Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-04
Canadian Parliament Building Destroyed by
MYSTERIOUS Fire. wo Dead, Two Missing
Continued from Page One)
after pluneins through fire and cropping
along a smoke-filled corridor.

after plunsing through FIRE and cropping
along a smoke-filled corridor.
First Warning
When Speaker Svigny took the chair
and opened the session of the House at
O'Clock only about 50 men were In their
seats. A discussion relating to fisheries
was proceeding when the decorum OF the
chamber was broken by man who DASH
ed into the room shouting "Fire!-and
big one!'
The flames had developed so suddenly
that although they started not more than
30 feet from the chambers, members were
driven back by smoke and flames when
they sought an exit through the two
fmain doors. Police guards were on duty
| in the library reading rooms and corri-
| doris which surrounded the commons on
| all four sides.
Corridors Filled
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 the
balcony, panic-stricken. stampeded Tor
the exits at the same time. Attendants
came stumbling through the smoke-filled
corridors from all parts of the building:
Minister of Agriculture Burrell was
overcome as he made his way through
the thickest of the smoke and fell just in
front of the postoffice. He was picked
up by Robert Rogers. minister of public
works. j. o. Reed, minister of customs.
lin nf state 1t
was found that while his injuries were
serious. he will recover.
Mr.. Burrell had been working in his pri-
waite Office adjoining the reading room
when the fire started. When he left his
room he had to plunge through wall
of flames in the corridor and then grope
his way along 50 yards of the hall to gain
safety
DR.. Clark was burned while attempting
| to obtain his coat, which was in small!
! locker in one of the corridors outside
the chamber These lockers line the halls
on three sides of the Commons and Were
hidden behind curtain of smoke.
Currie's Fire Brigade
| One of the first men to make his way
| out of the chamber was Colonel John
| Currie, who commanded the 14th Regi-
ment of the Canadian First Division
| through the battle Of ST. Julien. where
he was overcome with asphyxiating gas
Col Currie at once organized into a fire
brigade members of the House, telegraph
operators and police attendants, who laid
several lines of hose from a supply kept
| in the corridors for emergency purposes
| They kept streams of water playing or
the flames but without apparent effect
and soon were driven back by the ter.
rifle heat
Standing at the entrance Of the read
ing room when the fire started were
Col George Bradbury, member for
| Manitoba. and Medric Martin, mayor
of Montreal a member from that city
| Near them was Constable Heimer who
| was on guard at the entrance to the
4 reading room. All three assert the fire
started from an explosion which filled
the reading room with flames and burst
open the swinging doors. The force of
the explosion was so great that all of
them We're thrown fiat on the floor. In
their opinion an explosive bomb or an
internal machine was responsible for
the fire.
Nine. Svieny Saved
Nine Svigny, wife of the speaker. her
| two children and three women guests
were in the speakers private quarters
on the same floor as the chamber AND
reading room. They were cut off from
safety by a wall Of flame. When fire.
men reached Parliament hill, they saw
| Ox,S<v op,1i in inln
with Der children in her arms. A life
net was spread and into it the speakers
wife dropped her children. Then she
leaped safely into the net.
Two Guests Die
Madame Svigny's guests were Nine
Bray of Montreal, Nine NORM of Beauce
and Nine Dussault of Quebec. The on
Iy one of the three to escape was Nine
Dussault who leaped into the firemen's
net. When firemen reached the speak
er's rooms they found Nine. Bray ant
Nine. NORM unconscious. They were
taken from the building and physician:
We're summoned who applied pulmotors
in vain. After half hour the womer
were pronounced dead.
l Inc names OF tne burning fdTIldmeH
building were seen two miles away a.
Rideau Hall, the residence Of the Duke
of Connaught governor general Of Can
ada. The Duke summoned his house
hold aides all Of whom are wounded
officers invalidied from the front ant
they motored swiftly into the city but
were unable to give any assistance. The
governor general sat in his closed cal
and watched the destruction Of the
historic building the cornerstone OF
which was laid in 1850 by his brother
King Edward VII, then prince Of Wales
Borden's Announcement
Sir Robert Borden made the following
announcement at midnight:
1.-The House of Commons will NEE
Friday afternoon at o'clock. Tn
place will be announced later"
The Premier said that the place woult
be either the Russell theatre or thu
government Offices Of the Board Of Rail
way Commissioners.