The Burning of Vancouver.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 171, 25 September 1886, Page 2

The Burning of Vancouver.

The following is copy of a letter dated New Westminster, British Columbia, June 13, describing the burning of Vancouver : — By this time you will probably have rec3ived an accouut of the burning of Vancouver Town, uod only knows what ie has been to us I hope I shall never livw to see such a sight again. I will try to give you an account of it, but before I commence I will say that, although thoroughly tired out and bruised and blackened, I am thankful to say I am all right. Everything except what x have on my back was burnt. I recovered the remains of my watch in the embers, which I keep as a curiosity ; but some ready money in my trunks, all my bo.-'t clothea, overcoats, shirt, shot, gUD, pap3rs, nicknacks, photos, every mortal thing I possess (excepted a dirtyshirt I have on and some old clothes I had just put on) were burnt to simple ashes. I had been to church in the mo ning, and took a walk with « friend before dinner. After dinner I aaid I would write home to you, and started & letter in which I emlosed my store ticket to send to you, but that is now completely burnt. We all noticed there was great smoke, but a 9 that was usual from burning stumps no one thought anything until half -past two o'clock p m., when suddenly one or two stores caught fire. A tremendous gale of wind got up, and, to be brief, the whole town of 200 or 250 houses was ia flames —just simply one flame — and in threequarters of an hour there was not a vestige of a house left— hotels, &c, everything gone ! I had taken my coat and waistcoat off, a.s it was hot ; in the hurry and heat and smoke I had not time to pick] and choose, so put anything on. Imagine one flame 200 feet high, and half a mile wide, sweeping through, woodlen buildings, and you can form some conception of what the heat and smoke were like. There were several women, and we hnd to carry them away first to the water's edgo for eafety ; then in the smoke and fire we rushed back to save Eeveral men and children lying suffocating on the road.. One man caught fire within my eight, and was lost in suicke. I only got one slight burn, and by eyebrows and eyelashes burnt ; my eyes aie very painful with the glare, heat, and smoke. Several of us made a dash up one tstreet, and found an old woman perfectly roasted - a most awful sight. About 3,000 people destitute. All ray books, sketches, everything as I could not attempt to save them, and people suffocating in all directions. So tar there have been about twenty bodies recovered, but not reqpgnisable ; about seventy are missing. There was no warning ; the fire took'ona leap, from' one end to tlie other -that is the only way to describe it ; all my relics, testimonials relating to militia, everything gone. When I bolted up to the house where I stayed, it was just catching, and the heat terrible : and, as I told you before, I had put up brackets, and had the most of the little presents and photos nicely arranged. The only thing I saved out of the whole lot was a photo o£ — — . Then I helped a man drag a woman out, and a minute or so after the house fell down with a crash. I took a morbid pleasure in lighting a pipe, which some or?e lent mo (as mine were all los») by the fire of my dre«p clothes ! The total estimated loos of life ia about fifty people, X believe, but it is impossible to tell. Tho amount of 1088' of property is about £2,50,000. The boots' I have on are literally bu.rnt to ragp, so I got on to a flying'waggon and came here, , New, Westminster is about eleven and a halfmiles.frpm Coal Harbour, whore Vancouver Town was equated. Dr. Trow and Mrs Trow are allowing me to> write this in their; house, and are very Had. lam trying tope«j'fdaie,ney,plothes,nerejto» go. on .in,... jT-he, /most awful,. part of the sight was seeing- men and women 1 running ' wild lopking for their wivei,, husbands, and children, and near where Hom'epf the liquor :pUces and sixty or seYerifcy'.'dru'nlc'en mem. fighting; *nd ■Bwearing. Five bodies were found feuffoc*aHdin'ai'weH?' '