The Burning of Vancouver.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 214, 11 September 1886, Page 4

The Burning of Vancouver.

The following is copy of a letter dated New Wostminster, British Columbia, Juno 13, describing tho burning of Vancouver:— By this timo you will probably have received an account of tho burning of Vancouver Town. 60J only knows what it haa beon to 113 I hope I shall never live to eeo such a eight again. I will try to give you an account of it, but beforo I commonco i will say that, although thoroughly tired out and bruised and blackoned, I urn thankful to Fay I am all right. Everything oxcep" what T havo on my back was burnt. I recovered tho remaiuß of my watch in tho ombors, which I keop as a curiosity : but some ready money ia my trunks, all my bo-t clothes, ovorcoats, «hirt, ehot, gun, papers, nicknacks, photoe, every mortal thing I poasoss (oxcepted a dirtyshirt I havo on and somo old clothes I had just put on) wore burnt to simple ashes. I had boon to church in tho morning, and took a walk with a friend beforo dinner. After dinner I said I would write homo to you, and started a lettor in which I emlosod my store ticket to send to you, but that is now completely burnt. Wo all noticod thoro was great smoke, but as that was usual from b-irnine atumps no one thought anything until half-past two o'clock p m., when suddenly one or two stores caught firo. A tremondous gale of wind got up, and, to be brief, the wholo town of 200 or 250 houses was in flames -just simply ono flamo— and in threequartera of an hour there was not a vettigo of ahousoloft-hotels, &e.,ovorytbing gone ! I had taken my coat and waietcoat off, as it was hot; in the hurry and heat and smoko I had not timo to pick) and choose, so put anything on. Imagine ono flamo 200 feet high, and half a mile wide, sweeping through woodlon buildings, and you can form eomo conception of what tho heat and smoko were liko. There were several women, and wo had to carry them away first to the water's edge for safety ; thon in tho smoko and fire wo ruahod back to save several men and children lying suffocating on the road. Ono man caught firo within my sight, and was lost in pmcko. I only got ono slight burn, and by eyebrows and eyelashes burnt; my eyes aio very painful with tho glare, hoat, and smoko. Soveral of ua made a dash up ono street, and found an old woman porfectly roasted - a most awful aight. About 3,000 people destitute. All ray books, sketches, everything went, as 1 could not attempt to cave them, and peoplo suffocating in all directions. So lar thoro havo been about twenty bodios rocovored. but not recognisable ; about seventy aro miseiDg. There wsb no warning ; tho firo took ono leap, from ono end to tho other—that ia tho only way to doscribo it; all my relief", testimonials relating to militia, ovorything gone. When I bolted up to tho house where I stayed, it was jutt catching, and the heat torriblo : and, a« I told you boforo, I had put up brackets, and had tho most of tho little presents and photos nicely arranged. Tho only thing I caved out of tho wholo lot was a photo of . Thon I helped a man drag a woman out, and a minuto or so aftor tho houso fell down with a crash. I took a morbid plcasuro in lighting a pipe, which some oro lent mo (as mine woro all los) by tho firo of my drees clothes ! The total estimated lo=s of life ia about fifty people, 1 beliove, but it is impossible to tell. Tho amount of loss of property is about £250,000. Tho boota I have on are literally burnt to rage, so I got on to a flying waggon and camo here New Westminster is about elovon and a half miles from Coal Harbour, whero Vancouver Town wbb situated. Dr. Trow and Mrs Trew aro allowing mo to writo this in thoir houso, and aro very kind. I am trying to got come new clothes hore to no on in. The moat awful part of tho sight waß peeing men and women running wild locking for their wivcp, husbands, and children, and near whero nomo of tho liquor places and saloons had etood wore about sixty or povonty drunken men, fighting and swearing. Fivo bodies woro found euflbc atcd in a well."