Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-08
INCE|VDIARY BLAMED
FOR DISASTROUS FIRE
At OTTAWA, CANADA
At Least Six Lives Lost and
Many Injured as $6lOO0,OOO
Parliament Building IS De-
StrOyed by Flames
CBy Assoeiated Presa.l

CBy Associated PressO
OTTAWA, Feb. 4.-Canada's magnifi-
cent parliament building. which cost
more than Su,OOO.OO lay in ruins today,
swept by a fire attributed by some to
a bomb or internal machine. At least
six lives were lost and many persons
were injured. The fire was under con-
troll at a. m. today after raging furi-
ously for six hours. The known dead
are:
Mime. Bray, wife of H. A. Bray, of
Quebec, and daughter Of the late George
Tanguay, Of the Legislative council.
Nine. NORM. wife of Louis NORM,
OF st. Joseph de Beauce. Quebec.
Robert Tanning, waiter employed
in the building.
Alph des Jardins, a dominion police
man, and A. des Jardins, a plumber.
Another dominion policeman is believed
to have been killed with the des Jardins
when the roof fell upon them while they
were working with others in the cham
Der below the speakers quarters.
William S. Loggie, member Of par
lament for North Umberland, New
Brunswick. is reported missing. 1t was
stated last night thai Frederick L. Par
dee, the chief Liberal whip in the house
of commons, also was missing, but ii
was subsequently learned that he went
to Sarnia. Ont, yesterday morning, and
that he could not have returned before
the fire.
LOSS HARD TO ESTIMATE.
The financial loss is difficult to esti-
mate, but the contents of the building
were OF great value. At an early nour
today it was believed the parliamentary
! library in q rear wing had been saved.
While the fire was burning soldiers car
ried out many of it's 100000 volumes.
The parliament building was rated as
one of the finest Gothic structures on
this continent. IT covered four acres
| on Parliament Hill.
Several persons who were burned or
otherwise hurt in fleeing through the
corridors before the swift rush Of the
flames or in escaping from the windows,
are .in hospitals today. One of those
most severely injured is Martin Bur
reIl, minister of agriculture, who was
/ burned about the head. DR.. Michael
Clark, member for Red Deer, suffered
burns about the hands. Sir Robert Bor-
den, the Canadian premier, escaped with
out injury.
Nine. Bray and Nine. NORM were
guests of Nine. Sevigny. wife Of the
speaker. and were trapped in the speak
er's rooms. Nine. Sevigny dropped her
two children into fireman's safety net
and then leaped into It herself as did
another Of her guests, Nine. Dussault
of Quebec. They escaped unhurt. When
the firemen reached the speakers cham
Der they found Nine. Bray and Nine
NORM unconscious. Vain attempts were
made to revive them with pulTIotors.
The origin Of the fire can be deter
mined only by an investigation, which
| it is understood will begin as soon as
possible. The fire started In the read
Y a.
Colonel George Bradbury, q member of
the house from Manitoba, Mayor Medric
Martin. of Montreal, and Constable Hell
mer, who was standing at the entrance
Of the library, agree that it was preceded
/ by an explosion which blew open the
doors Of the library and knocked down
persons standing near. They say they
believe the explosion was caused by a
bomb or internal machine.
POLICE WE'RE ON GUARD.
Policemen were on guard at both
doors Of the library and other persons
were in the room itself, so that il would
have been difficult for any one deliber-
ately TO set the fire without detection.
Suggestions were made that the blaze
started from a smouldering cigar butt
but smoking was prohibited in the Ii
brary.
In this room were thousands of loose
papers, among which the flames leaped
with amazing rapidity. Smoke rolled in
dense volumes out through the doors
and into the chamber of the house of
commons, where that body was sitting.
With the spreading of the alarm men,
bers Of the house Of commons, specta-
/ tors in the gallery and attendants tied
in panic for windows, doors or fire es-
capes. So swift was the rush OF the
flames that many narrowly escaped. One
of these was the minister of agricul-
ture, Martin Burrell. who was overcome
/ by smoke as he fed through a corridor
and was dragged TO safety by Robert
Rogers, minister of public works.
] Colonel John Currie, who commanded
regiment of Canadians in the battle
OF st. julien in Flanders, hastily or
/ ganized fire brigade OF members OF
| the house and attendants and fought
the fire with lines Of hose in the cor
ridors, but could make no Roadway. The
blaze spread so fast that when the OF
tawa fire department arrived the build
| ing was doomed. Aid was summoned
/ from Montreal, but as a special train
laden with fire apparatus and a company
Of fremen was leaying that city about
midnight, the call was countermanded