(Ottawa Evening Journal, Monday June 7, 1915) BUSINESS PART OF RUSSELL VILLAGE SWEPT BY FLAMES; LOSS NEAR $80,000 Ottawa Sent Fire Engine and detachment of Men to Help Fight the Fire Fiend – Metcalfe Fire Fighters Helped. Twenty-five private and public buildings including thirteen places of business were destroyed by fire in Russell village, 21 miles from Ottawa yesterday. The total loss up to noon today is placed between $75,000 and $80,000 with a little more than one-third of the loss covered by insurance. The origin of the fire is unknown, but from 9 a.m. yesterday until noon, when a detachment of fire apparatus from Ottawa arrived. it threatened to wipe out the whole of the village. The fire was brought under control about 3:30 yesterday afternoon but the Ottawa apparatus remained on the scene for hours afterwards. Among the public buildings destroyed were the town hall, county registry office, and the public library. Several business blocks, containing general stores were completely destroyed together with their stocks. The branch of the Bank of Hochelaga also was burned. The area swept by the fire is equal to a whole city block and on one street the fire leaped the roadway and burned the buildings for half a block on the other side. This morning many of those who suffered losses voiced optimistic views regarding the rebuilding of the business district, and it is likely that a building boom will follow yesterdays’ fire. START OF FIRE The fire was discovered shortly after nine o’clock in the tinsmith shop of D.W. Murray, Mill Street. From Murray’s shop the flames unchecked spread rapidly and wafted by a veering wind spread west about two hundred yards to the building of Mr. B. Scarfe; and then ran eastward to Concession street, and along the south side of Castor street, Main Street and also burned part of the north side of Castor Street. Hundreds of the residents at first tempted to fight the fire by means of a bucket brigade, but it soon got beyond their control and fairly roared through the business district. Shortly after ten o’clock a call for assistance was sent to Ottawa, and Chief Graham after communicating with Mayor Porter dispatched a fire engine, 1,000 feet of hose and a detachment of firemen by a special train over the O and NY railway. The firemen reached Russell a few minutes after the noon hour and began pumping with two streams from the river near the bridge. The Ottawa contingent of fire fighters composed of R. Spratt, B. Sarazin, M. Tasse, F. Emple, J.O. Kelly, J. Cochrane, N. McLeod Wood, J. Graham (not Chief Graham) and W. Graham. A detachment of fire fighters with a hand engine from Metcalfe also responded to Russell’s call for help and rendered valuable assistance. SOME GOOD BUILDINGS Among the destroyed buildings are some of the finest in Russell, Gormley’s Hotel situated on the corner of Main and Concession streets was saved after a heroic fight which lasted for hours. The location of the destroyed buildings; the losses and insurance so far as known up to 12:30 today are as follows: North side of Mill Street. Double frame building owned by Mr. B. Scarfe of Brockville, occupied by Mr. A. Watson and Dr. P. Proudfoot, dentist; loss $2,000; insurance, if any, unknown. Thomas Kinchen’s general store and dwelling, stock of store , owned by Mr. John Cameron, Russell; loss $1,500; insurance $1,000. This building was two stories high of frame construction. Brick residence and iron-clad building owned by Mr. R. W. Cherry and occupied by Mr. D.W. Murray, Tinsmith and R. Page tailor , loss on building $3,500; insurance $1,500; loss on stock about $1,000; insurance between five and six hundred dollars. Newly constructed public garage owned by Mr. T. Mather and dwelling of Mr. John Mather, building of frame construction; loss on building about $3000; no insurance. A quantity of tools and machinery contained in the garage was saved. The motor cars were out of the garage. There was no gasoline in the building. The garage and the residence of Mr. John Fisher, occupied the corner of Concession and Mill streets. Going north on Concession Street, west side. Joseph Lacelles harness shop situated in part of the Mather building, loss on stock, $150; no insurance. A large amount of the stock of the harness shop was removed. S. Stephenson’s flour and feed store and quarters of the Masonic Lodge on the upper storey; building total loss amounting to about $2,500; some insurance. The loss on the stock of the store has been estimated at about $2,000. The building was iron clad construction. Mr. Stephenson’s residence, which was one of the newest and most attractive in Russell, was situated next to his store, and was totally destroyed, along with stables in the rear, which contained a large quantity of hay. The rigs and live stock were saved. The loss of Mr. Stephenson’s residence will amount o $4000 including contents, and there is about $3,000 insurance. Bakery of Harry Cordell, part brick construction, loss $4,000, insurance about $1,000. Registry office, corner of Castor and Concession streets, principal damage to roof. All county records saved. Total loss, if walls have to be pulled down and whole building rebuilt, about $4,000; if repaired with present walls about $2,000; insurance unknown. North side of Castor street. Town Hall, frame building, total loss about $1,500, insurance $500. Some wooden sheds and other small buildings owned by the county were also destroyed at this corner. Public library, owned by Russell Library Association,, frame building, loss on building $1,500; loss on contents $1,000; total insurance $500. Kenny Bros. New frame office building, occupied by Williams Chemical Company, E.L. Brown, of Manufacturers’ Life Insurance Company, and Arthur Finn, Barrister, loss of building about $1,500, some insurance. Practically all the contents of the offices were saved. Kenny block corner of Castor and Main streets occupied by the Bank of Hochelaga, Kenny’s general store and a public hall above, which until yesterday was being used as a quarters for the Red Cross Society; total loss about $20,000, insurance $10,000, loss to bank about $1,000. Frame building owned by the Oliver Boyd estate, loss on building $5,000; Arthur Fraser, confectioner, a tenant loss $1,000; insurance $600; John Fitzsimmons shoe repairer, estimated loss $250, some insurance. The insurance on the building is about $2,000. McVey and Carkner’s machinery, loss about $1,500, insurance $600. Miss William Sterns, owner of adjoining block; loss on building $2,500, insurance $1,000, tenanted by R.B. Sterns, tailor, loss about $1,000, some insurance; and George Cochrane, dwelling, loss $500, no insurance. .
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 02:30:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015