Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-10

Ottawa ont. Feb. 1.-THE nistori,
Canadian Parliament building was de
stroyed last night by fire declare,
uuofficslly TO have been caused hy tn,
explosion of a gas bomb or an infcrna
machine
Two women. guests of the wife o
speaker SevgnN, were overcome bi
smoke and persisted. Several policemen
and fircmen were buried under debri,
when one end Of tho building collapsed
The number of persons taken to hos
pitfalls had not been determined earl,
This morning.
Frederick T.. rardce. chief liberia
whip, and VIM. S. Loggic, a member
OF Parliament from New Brunswick
are missing and it is feared they. hav,
lost their lives. It has been establish.
cd that tho first burst of flame in tn,
reading room of the House of Com
mons was preceded by at least one cX.
plosion and probably by two. The force
Of the conclusion was so severe tina,
persons standing some distance away
were hurled to the floor
rigid investigation to determine the
cause of tho tire already has been start.
ed by the Dominion authorities
The flames spread with such amazing
rapidity that tho Ottawa fire brigade
was utterly helpless to cone with then
aud aid was sent from Montreal on n
special train, but at one o'clock this
morning the fire was still raging.
LOSS INESTIMABLE.
Thc loss cannot he estimated N money
The building was valued at about sj0r
On. but the contents are Of incstima bl,
value. There was no insurance.
At midnight tho Commons and Senate
chambers had hcen destroyed ana as tn.
great clock doomed out the hour flame.
were sWiring UP the magnificent towcl
and licking their way to it's top Til,
Parliamentary library at the rear prob.
ably will bc saved. Soldiers were assign
ell to carry out its contents
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH
Members of the Parliament, spectator
in tho lower House government en-
ploycs and others who We're in the build
Ing narrowly escaped death or injury
Within a few minutes after the fire be
gan corridors were filed with smoke anc
at many points walls Of flame barred
progress. There were many doors to tn,
great building, but since the outbreak
OF the war all except the main portals
have been closed TO safeguard the legs.
la tors This precaution made escape
more difficult and probably was respon-
sible for the death OF Nine. Bray OF
Montreal and Nine. NORM of Beauce Il,
one Of the rooms of the speakers suite
Nine. Sevigny saved her two children
h. dropping them into fremens safety
net ana then leapeh to safety herself
Another of her guests, Nine Dussa ult
saved herself in the same way.
Among those severely burned was
Minister Of Agriculture Burrell. who fell
insensible after plunglng through a cur
tain of fire and cropping his way along
smoke-fill corridor.
Legislators who We're in the building
experienced great difficulty in cropping
their way through smoke-filed corridors
Several fed through windows and down
ladders to the street.
The entire fire fighting equipment OF
Ottawa was unable TO cope with the
flames and Mayor Martin of Montreal
a member OF Parliament. at 10 O'Clock
ordered the Montreal fire brigade &c
this city. Half an hour after the fir,
was discovered the glass roof over the
Commons chamber fell and Il appeared
tnat the handsome Gothic structure wa!
doomed.
The fire developed and spread Will
such rapidly that the belief was ex
pressed by officials that it was of in
c@ndiary origin.
ONLY 50 MEMBERS PRESENT.
When Speaker Sevigny took the chat
ami opened the session OF the Hous,
a. eight O'Clock only about 10 members
were III their seats. y discussion rclat
in:; to fisheries was proceeding whel
tho decorum Of the chamber was broker
by messenger who dashed into tn,
room shouting Fire, Run for you
lives"
The Games mad Developed 80 suddenl,
that although they started not more
than ~ feet from the chamber members
We're driven back by smoke and fame'
when they sought an exit through The
two main doors. Police guards Were
OF duty in the library, reading room.
and corridors which surround the com
mons on all four sides
ROOM FILLED WITH SMOKE.
When the doors OF the chamber were
opened the great room filled almost in
stantly with smoke and the Legislators
rushed FOR the doors. Spectators in thu
gallery, panic stricken, stampeded TO
the exits at the same time. Attenda MT
came stumbling through the smoke-hllec
corridors from all parts of the building
Minister of Agriculture Burrell wa
overcome as he made his way through
the thick % tho smoke and fell Just II
front of the postofice. He was picked
MP by Robert Rogers. minister of public
works, j. O. Reid, minister Of customs
and Pierre Blondin. secretary OF state
It was found that while his injuries
We're serious he will recover.
Mr. Burrell had been working In hi
private office adjoining the reading room
when the fire started. When he left hi
room he had to plunge through a wal
~ flames in the corridor and then crop
his way along 80 yards OF the hall Il
gain safety. Or. Clark was burned
while attempting to obtain his coat
which was in sma, locker in one o
the corridors outside the chamber Thes
lockers line the halls on three sides o
tile commons and were hidden behind
turiain Of smoke
WAS VETERAN ON HAND,
One &C The first men to make his wa!