Evening journal., 1904-04-20
BIC FIRE RACES
IN TORONTO
Whole Blocks In Wholesale Dis,
trict Wiped Out.
A LOSS OF $lo,ooO,Ooo OR MORE

Flames, Uncontrolled For Hours, Final
ly Checked at Water Front-Help
Summoned From Neighborins Cities.
Buildings Blown Up by Dynamite.
Toronto April 20.-Fire has swept
through section Of Toronto's whole
sale business district causing a loss
which is estimated at s10,Oo0000. The
fire started in a factory in Wellington
street about o'clock last night In
less than an hour the flames had
spread from building to building on
both sides of the street until the whole
block was mass Of flames and the
nre was utterly beyond control of the
local department. Appeals were sent
TO every surrounding city where fire
lighting apparatus could be obtained
asking for assistance. Montreal, Lon
don, Hamilton and Buffalo at once re
yponded.
FVom the Currie warehouse on Well
ington street, where Il originated, the
dre spread with astounding rspidity
to the west, destroying the buildings
occupied by the Eckhart Casket COM
pany, Warwick Bros & Rutter and
W. j. Gage &C Co. and then made a
clean sweep up Wellington street to
he Queens hotel. The thick fire walls
II the hotel and the concentrated ef-
forts Of the tlre fighters stopped the
danes there, but in the meantime
the fire had swept across the street,
and the block Of buildings from Bay
street west to the National club was
wiped out.
Flames Burst Out Afrssh.
At that time the firemen believed that
the FIRE was under control, but a shift
in the wind sent the flames roaring
down Bay street, destroying every
building on both sides of the street
from the National club down to Front
street. The principal buildings burned
In Bay street were those Of Wyld &
Darling, Westwood g. Co., Galley, Bond
& Co., Askborn & sherwin, Ainsley &
Co. and Sucking & Co. The ware
houses Of W. II. Brock & Co, Gordon,
Mackay & Co., Pugsley & Dingmau,
Charles Cockshutt s. Co. and Brown
Bros. were also destroyed. In all
more than fifty firms were burned out.
Nothing could resist the force Of the
danes as they swept down Bay street
toward the lake, and the hremen
fought back the FIRE from side streets,
.onfning the hre zone to the one thor
oughfare wherever possible. Several
frame buildings which threatened to
cause a spread Of the fire were blown
up with dynamite.
At 1870 this morning Bay street was
on fire from Wellington street down to
The lake front, but the 1remen at last
met with success in their efforts to
prevent a further spread, and the FIRE
burned itself out at the lake front.
At 3:15 the FIRE was still burning
ldercely in the two blocks between Wei
llington street on the north and the
water front, bounded on the west by
Yonge stree. and on the east by Bay
street Shortly after 3 a. m. the fire
men arrived from London, Hamilton
and Buffalo.
The nremen made a gallant fight
amid the falling buildings and mass
Of tangled wires, but for hours their
efforts seemed to be fruitless. Chief
Thompson Of the hre department and
George Dowkes Of Montreal were cut
off by the flames while directing the
! work of fremen from a roof. Thomp
son Jumped six stories to the ground
md miraculously escaped with a bro
J zen leg. A mass Of tangled wires
broke his fall near the ground. Dowke'
has not been seen since, and 1t is be
ieved that be perished.