DESTRUCTION OF DAWSON CITY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3785, 6 July 1899, Page 7

DESTRUCTION OF DAWSON CITY.

PARTICULARS OF THE GREAT life. The “Toronto Weekly Globe”, has the following graphic account: The expected has happened. . A great fire, long threatened, has. overwhelmed Dawson City, and nothing is left of. the centre of the metropolis save a heap of costiy ashes. Fortunately the big warehouses of the commercial companies escaped, but 111 buildings, large and small, were consumed ere the fire burned itself out. The fire was caused, as was its predecessor, that all but obliterated the town, by the upsetting of a lamp in a disorderly resort. The loss is estimated at over 4,000,000 dollars, but, fortunately, without any fatality. - - - ■ 'Early the following morning, L. F. Haines, sou of ex-Mayor Humes, Seattle, accompanied by Thomas P. Reilly, Goyeijnment messenger, . and a. companion named Tokales, started for tlieoutskle wjtb the news over a trail that the majorityasserted meant certain death. They also carried the'report of the just closed Royal Commission, and, after such adventures as few men survive, reached Victoria on the night of May'2o, their passage up the trails having been made with .mounted police relays and. the best dogs, that .the force could put at their disposal. . In many places they found open water, and were forced to pick their way through the wilderness; yet they did it, and made Skaguay in eighteen days. The fire commenced, in the very heart: „pf the business section, at 3 a.m., in a, cabin close To the Opera House, on.the waterfront strip. An abortive attempt was made to extinguish the blaze’before the alarm was sounded, arid the delay this caused gave the fire, headway. When the brigade turned out, they found the conflagration beyond their power to subdue. A strong north wind was blowing, and the fire travelled in sheets rather than flames. It swept.all the buildings in its Way along the main thoroughfare, down to and including Donohue and Smith’s establishment, the razed area including all the waterfront buildings abreast of the same blocks. Within half an hour the fire had crossed the street twice and burned through and spread to Second street, .every important building in what is known as the business section being eaten up. The firemen, aftei\the first half-hour’s work, accepted the inevitable, abandoning the endeavour to extinguish the mad tpry rent of flame, and devoting themselves to the saving of property, in buildings as yet comparatively removed from the sweep of the fire. i Not a single 'building was left from Tiramin’s Royal Cafe to and opposite the Fairview Hotel. In this district were, all the structures erected in 1897 and 1898. Not a pioneer building is loft. When the obliteration of the town appeared ordained, the citizens became ipanic-stricken, and even when they could have been of service rushed madly towards the hills at the back of the town, stopping to ,stand in petrified 'horror, gazing idly .-upon .the’ destruction of their a 11.., Among the most prominent of theffirms burnt out yvere the Bank of British North AVnerica, M’Lellan and M’Feeley; of Vancouver and Dawson, Parsons Produce Coriipany of Winnipeg, the Royal-Cafe, Donohue.and S)nith,'f,he. Aurora Saloon, the Bodega,, the Madden House, the Victoria Hotel, the M’Ponald; block, the California Exchange,' There yverc no insurances. The stocks of the commercial companies .ivill he severely taxed in 'meeting ’{liede-' mand for necessities, all the private stores of food and clothing having been totally destroyed within the radius of the fire. It is impossible that any pretentious effort at rebuilding will be made until navigation opens, for there is not 300 ft of rough timber in the district. Materials of all kinds are equally scarce, the hardyy-are stores, carrying axes, nails, sashes, doors, glass for yvindoyvs, etc., having been almost the .first to fall,, arid; doors hejiig quoted at 35c10l to 40dol each, with I0dpl : extra for locks,;,inveryHimited; qumitity the morning after- the .(Provisions; were not advanced'in price,-nor clothing, the companies' being determined appart; ently to do all du their power;to reliey-e' the general-distress!;, ' Altogether the burned area comprised: quite three-quarters p( Dawson.: The two neyys-bringers say that beforethe ashes' yverc cool, miners ' were-wash-ing them on; the; site, of the banks to-re-cover gold.