Publisher’s version / Version de l'éditeur:
Vous avez des questions? Nous pouvons vous aider. Pour communiquer directement avec un auteur, consultez la première page de la revue dans laquelle son article a été publié afin de trouver ses coordonnées. Si vous n’arrivez pas à les repérer, communiquez avec nous à PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Questions? Contact the NRC Publications Archive team at
PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. If you wish to email the authors directly, please see the first page of the publication for their contact information.
https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/droits
L’accès à ce site Web et l’utilisation de son contenu sont assujettis aux conditions présentées dans le site
LISEZ CES CONDITIONS ATTENTIVEMENT AVANT D’UTILISER CE SITE WEB.
Fire Study (National Research Council of Canada. Division of Building Research),
1962-06
READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE. https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/copyright
NRC Publications Archive Record / Notice des Archives des publications du CNRC : https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=7c1b4f21-1490-45a0-a6df-9bdce2849b8f https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=7c1b4f21-1490-45a0-a6df-9bdce2849b8f
NRC Publications Archive
Archives des publications du CNRC
For the publisher’s version, please access the DOI link below./ Pour consulter la version de l’éditeur, utilisez le lien DOI ci-dessous.
https://doi.org/10.4224/40001342
Access and use of this website and the material on it are subject to the Terms and Conditions set forth at
Ottawa-Hull fire of 1900
I '
-
TH9lil
N27f5
no.7
c . 2 IBZDG
OTTAWA
-
E U L L FIRE
O F
19G0
i
$ff/Aivr'15 NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCILCANADA
DIVISION O F BUILDING RESEARCH
OTTAWA-HULL FLRE OF 1900 b y G. W. Shorter F i r e Study No. 7 of the Division of Building R e s e a r c h OTTAWA June 1962
PREFACE
Conflagrations plagued Canada throughout the nineteenth century and the e a r l y y e a r s of the twentieth. These large m a s s f i r e s
destroyed thousands of buildings and caused millions of dol/ar s in
property losses. In the belief that a study of such f i r e s will provide a
fuller understanding of the development of fire, the author is undertaking a s e r i e s of p a p e r s describing various historical Canadian f i r e s .
The situation i n Ottawa and Hull p r i o r t o the great f i r e of 1900 provided many conditions that could be conducive t o a conflagration such as contiguity of f r a m e buildings, prevalence of wood shingle roofs, lack of spatial or s t r u c t u r a l f i r e breaks, inadequate water supply
s y s t e m and f i r e equipment, and a strong wind. Late i n April 1900,
a stiff wind t r a n s f o r m e d a relatively s m a l l average f i r e into a destructive
inferno. This paper discusses the development of this f i r e and its subsequent damage.
The author, a mechanical engineer, is head of the F i r e Reaearch
Section of the Division of Building Research.
Ottawa, June 1962.
R.
F.
Legget,P H O T O G R A P H BY PITTAWAY. O T T A W A . F R O N T I S P I E C E CANADIAN M A G A Z I N E
T H E HULL-OTTAWA F I R E F R O M P A R L I A M E N T H I L L
OTTAWA- HULL F I R E OF 1900
by G. W. Shorter
Thursday, 26 April 1900, was a balmy spring day with the t e m p e r a t u r e reaching a high of 6 3 ° F . An e a r l y spring had made the snow disappear; the t r e e s had s t a r t e d t o bloom. Although no official r e c o r d s a r e available, various r e p o r t s have stated that a relatively strong wind was blowing from the north, with some e s t i m a t e s a s high a s 30 mph. In Ottawa and Hull the day had just begun; a t work in the m i l l s and industries w e r e many who l a t e r in the day w e r e to be faced with m a s s destruction of home and business. At approximately 10:30 a . m. an unspectacular event occurred which was l a t e r t o affect the lives of thousands in the two communities. A f i r e s t a r t e d in a s m a l l f r a m e house located near the inter section of what a r e now known a s St. Redempteur and Vaudr euil S t r e e t s , not f a r f r o m the business d i s t r i c t in Hull.
Ottawa and Hull w e r e thriving municipalities in the f i r s t year of the twentieth century, with work for a l l in the flourishing industries along the banks and on the islands of the Ottawa River. Although physically separated by the swiftly flowing Ottawa River they w e r e always closely connected. It i s sometimes suggested that this intimate association of Upper and Lower Canada influenced Queen Victoria in h e r choice of Ottawa a s the nation's capital. A n a r r o w bridge was the b a s i s of communication between the two Cities s o that i t s l o s s handicapped Hull r e s c u e operations.
Reports v a r y a s to the exact building in which the f i r e originated and i t s causes. A defective chimney igniting a wood-shingled roof a p p e a r s to be the main s o u r c e of ignition. Several eyewitnesses stated that a t i t s
s t a r t the f i r e looked not unlike many others that they had s e e n quickly
extinguished. The house in which the f i r e s t a r t e d was located in a congested a r e a of s m a l l wooden r e s i d e n c e s which could account for the fact that the f i r e had apparently spread to an adjacent house and b a r n before the f i r e
department arrived. Other reasons, many of which a r e unsubstantiated, have been given for the f i r e ' s rapid spread at the outset. Among these included the suggestion that a standing order of the F i r e Chief stipulated that no water should be applied t o a f i r e until he arrived. Most' accounts, however, attribute the main r e a s o n for the rapid spread t o the high
wind. By noon the f i r e had destroyed all houses on Chaudibre, Wright, Church, Dupont, Principal, Wellington and Duke Streets, a s well a s the post office, the Imperial Hotel, the Anglican Church, the court house and fifteen stores.
Driven by a strong wind, the f i r e bore down on the Eddy m i l l s and the wood piles of the Hull Lumber Company. "If one could imagine a snow s t o r m of particles of f i r e instead of snow, i t would give some idea of the intensity. I' Thus Mr. E. B. Eddy, one of Canada's e a r l y industrialists, described the f i r e which only a few days before had destroyed h i s paper
mills. Mr. Eddy stated further that, a s he stood in the attic of one of his mills, the f i r e appeared t o blow right under the shingled roof while
gathering speed in i t s headlong flight from Hull a c r o s s the islands of the Ottawa t o the City itself. Mr. Eddy's graphic expressions were most
appropriate. The a i r was filled with thousands of flying brands and billowing clouds of black smoke c a r r i e d along by a strong north wind. This "fire
storm" grew in intensity kindled by the many wood-shingled roofs that released burning shingles a s flying brands. As the f i r e progressed, huge piles of lumber stored on the banks and the islands of the river added fuel to the maelstrom.
In a vain attempt to stop the f i r e , the steam pumper from Eddy's and one of the steam engines from Ottawa, the "Conqueror, " were put into action. Although a l l the men had up t o now helped fight the f i r e , they were now forced t o flee with their families and a few possessions. The f i r e
crossed the islands of the Ottawa at 1:00 p. m. through flying e m b e r s and flaming shingles. These embers and shingles landed in the lumber yards of the J. R. Booth and the H. F. Bronson Lumber Companies in Ottawa's
Victoria Ward and soon spr ead t o the industrial "Chaudikr el1 d i s t r i c t . By 2:00 p. m . the l a r g e flour m i l l and grain elevator of the McKay Milling Company w e r e ablaze a s well a s the Ottawa E l e c t r i c Railway Power House and the E l e c t r i c Lighting Power Houses. The resulting l o s s in power contributed t o the general hardship of the evening. The Baldwin Iron Works, Dominion Carbide, and dozens of other establishments w e r e a l s o destroyed. The f i r e swept through t h i s industrial a r e a s o quickly that t h e Ottawa F i r e Department had t o abandon t h e "Conqueror. " F r o m t h i s point
on, the brigade concentrated i t s efforts on the City's pump house n e a r P o o l e y l s Bridge, t h e s o u r c e of the water supply. It was fortunate that the brigade was able t o save it.
At this t i m e t h e City requested help f r o m Montreal, Toronto, Brockville, Smiths F a l l s and Peterborough. A Montreal detachment of eight men with five h o r s e s , one engine and one h o s e r e e l a r r i v e d on C. A. R. (Canadian Atlantic Railway) Engine No. 622 f r o m Coteau in one hour and fifty-five minutes. Another pumper a r r i v e d f r o m Montreal a t
7:05 p. m. In spite of a l l f i r e fighting efforts, the f i r e consumed a l l p r o p e r t y of the Canadian P a c i f i c Railway including the Union Station, the
Goods Department and Coal Sheds. Thus by 5:00 p . m . the i n d u s t r i a l section of the West End of Ottawa was gone, and the f i r e , proceeding south on
Wellington S t r e e t into t h e "Rochesterville" d i s t r i c t , had destroyed the many fine homes belonging t o those i n t e r e s t e d in the i n d u s t r i e s which l a y in the c e n t r e between the two d i s t r i c t s including M r . J. R. Booth's own palatial home. Once into llRochestervillell the f i r e destroyed hundreds
of houses belonging to the a r t i s a n s and mechanics employed in t h e ChaudiBre industries. Victoria Brewery, Martin and Warnock' s Flour Mills, House of M e r c y and E r s k i n e P r e s b y t e r i a n Church w e r e a l s o lost.
The f i r e s p r e a d a s f a r south a s the "Macadamized Roadt1 (now Carling Avenue) but the Dominion Experimental F a r m buildings lying on t h e south side of t h i s r o a d w e r e saved by the valiant efforts of " F a r m " employees. The eastward advance of the f i r e was p a r t i a l l y stayed by
t h r e e companies of militia requested by Police Chief Powell to a c t a s a
"bucket brigade. l 1 T h e s e men came from the "Guardsf1 and the 43r d Batallion
and their job was t o wet down the buildings on the e a s t side of Division Street (now Booth Street).
In spite of everything, the principal r e a s o n s that the conflagration
did not r e a c h the central portion of the City were the abatement of the
wind around sundown and the protection the high cliffs offered the approaches
to "Upper Town.
"
The u s e of dynamite t o s t e m the onrush of the conflagrationwas quickly abandoned a s flying e m b e r s , heaved skywards by the explosion, would land on other buildings and ignite m o r e f i r e s .
As the evening wore on the f i r e would alternately wane and f l a r e up again. M r . F r a n k Gadsby of the P a r l i a m e n t a r y P r e s s Gallery in
Ottawa, writing in the July 1900 i s s u e of the Canadian Magazine, furnishes t h i s picturesque description of the f i r e from h i s vantage point on P a r l i a m e n t
Hill. "The most vivid picture of the f i r e , that l i n g e r s with m e , i s one
seen a t half-past seven in the evening f r o m P a r l i a m e n t Hill. The shades
of night a r e falling, and a glorious sunset flames behind the purple Laurentians. But Nature's splendour i s eclipsed by the r e d hell that f l a r e s and f l i c k e r s
in the valley of the Ottawa.
.
.
. .
I note one roof after another twinkle, glowand b u r s t out in g a r i s h effulgence. The millions of feet of lumber a l l
along the r i v e r banks a r e alight..
. . .
T h e r e i s nothing to divert the attentionf r o m the menacing grandeur of the conflagration. The River flows along black and sullen save where i t i s t r a v e r s e d by broad r e d shafts of light
f r o m burning deals or m i l l flumes..
. .
I IBefore the f i r e had spent itself in Hull, it had destroyed a l l public buildings except the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Strangely enough
one of the m o s t combustible a r e a s , Eddy's Sulphite Works, was not touched. This a r e a marked the e a s t e r n limit of the f i r e in. Hull. Only two industrial buildings on the islands in the path of the conflagration survived, for
different reasons. The Bronson and Weston Carbide Works was constructed
saw m i l l s had a water system, installed after the m i l l f i r e of 1896, working off their own pumps. This s y s t e m , coupled with the efforts of Booth
employees kept the f i r e f r o m destroying the saw m i l l s . A twist of fate
l a t e r saw these employees l o s e their homes t o the f i r e that bypassed the m i l l s .
Long before the f i r e had abated, which was around midnight, hundreds of people w e r e looking for m i s s i n g relatives. At f i r s t i t was feared the life l o s s would be v e r y high, but missing p e r s o n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y children, w e r e gradually located. A final count showed that only seven lives had been lost. One man told how he accompanied h i s father in a walk from "Lower Town" t o the West End of Ottawa around nine o'clock in the evening to locate a younger brother who had sought refuge in the home of a family friend. It was an e e r i e t r e k without light a s the power was cut off; the a i r was full of smoke so that a pall l a y over the whole City, with the f i r e a r e a presenting a brilliant glow against the leadened sky. During this walk they passed "Cartier Square" in the centre of Ottawa and t h e r e saw the possessions of hundreds of people, including some of their own, piled on the ground. Hundreds of o t h e r s had moved their possessions by c a r t o r even by hand two or t h r e e t i m e s , only to abandon them a s they w e r e overtaken by the f i r e .
This journey was periodically interrupted while the father indulged a t various saloons filled with men seeking "solace" during this dreadful calamity. As they neared the West End they saw the "La F r a n c e " engine well scorched, but s t i l l standing proudly. With the finding of the young brother this family of twelve w e r e reunited after a day's separation. One amusing anecdote concerns a lady who weighed n e a r l y t h r e e hundred pounds. Her husband could find nothing better than a c a r t in which t o move h e r
f r o m danger. He s t a r t e d off jauntily up a steep hill but the t a i l board came
loose and the lady rolled out and down! "Stop her! Stop her!,
"
shoutedthe anxious husband. "Oh, no, l e t h e r slide" came a voice from the crowd.
Incongruous situations such a s the destruction of a l l other buildings in the a r e a while a saloon on Duke Street went unscathed w e r e not uncommon. Small f r a m e shacks occasionally survived while stately
stone mansions w e r e destroyed. A little smithy was not s c a r r e d while
a solid stone shop next door was destroyed. In Hull the f i r e completely
gutted the court house but s c a r c e l y touched the jail and p r i s o n walls a t the r e a r .
A post -fire inventory revealed startling p r o p e r t y damage.
Over 3,200 buildings w e r e destroyed (1,900 in Ottawa and 1, 300 in Hull)
and millions of board feet of lumber w e r e burned. T h e r e w e r e 5,789 people left homeless in Hull and 8, 370 in Ottawa. The destruction of industries left hundreds of people jobless. Forty-two p e r cent of Hull's population of
13,887 and 14 p e r cent of Ottawa's 58, 193 were made homeless. In Hull the s e v e r e l y damaged a r e a covered 276 a c r e s and i n Ottawa, 440 a c r e s ; the total damaged a r e a was 716 a c r e s . The damaged a r e a was rectangular, the long side approximately 2 1/2 m i l e s long and the width 1/4 t o 1/2 a mile. Financial l o s s e s amounted to $6,215, 355 for Ottawa of which $3,085,203 was covered by insurance and $3,300,494 for Hull of which
only $770, 392 was covered by insurance. Thus the total l o s s was $9, 515,849 which, i f converted to the 1960 dollar value, would stand a t approximately $35,000, 000.
It often t a k e s a t e r r i b l e catastrophe to bring out m a n ' s love for man. Even before the f l a m e s w e r e out the m o r e fortunate citizens w e r e planning help for the homeless and jobless. This s e n s e of kinship s e t aside religious, r a c i a l or economic differences. The f i r s t steps toward
organized relief w e r e taken by the Ottawa City Council who m e t a t 11 :00 a. m.
,
27 April 1900, with Mayor T. Payment presiding. A General Committee
was appointed to look after the urgent wants of fi,re victims with authority to spend such money a s n e c e s s a r y until a systematic scheme was devised. This Committee was a l s o t o get a s much information a s possible on the suffering and what amount would be required for relief. Even before this
Committee was established, shelter and food were provided during the
afternoon and evening of April 26th. In Ottawa the Drill Hall ( C a r t i e r
Square), Exhibition Grounds, Amateur Athletic Club and the Salvation
Army B a r r a c k s were used for this purpose. In Hull no public buildings
remained, but people were provided for in the Roman Catholic P r e s b y t e r y although some had to stay outdoors. Within forty -eight hours, however, everyone was sheltered. The "Committee" took over on the 27th.
A meeting of Ottawa citizens was held at 8:00 p.m. on 27 April
following a meeting of the General Relief Committee that afternoon. This meeting ratified the suggestion that the Ottawa City Council petition the Ontario Legislature t o i s s u e $100, 000 in debentures to provide a s s i s t a n c e t o persons who suffered from the fire. An "Executive Committee" with
M r . George H. P e r l e y a s Chairman was formed from the General Relief
Committee and authorized t o accept donations t o be deposited in the Bank of Ottawa. The Committee s e t up offices in the Union Bank Building on Wellington Street and clerical staff were hired. It was difficult t o get food a c r o s s to Hull without the bridge; it had t o be taken by steamer and barge by the Hull Transportation Company. Hull clergymen distributed
food to 6,000 people for t h r e e and one half weeks. In Ottawa a committee
of ladies under Her Excellency, The Countess of Minto, a s President, with Lady Laurier a s Vice-President, distributed food and clothing a t the Drill Shed. Arrangements were made t o supply food to those who had found shelter with friends. This committee supplied provisions t o 3,000 people daily until 19 May when this operation was discontinued. Homeless people were accommodated a t the Exhibition Grounds until the middle of June.
The Executive Committee applied t o Parliament for a charter of incorporation to set forth i t s status and responsibilities and t o prevent
action being taken against individual m e m b e r s of* the Committee owing to '
any dissatisfaction that might a r i s e in the final adjustment of claims. This charter was granted on 7 July 1900. F o r m s asking f o r estimates regarding l o s s e s were distributed and carefully checked by experts. One of the fir s t
r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s of t h e committee was t o keep people f r o m moving away. Consequently the f i r s t o r d e r s i s s u e d w e r e for house furnishings, building m a t e r i a l s and tools. T h e r e s u l t was that only a v e r y s m a l l group moved away. A t o t a l of 3 , 2 2 5 c l a i m s w e r e dealt with; n o f u r t h e r c l a i m s w e r e allowed a f t e r 18 July. T h e l a r g e s t distribution of money began August 7th and ended August 14th during which p e r i o d 3 , 0 5 1 cheques w e r e i s s u e d o r sent by r e g i s t e r e d l e t t e r t o t h e claimant. The t o t a l amount of money subscribed t o t h e "Ottawa and Hull F i r e Relief Fund" r e a c h e d a t o t a l of $956,962.77. A number of c o u n t r i e s contributed, with G r e a t B r i t a i n and h e r colonies (exclusive of Canada) providing 44 p e r cent of t h e t o t a l
as shown i n the following breakdown:
Canada $500,78 1.69 G r e a t B r i t a i n 363,248.70 B r i t i s h Colonies 53,605.75 United States 33,505.20 F r a n c e 1,036.20 Chile 4. 86 Bank i n t e r e s t on deposits 4, 780. 37 T o t a l $956,962.77
B e s i d e s t h i s m o n e t a r y a s s i s t a n c e , g r e a t quantities of food and clothing w e r e s e n t i n f r o m a l l over Canada and t r a n s p o r t e d f r e e of c h a r g e by the r a i l r o a d s . All goods and m o n i e s w e r e distributed b y t h e c o m m i t t e e b e f o r e the end of the y e a r and t h e Relief Fund was audited 31 December 1900.
T h e opening p a r a g r a p h of the c o m m i t t e e ' s r e p o r t eloquently
d e s c r i b e s the s p i r i t t h a t motivated t h i s t r e m e n d o u s "rehabilitation p r o g r a m l 1 and r e a d s a s follows:
"This dreadful c a l a m i t y awakened t h e sympathy of t h e civilized world, and evoked a s p i r i t of g e n e r o s i t y that completely
demonstration of the common t i e s which bind mankind i n one g r e a t brotherhood.
Communities which suffer g r e a t c a t a s t r o p h e s such a s t h i s f i r e only s u r v i v e through the indomitable s p i r i t of t h e i r citizens. Proof of t h i s
s p i r i t in the citizens of Ottawa and Hull was evident well b e f o r e t h e confla
-
gration of 1900. Initiative and determination had been shown in t h e c r e a t i o n of the m a n y i n d u s t r i e s in both communities and in t h e development of Ottawa a s t h e nation's capital. Many of t h e s e i n d u s t r i e s c e n t r e d around the g r e a t t i m b e r i n t e r e s t s in the Ottawa-Hull a r e a drawn by t h e advantage of w a t e r
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n for logs cut f a r t o t h e north. Names like J. R. Booth and
E. B. Eddy, founders of t h e two l a r g e r companies, w e r e a s f a m i l i a r t o Canadians a s those of leading political and m i l i t a r y f i g u r e s . T h e Ottawa and the Gatineau R i v e r s which flow into t h e Ottawa w e r e often a s not filled
with huge t i m b e r r a f t s ably handled by c r e w s of "shantymen. ' I The e s c a p a d e s
of t h e s e shantymen added much t o t h e colourful h i s t o r y of t h e e a r l y days. Millions of board f e e t of sawn l u m b e r w e r e piled on both s i d e s of t h e r i v e r
s o that t h i s a r e a was t r u l y known a s the nation's t i m b e r capital. Ottawa was a l s o suffering t h e "growing pains1' of a young national capital. During the ensuing y e a r s a number of government buildings w e r e built including the C e n t r e , E a s t and West Blocks of the P a r l i a m e n t Buildings. Fortunately, t h e s e buildings w e r e s p a r e d i n the 1900 conflagration.
One f e a t u r e of Ottawa's development that was t o b e a m a j o r f a c t o r in stopping the s p r e a d of the g r e a t f i r e of 1900 was the locating of t h e i n d u s t r i e s and r e s i d e n c e s for w o r k e r s on the flatlands lying t o t h e west of t h e l a r g e r o c k p r o m o n t o r y upon which t h e c e n t r a l portion of Ottawa was built. It was upon t h i s height of land that the government buildings w e r e located a s well a s the City's m a i n b u s i n e s s c e n t r e ; t o t h e south and e a s t l a y t h e l a r g e r e s i d e n t i a l a r e a s . Thus n a t u r e provided a n a t u r a l bastion against which even the g r e a t conflagration of 1900 could not p r e v a i l .
F i r e protection for the two communities had long been i n the minds of citizens although, a s i s often the c a s e , i t was either "too l i t t l e o r
too late. l 1 In h i s p r o g r e s s r e p o r t of works on 26 October 1827, Colonel
By mentions the amount of
t
127. 15. 0 as expenses t o extinguish "firein t h e woods in the i m m e d i a t e vicinity of the public buildings and s t o r e h o u s e s .
"
A few y e a r s l a t e r , Bytown was n e a r l y consumed by a f i r e that broke out in the surrounding f o r e s t , then s o n e a r t h e few buildings e r e c t e d . Had it not been for a change in wind direction, e v e r y s t r u c t u r e in the newly built town would have fallen p r e y t o t h e devouring element. Shortly a f t e r , a few e n t e r p r i s i n g individuals p u r c h a s e d a s m a l l but efficient engine f o r t h e
protection of "Upper Town. Following a s e v e r e f i r e i n "Lower Town" a
f i r e club was organized in 1836 and a f i r e engine built according t o approved principles was p r o c u r e d a t M o n t r e a l f r o m the Alliance B r i t i s h and F o r e i g n
Life A s s u r a n c e Company of London. T e s t e d in Montreal, i t proved s u p e r i o r t o t h e b e s t engine in Lower Canada and was named "Alliance" a f t e r the company that sold it.
Until 1874 f i r e protection was provided by volunteer f i r e companies. During t h i s period f i r e equipment was p u r c h a s e d including two new pumps,
t h e "Ottawa" and the I1ChaudiBr e. l 1 In December 1874, a p r o f e s s i o n a l f i r e
b r i g a d e was f o r m e d under Chief William Young with P a u l F a v r e a u a s Deputy Chief. F o u r f i r e stations and one hook-and-ladder company w e r e established with a total p e r s o n n e l of eighteen men.
Ottawa had considered t h e installation of a water w o r k s s y s t e m
a s e a r l y a s 1859, but f o r various r e a s o n s , including lobbying by "water
c a r r i e r s , 'I i t was not until 1875 that the f i r s t t a p was opened. A pumping
station operated by water power was established a t the i n t e r s e c t i o n of
Wellington and Queen S t r e e t s ( n e a r P o o l e y ' s Bridge). One of the a r g u m e n t s
advanced i n the e a r l y y e a r s of negotiation was b y Mayor F r i e l , who a t a
public meeting in August 1868, stated that the City was paying owners of water b a r r e l s over $3,000 p e r y e a r in p r e m i u m s for drawing water t o f i r e s . With the advent of the water works s y s t e m , the f i r e department disposed of t h e i r hand pumps and purchased h o s e r e e l s and h o r s e s .
P r e v o s t of the Montreal F i r e Department. One of Chief P r e v o s t ' s f i r s t
actions was to purchase new equipment so that by 1900 Ottawa had
9
f i r estations and a complement of 51 officers and men with the following
equipment: 8 hose wagons, 2 hose r e e l s , 2 ladder t r u c k s , 2 a e r i a l ladder
t r u c k s , 2 steam engines
- -
a l l h o r s e drawn. One of these steam engines,the llConqueror,
"
purchased in 1872, had a pumping capacity of 1,400gallons per minute. The department had approximately 20, 000 ft of
2 1/2-in. hose of which approximately 17, 000 ft were in good condition.
At this t i m e saw m i l l owners a t Chaudibr e F a l l s purchased a steam f i r e
>*
engine, the "Union, I ' and manned it with their employees.
By 1900, the City's f i r e a l a r m system had come a long way from the f i r s t primitive approach: someone would notice a f i r e , run t o the
captain's residence, and ring the a l a r m bell over his door. The captain while running t o the f i r e would blow a general a l a r m with a trumpet. Almost immediately the civil population would take up the c r y of "fire!" P r i o r to the installation of an automatic f i r e a l a r m system in 1874, an a l a r m was sounded by a bell in the town hall which tolled the number of the ward in which the f i r e had started.
In 1871, Hull acquired i t s f i r s t piece of f i r e equipment, a hand
fire-pumper. This hand pumper, named the "Victoria, I ' was mounted on
two wheels and could be pulled by a h o r s e , firemen or p a s s e r s -by. Calixte
Rouleau headed the f i r s t volunteer f i r e brigade. In 1873, the brigade was reorganized and a s m a l l amount of auxiliary equipment such a s hook ladders, axes, pails, a c a r t vehicle and uniforms was purchased f o r $100. T h e
brigade was taken over by the City of Hull in 1875 under Chief Maxim Benoit and although m o r e auxiliary equipment was purchased, the old hand pump was kept in service. The shed in which this pumper was kept a t t h e corner
Xc The "Union, " r e s t o r e d to i t s original condition, h a s been presented t o t h e
Division of Building R e s e a r c h by the National Capital Commission a s the f i r st item in the Division's modest collection of e a r l y f i r e fighting equipment.
of Wellington and Chaudibre Streets was destroyed by f i r e in 1880. It was then moved to a room in the central m a r k e t on City Hall Square.
In Hull a s in Ottawa, water had been supplied a t f i r e s by "water c a r r i e r s t 1 transporting casks of water. Around 1885, Hull constructed a water distribution system. Even in those e a r l y days, an appropriation was included in the City budget authorizing the f i r e department to purchase apparatus for thawing hydrants. A further reorganization in 1885 included the purchase of four hose r e e l s to be used with the construction of a water distribution system. These r e e l s were stored a t the market and a t the
Reservoir Building on Duke Street. On 16 May 1887, the f i r s t two permanent and professional firemen were hired a t $1.25 a day. In 1888, the old
hand pump was taken f r o m the centre of town t o a hamlet on the outskirts of Hull.
In
1889,a
f i r e and police station was erected on Leduc (Duke) Street and Hull acquired i t s f i r s t f i r e a l a r m system of fifteen f i r e a l a r m e located in various p a r t s of town. This station was lost in the 1900 fire.In
1899, the City of Hull hired Chief Benoit f o r m e r l y of the Montreal F i r e Department but no additional equipment was purchased before the 1900 f i r e .During these y e a r s of growth, the danger of a l a r g e - s c a l e f i r e was ever present for both communities. A s e r i o u s t h r e a t faced Ottawa when the great Carleton County f i r e swept the r i v e r settlements in August 1870. As the f i r e progressed towards the City, the t h r e e f i r e engines, the "Rideau, I'
ttChaudikretl and "Ottawa, were posted a t danger points together with a number of water c a r t s . Despite these engines the f i r e steadily approached the western section of Ottawa known a s tlRochesterville.
"
The City wassaved by cutting the dam a t Dowls Lake thereby flooding the low a r e a t o f o r m a wide moat along what i s now P r e s t o n Street.
P r i o r to 1900 Hull had suffered greatly from devastation by fire. T h e r e w e r e four outstanding f i r e s in the y e a r s 1875, 1880, 1886, and 1888. The f i r e of 20 April 1880 destroyed 400 houses, rendered nearly 600 families homeless with a resultant property l o s s of approximately $200,000. In five hours the Landry f i r e of 10 May 1886, consumed 110 houses, the post office,
and left 150 families homeless. This f i r e i s s o called becauee i t s t a r t e d in the y a r d s and sheds of Alderman Landry, p r o p r i e t o r of a s t e a m b a k e r y a t t h e corner of Hotel de Ville and Notre Dame S t r e e t s . The resulting l o s s f r o m this f i r e was $250,000. On 5 June 1888, a f i r e began a t City Hall a t 3:00 p. m . and s p r e a d f r o m t h e r e t o consume a g r e a t portion of Hull. In t h i s instance 125 buildings, a church, a p r e s b y t e r y and a convent w e r e totally destroyed.
Despite such setbacks, the two communities continued t o expand. Unfortunately, expediency r a t h e r than prudence too often prevailed and buildings a s vulnerable to f i r e a s those they had replaced o r supplemented w e r e erected. A determination t o build for the future was never in m o r e evidence than following the g r e a t f i r e of 1900. While the r u i n s w e r e s t i l l smoking, people gathered nails f r o m the rubble. When asked why, they would say, "They a r e good nails, well t e m p e r e d by the f i r e , and we will need them for building new homes. I t
T h e r e is a s t o r y connected with the rebuilding of the Eddy i n t e r e s t s . J u s t p r i o r t o 1900 Mr. Eddy had argued with h i s i n s u r a n c e u n d e r w r i t e r s but had finally accepted a policy totalling $400, 000, of which $100,000 only could be claimed for any one f i r e . The r e s u l t was that M r . Eddy l o s t a l l but $100,000. With a s s i s t a n c e , Mr. Eddy r a i s e d the n e c e s s a r y money t o get h i s m i l l s in operation by the end of the y e a r . The d e s i r e of the people of Ottawa and Hull t o rebuild a s soon a s possible i s revealed in the l i s t of buildings e r e c t e d in the burned a r e a f r o m the day of the f i r e until 31 December 1900. A total of 750 houses w e r e constructed together with a l a r g e number of industrial buildings including those of the Booth and Eddy i n t e r e s t s and the CPR station and freight sheds.
It i s fitting that t h i s s t o r y of t h e "Great F i r e of 1900" should end with a description of the valiant efforts of the citizens of Ottawa and Hull t o rebuild for the future. In l a t e r y e a r s other hands have continued the good work up t o the p r e s e n t day when we s e e both Cities included in the F e d e r a l plan for the development of the nation's capital and the
surrounding a r e a . The implementation of t h i s plan will e n s u r e that Canada's capital is t r u l y worthy of i t s p l a c e among world capitals. T h e foundation f o r t h i s grand s c h e m e was undoubtedly laid by the citizens of Hull and Ottawa who courageously withstood the t e s t of " t r i a l by f i r e " i n 1900.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AND
REFERENCEST h e author wishes t o thank the J. R. Booth f a m i l y and the staff of t h e Dominion Archives for t h e i r help i n s e c u r i n g and t h e i r g e n e r - o s i t y in lending photographs t o i l l u s t r a t e t h i s r e p o r t .
T h e following books and publications w e r e used a s r e f e r e n c e s i n t h e r e p o r t i n g of t h i s f i r e :
"Ottawa
-
Old and New" b y Lucien Brault. Ottawa H i s t o r i c a l Information Institute, Ottawa,, 1946." F i r e Waste i n Canada" by
J.
Grove Smith. Commission of Conservation, Canada, Ottawa, 1918."Report of the Ottawa and Hull F i r e #Relief Fund.
"
L i b r a r y of P a r l i a m e n t , Ottawa, J a n u a r y 9, 1901.ltHull, 1800
-
1 950t1 b y Lucien Brault. Ottawa University, Ottawa, 1950. 262p."The Hull -Ottawa Fir el1 by F r a n k l i n Gadsby. T h e Canadian Magazine, Vol. XV, No. 3, J u l y 1900.
Information was a l s o obtained f r o m the following n e w s p a p e r s : London T i m e s . R e u t e r s , A p r i l 27, 1900. T i m e s C o r r e s -
pondent, April 28, 1900. Ottawa Citizen. A p r i l 27, 1900.
Ottawa J o u r n a l (Centenary Edition). " F i r e Department Volunteer Brigade in 1848" b y D. Ghent.
Ottawa J o u r n a l (Centenary Edition). " F i r e and P e s t i l e n c e " by H. J. Walker.
Some information was a l s o provided by the National F i r e P r o t e c t i o n Association, Boston, M a s s .
( p u n s j a g a x a q s IlnH pup ZMZIIO ay3 30 ~ ~ o d a x rrroq)
- - . T -- 3 at.
-
~ .c*<.-- ' . . , . . ' .> pe- :-:.. +, ' , , : .. , . , . . , . - - I - . - - *+-- . , ,F i g u r e 2 F i r e reaching c o r n e r of Wellington and Booth S t r e e t s
Id 3 " I d - + - ' b
