Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada (Three Rivers)
1908 - FIRE RAKES A CANADIAN TOWN - Million Dollars' Damage Done In Three Rivers, Quebec.

OTHER CITIES AIDED

But Flames Are Not Stayed Before the Whole Business Section Has Been Paralyzed.

THREE RIVERS, Que., June 23. - Fanned by a high wind a fire which broke out shortly before noon Monday in a stable did not pause in its work of destruction until the greater part of the lower town containing the business section of the city, had been consumed. Then with the assistance of firemen summoned by special trains from Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Grande Mere, it was held in check. Almost every building of an consequence in that section of the city was destroyed, including the postoffice, the City Hall, every hotel worthy of the name with one exception, the fine building of the Hochelaga Bank and almost all of the leading stores. Over three hundred buildings were burned.

The narrow streets of the town and the inflammable nature of many of the buildings in the path of the fire, rendered the task of the firemen an almost impossible one. Outside the town is located the camp of the sixth military district and soon after the fire started a thousand men were sent in to help fight the flames.

The local brigade was entirely ineffective when it came to coping with a conflagration and the soldiers rendered the best assistance they could, but their bucket brigade was not equal to the task. The fact that there was no efficient command also mitigated against their efforts and it was not until nearly four hours after the fire had assumed threatening dimensions that organized effort by the fire fighters from the other cities was available.

Among the buildings burned in addition to those mentioned above, are the St. James Anglican Church, the oldest Anglican Church building in Canada; the Roman Catholic Parish Church; Drolet, Lalonde and Company's big department store; the Dubrusne; Windsor; Dominion and Richelau Hotels; the telegraph offices and the Bell Telephone Company's exchange.

The loss will be considerably over $1,000,000 and it is stated that the insurance companies will be hard hit, though none of them will lose any considerable amount, as owing to the character of the buildings and the inefficiency of the fire protection they keep their risks well scattered. So far no loss of life has been reported but a woman and two children are reported badly burned.

Warren Evening Mirror
Warren, Pennsylvania
June 23, 1908

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