The Burning of Vancouver

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1893, 6 October 1886, Page 3

The Burning of Vancouver

The following is the copy of a letter dated New Westminster, British Columbia, June 13, describing the burning of Vancouver : By this time you will probably have re> ceived an account of the burning of Vancouver town. God only knows what it has been to us. I hope I shall never live to see such a sight again. I will try to give yon an account of it, but before I commence I will say that, although thoroughly tired out and braised and blackened, I am thankful to say lam all right. We all noticed there was great smoke, but as that was usual from burning stamps no one thought anything until half past two o’clock p.m., when suddenly one or two stores caught fire. A tre mendons gale of wind got up, and, to be brief, tbe whole town of 200 to 250 bouses was in flames—just simply one flame—and in three quartets of an hour there was not a vestige of a house left—hotels, &0., every thing gone ! I had taken my coat and waistcoat off, as it was hot; in the hurry and smoke I had not time to pick Hid choose, so put anything on. Imagine one flame 200 feet high, and half a mile wide, sweeping through wooden buildings, and you can form some conception of what the heat and smoke were like. There were several women, and we had to carry them away first to the water's edge for safety ; thru in the smoke and fire we rushed back to save several men and children lying suffocating on the road. One man caught fire within my sight, and was lost in tiie smoke. I only got one slight burn, and my eyebrows and eyelashes burnt; my eyes are very painful with the glare, heat, and smoke. Several of ns made a dash up one street, and found on old woman perfectly roasted—a most awful sight. About 3,000 people are stitute. All my books, sketches, everything went, as I could not Bttprr. ( .t to save them, and people suflocal ng in all directions. Si far there have been about twenty bo.liea recovered, but not r«cognisable ; about seven y are nLsing. I belied a man drag a woman out, and a mioiite or so after the house f.ll down with ft crash The total (Miniated loss ot iifg is about fitly people, I believe, l.ut it is iiupgs-. sihle to tell Tim amount of loss of , ro) \<y is about £240,1.00. The boots I have ~ a, u liter*, ly bu.nt to rags, so T got on to n „,g waggon ami came here .Vow \V(stm.„-stct is ahi nt elf ven and a half miles from hoai Harb ur, where Vancoti' r Town Was s' ua teu Ih.i m.-st avfo. part o' tbe sight* was seeing ruui ai d women running wi d looking f ( , r their wives, husbands, aid children, aod near where some of the liquor places and saloons had stood were about sixty or seventy drunken men, fighting and swearing. Five bodies were found suffocated in a well.”