The San Francisco call., 1904-04-20
MILLIONS
ARE LOST
IN FLAMES
COnflagratiOn Ruins
Several Blocks in
Toronto.
Firemen Are Hemmed In by
the Blaze and One Is
Missing.
NeighbOring Towns in Ontario Hurry
Apparatus to the Scene of the
Terrible Disaster.

TORONTO, Ont, April 19.-Fire swept
through a section of Toronto's whole
sale business district tonight, caus-
ing loss whichzwill probably reach
s1o0O0,00O.
The fire started in a factory in We'll
lington street about o'clock. In less
than an hour the flames had spread
from building to building on both sides
of the street until the whole block was
a mass of flames and the fire was ut
terly beyond control of the local de-
partment. Appeals were sent to every
surrounding city where fire apparatus
could be obtained asking for assistance.
Montreal London, Hamilton and Buff
falo at once responded. but it will be
hours before they can be of assist
ance.
1t was believed at II o'clock that the
fire was under control. but a sudden
shift in the wind again famed the
flames into a roar and clouds of sparks
and burning brands were carried down
side streets until three entire blocks
were doomed. The firemen were MAX
Ing gallant HSHl dIllu the ldiilIlS
buildings and mass of tangled wires,
but their efforts at midnight seemed
to be fruitless.
Chief Thompson of the fire depart
ment and George Dowkes of Montreal
were cut off by the flames while di-
recting the work of firemen from
roof. Thompson jumped six stories to
the ground and miraculously escaped
with a broken leg. A mass of tangled
wires broke his fall near the ground.
Dowkes has not been seen since, and
it is believed he perished. Up to mid
night the following places had been de-
stroyed:
Gillespie. Angley & Co, hats and
furs: Dignum & Moneypenny, import
ers; Comfort Soap Works; Davis &
Henderson, wholesale stationers; Jes-
sop Steel Company's building, occu
pied by r. B. Hutchinson & Co.,
wholesale woolens; Alcom, Sargent &
Westwood. fishing tackle; Dodd's Med
icine Company; Western Steamship
Company; Richard l.. Baker Company,
agents; E. t. Corset Company; c. II.
Westwood G. Co., fishing tackle; Gar
land Manufacturing Company; F. H.
Cragg. agent; Rothschilds Bros. & Co.,
manufacturers: G. w. Bangard & Co.,
brokers'; Richie & Ramsay Company,
paper manufacturers; Thomas Hoskin, ]
manufacturers agent; Kinleith Paper
Company; Andrew Muirhead, whole
sale paints; z. w. Gilmore & Bro,
silverware; w. II. Payne & Co., COM
mission agents; r. M. Slater & Co.,
wholesale drygoods; International
Brokers. Limited; Gale Manufacture
ing Company; Whitman & Brown
Bros, wholesale stationers; Ralph
Smith & Co., lithogra pliers; George H.
Hess. Son & Co, window shades: Men
zies Manufacturing Company, window
shades: H. F. Sharp & Co., photograph
supplies; Crown Hotel; Office Special
ty Company.
The Evening Telegram Office and
Brooke & Co.'s warehouse were bad
ly damaged
From the -Currie warehouse, on
Wellington street, where it originated.
the fire spread with astounding rapid
ity to the west, destroying the build
ings occupied by the Eckhardt Casket
Company and Warwick Brothers and
w. j. Gage & Co., and then made
clean sweep up wellington street to
the Queens Hotel. The thick fire.
walls of the hotel and the concentrated
efforts of the fire fighters stopped the
flames there, and in the meantime the
fire had swept across the street, and
the block of buildings from Bay
west to the National Club were
wiped out AT that time the firemen
believed the fire was under control.
when shift in the wind sent the fire