Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-04
Believed Dynamite Machine
Started Holocaust: Feared
Many Buried in Ruins
BRAVE WOMAN DROPS
CHILDREN IN llFENET
Fnemen Perform HerCulean
FeatS and Save Many
From Awful Death
Associated Press BY Federal wirelessl

Associated Press by Federal WtrelessI
OTTAWA, Ontario, Feb. .4.-FEames,
believed to have been started by an
internal machine placed in the base
ment, DESTROYED the house of parlia-
ment here last night, and burned to
death two women, at least one mem
Der Of the house of commons and
four fire-fighters--two policemen and
two firemen--who were caught in the
smoke and fumes generated by the eX-
plosion. ~.::- -
The apparent damage done by the
explosion and the fire will amount to
$1,000. 900, although there is no means
Of estimating the value of some OF
the archives and public documents
lost when the great Gothic building,
said TO be one of the most beautiful
I'm the western hemisphere, burned
TO the blackened ruins that litter Par
lament Square this morning. ..
Women cremated. III
Madame Braye and Nine. NORM
Beauce, friends OF Madame Seyigay,
wife of the speaker Of the house,
were caught in the blazing building,
and burned to death. Madame Sew
gay was forced to leap into a lifenet
from the window of the speakers
quarters. She was saved. ~. )
w. s. Loggie, member OF the
lower house, is missing, and 1t Is be-
lieved that he was caught in the
smoke fumes, trapped by the flames
and cremated. At least a dozen fire
men and policemen are believed to be
buried under the ruins of the great
wall of the main building, which fell
without warning, after the fire had
undermined its foundations.
Minister BurreII May Die.
Minister of Agriculture Hon. Mar
tin Burrea was badly burned and it
is feared that be may die. as a result
OF HIS burns. q
The house had been in session but
a short time and the hopper of bills
under discussion had but just begun
to grind out the nightly grist Of legis-
lation when there was shattering ex-
nlosion that shook the entire city and
was felt for miles in every direction.
One wall OF the great building crum
bled at once Under the force OF the
shock, and the air was filled with fly
ing splinters of glass from the
crushed window. and other debris.
Almost Instantly flames broke out
in several places at once, and it is
believed that the gas connections in
the lower floors of the big building
were broken and the Illuminating gas
ignifed. The halls and lower rooms
OF the building were filled almost i'm
mediately with dense, choking clouds
OF q poisonous gas that gripped the
threats of the fifemen and police and
made II practically impossible to pene-
trate past the doors In order to fight
the flames.
Explosion In Reading Room.
The flames appeared to have start
ed in the reading room, which had
just been vacated by the members
who had been summoned to the cham
Der for the night session, which had
resumed sitting in order to deal with
the mass Of legislation involving war
matters and finance details connected
with the war. The building at the
time was filled with spectators as
there was expectation of an exciting
session, beside the usual number OF
members of both houses.
Panic SEXES Crowd.
On the heels OF the crash Of the ex.
plosi6n came screams from the terri.
fled men and women, jammed tightly
In the parliament rooms, the halls
and anti-rooms leading to the cham
Der. Masses of smoke beloved out
OF the reading room into these halls
and swept people off their feet, cough.
ing and ciutching their threats as the
I,oxious fumes passed into their lungs.
Scores were Knocked down and tram
pied by the panic-stricken crowds
seeking to escape from the death that
nienaced them.
Fire Fighters DO Good Work.
Members, cabinet officials, officers
of the government and the spectators
groped their way uncertain, and In an
agony Of dread down the smoke filled |
halls of the street, or, unable to face
the fumes ran to windows and leaped
TO the ground. or clambered down lad
ders placed by flremen. 1t was here
that the local fire department did its
best work In rescuing lives. Armed
with nets the Ottawa fire fighters
gathered under the windows. encour-
aging members of both houses and
their wives and friends to lean to
safety.
Heroic Woman Saves Children.
Madame Sevigay, wife of the speak
er of the lower house, who had been |
in her husbands quarters, with her
friends, Mines. Beauce and Braye, of |
Montreal. and her children, found her
self trapped by the fumes of the gas |
and the smoke that filled the halls |
leading to safety. Running to her
windows she called for aid to q party !
of firemen with net Into this she |
dropped her children one at time. |
with her own hands. She then leaped |
into the net herself Mines. Beauce
and Braye were killed.