The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-04-21

people ARE thrown out Of employment.
Toronto. ont, April 20.--The fire
that ragged throughout the night and
up TO an early hour today In Toronto's
wholesale and retail business district.
was the most disastrous in the history
OF the city The total loss is conserva-
lively estimated between s5,000.oo0 and
s6.Ooo0Oo. The principal warehouses
OF the city were reduced to ashes and
nearly $50 firms were put out OF busi-
ness. The area covered by the fire is
three blocks In length and varies from
half a block TO two blocks in width.
Every building on Bay street, from
Melinda street southwark TO the water
front. were wiped out and the fire
spread on wellington and Front streets.
along the waterfront from this section
and the Espiamade along the water
front from this section with Bay street
for boundary for few hundred feet
to whole block.
Early In the evening when the fire
assumed alarming proportions. appeals
for assistance were sent 10 London.
Hamilton. Montreal and Buffalo. Spe-
cial trains we're at once started from
these points. but II was long after
midnight before the fist Of them be-
gan to arrive. and in the meantime the
local liremen were having the fight OF
their lives.
From the time the fire started on the
north side of wellington street, short
distance east OF Bay street. in the f. &
is. Currie manufacturing plant, till 1t
burned itself out at daybreak, there
was not a moment when shift of the
wind to the northward would not have
resulted In the destruction of the
greater part OF the city.
The fire started In the elevator shaft
In the rear OF the Currie building.
Then the flames spread across the
street to Brown Bros. and from there
east to Bay street The wind, which
had been brisk, increased to gale.
A general alarm was sounded. but be-
fore all the flremen had reached the
scene, the fire had leaped to the high
buildings occupied by Anley & Co, and
Pugsley, Dingman & Co. Then Suck
ling g. Co.'s building adjoining Currie's
caught fire. Almost simultaneously
flames began to shoot out from the
Brown building and the flremen were
compelled to divide their forces. The
roof of Dingman & Moneypenney's
building, on the northwest corner Of
Bay and Wellington streets, was the
next place to burst into flames. In an.
incredibly short time Stockings, Cur
|rie's, Browns and Dlngman q Money
|penny's were all a mass Of flames and
the streams of water thrown into them
had no apparent effect.
The Gale Manufacturing Company's
immense plant In the rear Of Anley a
Company. was the next to fall prey toI
the flames. and shortly afterward the
flames on the east side Of Dlngman q
Moneypenny's were carried across to
the east side of Bay to the ONCE
Speciality building.
II was here that the flremen made
desperate stand to check the progress
of the flames northward in the heart
of the city. They won, but not until
they had lost considerable by the
flames. which were now sweeping down
Bay street toward the river front. The
Office Of the Evening Telegram. the
next building north Of the Office spe-
cialty building. was slightly damaged
in the two hours fight with the rag
Ing flames.
In the meantime the immense ware