservatively estimated at $4,000, 900
The principal warehouses of the city
were reduced to ashes and nearly 25C
firms were put out of business. The
area covered by the fire is three
blocks in length and varies from hall
block to two blocks in width. Every
building on Bay street, from Melinda
street southwark to the Esplanade, at
the water front, was wiped out and
the fire spread on Wellington and
front streets and the Esplanade, along
the water front, from their intersection
with Bay street, for distances of a
few hundred feet for a whole block.
Number of Buildings Destroyed.
The total number of buildings de-
stroyed is Bay street, east side, 20;
west side, 80. Wellington street,
north side, u; south side, 7. Front
street, north %; south, 81 Esplan-
ade, 4. Piper street, l.
Early in the evening when the fire
assumed alarming proportions, appeals
for assistance were sent to London,
Hamilton, Montreal and Buffalo.
Special trains were at once started
from these points, but it was long
after midnight before the first OF
them began to arrive.
At an early stage of the fire Chief
Thompson got trapped by the flames
and was forced to jump from the top
Of building. A network OF wires
broke his fall and saved his life. He
with broken leg. When the
chief made the leap for his life a
from Montreal was on the
roof with him and no trace OF him
has since been seen. 1t is probable
that he periShed in the flames.
How the Fire Started.
The fire started in the elevator
shaft in the rear of the Currie build.
ing. Thence the flames spread across
the street to Brown Bros. and from
there east to Bay street. The wind,
which had been brisk, increased to a
gale. A general alarm was sounded.
but before all the force had reached
the scene the fire had leaped to
the high buildings occupied by Ansley
& Co. and Pugsley, Dingman & Co.
Then Sucking & Co.'S building, adjoin-
ing Currie's on the east, caught fire
and almost simultaneously great forks
of fame began to shoot from it.
Fremen's Desperate Battle.
1t was here that the firemen united
forces and made a desperate attempt
to check the progress of the flames
'1CA y.
They won, but not until they had lost
control Of the flames which were now
sweeping down Bay street toward the
river front.
For over Kair an hour the fire in
Front street burned fiercely, practical
ly unchecked. 1t then began to work
itself back upon Bay street, Gordon
Mackay & Co.'s warehouse serving as
fuel. A few minutes before midnight
the Canada Rubber companys plant
started to burn. While it lasted, this
furnished the hottest and fiercest con-
fagration of the night. The flames
shooting thousands of feet in the
air and scattering great masses of
sparks and cinders on every side, con.
tinued north on Bay street until a
complete circle Of fire had formed
around the Brock building, on the
southwest corner of Bay and yelling.
ton streets, over which the flames had
hurled in their first dash south. The
Brock building was soon in ashes.
1t was only the intervening park
that saved the Queens hotel, one OF
the finest hotels in the city. So i'm.
minent seemed the danger that all the
guests hurriedly packed their belong.
ings and left and everything portable
was removed from the hotel.
The flames swept across Bay street
In half a dozen places, and shortly
before midnight it became apparent
that the whole block south of East
Wellington street from the Queens ho-
tel and the old Manning residence, fac.
Ing on Wellington street, was doomed.
The Gordon Mackay building, on the
northwest corner of Front and Bay
streets which, for nearly 70 years, was
one Of the finest establishments in
the city, made fierce blaze The
Copp Clark building and Warwick
Bros. and Rutter's was destroyed at
about the same time. The heat was
so great and the smoke and flying EN-.
bers SO thick that the firemen were
absolutely helpless and could not get
near enough to the fire to play sin.
gle stream upon it. To add to the
terrifying effect of the scene, came
a bombardment of exploding giant fire
crackers and other fireworks stored
in The Copp Clark building.
The fire next leaped across Front
street to the Mcpherson Bros. boot
and shoe warehouse and adjoining
buildings. Eastward on Front and
south to the Espanlade the flames
leaped from building to building with
irresistible fury.
Fire Spread Swiftly.
In forty-five minutes the flames had
ieveled e.ery building between Front
street and the Esplanade, on the west
side of Bay street The tiremen who
had been forced to retreat slowly on
Front street and the Esplande con-
centrated their forces and made des-