The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-04
TORONTO SWEPT BY FIRE
Heart Of City's Wholesale District
Burned Out.
ESTIMATED LOSS IS $1O,O0O,OO0

Firemen Handicapped by Strong Wind
London. Montreal. Hamilton and Buff
falo Send Assist.rce-Chief Thompson
Leaps Six Stories and Escapes With
Broken Leg.
Toronto.-Fire swept through a Sec
ton OF Toronto's wholesale business
district. causing loss which is es-
timated at over Sl0,oOO,000. ..-.'
The fire started in a factory in
Wellington street. In less than an
hour the flames had spread from build
ing to building or Doth sides OF the
street, until the whole block was a
mass of flames and the fire was
utterly beyond the control of the local
| department. -,
Appeals were sent to every sur
rounding city. where fire.fghting ap-
paratus could be obtained, asking for
assistance Montreal, London, Hamil.
ton and Buffalo at once responded. ?
The Fire Department was almost
overwhelmed, so rapid was the spread
of the flames, famed as they were
by the wind, and finding ready fuel
in the big wholesale houses and their
| inlammable stores. They hardly knew
where to use their water, being driven
back again and again from the stands
they endeavored to hold.
The tremendous heatprevented them,
in many instances, from taking po-
sitions near enough to the burning
buildings to use their apparatus eff
fectively, and walls fell with loud
crashes and heavy rumbling. making
their work extremely perilous.
The following places are among
those that have been destroyed: Gil
lespie, Ansley & Co., hats and furs;'
Dignum & Moneypenny, importers;
Comfort Soap Works; Davis & Hen
derson, wholesale stationers; Jessop
Steel Company's building, occupied by
R. B. Hutchinson e Co., wholesale
wooiens; Alcott, Sargent & Westwood. ;
fishing tackle; Dodds Medicine Com
pany; Western Steamship Company;
! Richard L. Bake: Company, agents.,
E. T. Corset Company; c. b. West
wood & Co., fishing tackle; Garland
Manufacturing Company, Z. 81. Cragg,
agent; Rothschills Brothers & Com
pany, manufacturers; G. w. BangarH
& Co., brokers'; Richie & Ramsay Com
pany, paper manufacturers; Thomas
Hoskin. manufacturers agent; Kin-i
Ieith Paper Company; Andrew Muir
head, wholesale paints; E. W. Gilmore
g. Brother, silverware; w. II. Payne
& Co., commission agents; R. NJ. Slater
G. Co., wholesale dry-goods; Interna-
tional Brokers, Limited; Gale Manu-
featuring Company; Whiteman &c
Brown Brothers. wholesale stationers;
Ralph Smith & Co., photographers;
George H. Hess. Son & Co., window
shades; Menzies Manufacturing COM
pany. window shades; H. b" Sharp,
& Co., photograph supplies; Crown
Hotel; Office Speciality Company.
At that time the tiremen believed
that the fire was under control, but
a shift in the wind senta the flames
roaring, down Bay street, destroying
every building on both sides, of the,
street. from the National Club down
to Front street. ~
Nothing could resist the force Of
the flames as they swept down Bay
street toward the lake, and the fire..
men fought back the fire from the
side streets, combining the fire zone
to the one thoroughfare wherever pos
sible. Several frame buildings which
threatened to cause spread OF the
fire were blown up with dynamite.
Chief Thompson of the Fire De-
partment and George Dowkes OF Mon
trcal were cut off by the flames while
directing the work of fremen from q
roof. Thompson jumped six stories
to the ground and miraculousiy es.
caped with broken leg. A mass OF
tangled wires broke his fall near the
ground.