The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Vast Portions of Ottawa and Hull Destroyed by Fire. Ottawa, Ont., Friday, April 27,â€"Fifâ€" teen thousand people are homeless here to-night, 3,000 dwellings have gone up in smoke, $20,000,000 worth of property has been destroyed. Ottawa and Bull toâ€"night are suffering from the effects of the worst calamity in their corporate history. A fire begun shortly before noon Thursdayu and razed fiercely until one o'clock this morning,‘when it was get under conâ€" trol. At present the damage cannot be estimated with any great accuracy, but it will undoubtedly amount to sev- erel million dollars. Conservative es- timates make it in the neighbourhood Of 820,000,000. Many large manu- facturing establishments and lumber almost beyond computation havebeen destroyed. A distressing feature of the situation is the position of a large 901‘- tion of the labouring people, whose dwellings and sources of employment have disappeared together. OTTAWA FIREMEN CUT OFF. The fire started in the chimney ofa labouring man’s cottage in Hull. A very high wind was blowing at the time, but nobody had the slightest idea of the real extent of the danger. An hour later the main street of Hull was all‘ in flames. ’Ihe firemen of Ottawa hastened to the assistance of the neighbouring city, with the result that they were presently cut off and unable to return, when the tire leaped suddenly across the river. destroyins in its course the planking of the bridge which formed the only 00”" municalion. 15,000 PEOPLE HUMBLESS. This rendered the city of Ottawa to a. certain extent helpless, Little could l3. done but watch the flames lead their way steadily all afternoon through the western part of the city. For allttle while it looked as if nothing wonld be left of the capital of the Dominion. but, fortunately, the wind kept the (ire away from most of the business dlstricts and from the most preten- tious residental streets. These burned out are chiefly the working populaâ€" tion, which tact serves to render the dietress all _the greater. 1. _The vasu lumbzr piles and mills of J. R., Booth. the lmmber king of Can- ada and president of the Canada At- lantic railway, are gone completely. So. also, are millions wpon millions u! Inml e: beionjng to the Hull prmt Co., and the Export Lumber 00., both of which are heavy losers, as are like- wnse the Bronsons-iWestern Co., which hqd still mill lumber on hand. The Gllmour and Bughson lumber piles and mill are gone, together with the churches, schools, public buildings, and stores without number. Edd's pulp mllls were among the first to! succumb to the flames. Since early in the afternoon the city has been almost 0th off from: the out- side world through the destruction of the Canadian Pacific railway station and the; ruin of the track, the has being seu on fire and the rails spread by the heat of burning! lumber piles. Most of the telegraph wires are also down. Every effort is being made to re- lieve the distress of the homeless and ruined thouSands who are wandering! In the streets. The Dominion Govern- ment. authorities have taken energetic hold of the problem, and the drill- fihed and the public buildings have been thrown open as temporary shel- ters. Time has not yet permitted; the organization of any furiher relief measure. The blaze; is said to have originated In the house of A. Kirouac. on Chau- diere street. A burning chimney IS said to have been the cause. This house was in the thick of alot of wooden buildings. and in a very short while more than thirty houses on Philomen. Bridge. Chau'diere. and Al- bert; streets were in flames. The qu11 fire brigade summoned assismnce. and soon the E, B. Eddy firemen, the Union brigade of the Chuudiere, and a part It was thought at first that Main street, the business portion of the town, might be saved, but the fire came doWn there, destroying all the stores, the Bank of Ottawa building. the English church, the court-house. geol, postâ€"office. residence and offices of Mr. Champagne, M. P., and every- thing else on the street. of the Ottawa fire department were doing what they could to keep down the flames. The wind proved too strong and fierce, however, and, de- spite the, many streams of water play- ing on the blaze, the fire spread rup- idly. Even at considerable distances away from the original fire area many houses were set. ablaze by burning embers. The original area of the fire extend- ed over four blocks from the south side of Philomen street to \Vright street and between Chaudiere and Bridge 31 reets. A fact that rendered the [ire more destructive was that most of the buildings which were burned at first were of wood. People who lived two or three streets away, on becoming aware of the flying cin- ders, started to pour water on their houses in the hope of saving the build- ings. Many more people commenced to move their household effects. In spite of all these precautions. however, the flames would get at the houses, end in a few minutes they were a DISTRESSING SCENES. Thy entire day in Hull seemed to Io ORIGIN OF THE FIRE rife wit h scenes of the most distressing nature. Many children who had been playing around their homes in their bare feet were compelled to seek safety without shoes or stockings. Scores of women carried babies in their arms and stood at a distance watching everything which they pos- sessed go up in flames. It was 1.30 when the tire was discov- ered on the Ottawa side of the river- It broke. out in the lumber district While the brigade were fighting these, the em‘bo‘re were carried over to the C.P.R. station, and in an m- oredibly short time more than thirty houses were burning. The station and freightâ€"sheds fell an easy victim, and 'on sped the greedy element until the Whole district to Pooley‘s bridge was a veritable ocean of flame. The old frame houses, for which the district was noted, 0_nly served to add fury t0 the blaze, and hundreds of the poorest 01 Ottawa’s poor fled with only the saint clothing on their banks. The household effects, upon which not one in a hundred had a cent of insurance, gwere all lost, and crying woman and wailing children- were struggling on every side. The men worked as with superhuman strength, and many mOV- ‘ ed their furniture three or four times, only at last to see it go up in smoke. :The most pathetic sight was the aged women and helpless babes, who were without friends or shelter, and knew not where to turn for help. EFFECT OF THE CALAMJTY- Ottawa, April z7.â€"A belt 01 over two miles, from north to south and from a quarter to halt a mile wide is swept bare of everything except lwalls and chimneys. and during the :night the fire sunply burnt itselt‘ out in this belt, which fortunately was separated by a large vacant urea, from the most popular of the Western ‘suburb, Hintoubui'g, towards which gthe flames were driving. adjoining the C.P.R. station. and to- night a vast area comprising the west- erly section of Victoria Ward and praciically the whole of Dalhousio Ward is destroyed. ACROSS THE RIVER INTO OTTAWA. “711811 the blaze crossed the river. the lumber piles between the McKay mills and the river caught first, and in less than five minutes were a rag- ‘118' 1111185. It was only the work of f1 few seconds when the small build- "185 between the piles and the mills were burned, and the great ele- vators of the McKay ills were soon in the cauldron of ire. The briagde made a plucky tight to stop the tire at this juncture, and save the Power-house and the Booth propertyI but it was in vain. The immense deluge of water had no more effect than if fired from a squirt-gun. The wind was blowing a gale 0t 60 miles an hour, fanning the f-lamesinto such fur! that the massive structures were 50911 reduced to a. heap of ruins: H This area oi Ottawa comprises pro- bably 6000 peoPIe, who are homeless. 1n addiLion oneâ€"half of Hull is gone and probably 6000 more are homeless there. These are conServative fig- ures. The great majority are poor people. A. very bad feature is that the manu- facturing and industrial parts of Hull and the chief industrial part of Otta- wa, the C‘haudiere district, are de- Stroyed and thousands of men de- prived of wages [or the present. The Lumber Mills, which were all about to open, and which employed about 4000 men are destroyed, with the exception of J. R. Booth’s big mill, which was [ireâ€"proof, but the neighborhood is so blasted that even that mill will be delayed opening for a time. The loss to Mr. Booth, on his other buildings, lumber yards, offiâ€" ces, house and other prOperty is estiâ€" mated at half in. million dollars. Eddy's loss in Hull will be larger. the paper mills, match factory, inâ€" durated ware mills, Lhe storehouse, yards, lrumways and rusidence being gone. McKay’s Milling Co., is gone, loss $350,000. The main power houses of the OtLawa Electric Railway and 0t- tawa Electric Lighlt 00., are gone, but auxiliary plants, which ware saved, are giving enough power L0 maintain a purLial service ul.‘ buth railway and iighLing. The morning papers esLimato Lhe total loss in Guam: and Bull at $15,- 000,000. That is probably over the mark, as outside of the great mills and the main streeL and public build- ings of Hull the greater part of the districts burned were of the poorer class. The insurance, which is imposâ€" sible to estimate as yet, will be oom- paratively light for that reason,and for the reason that the luimbermen, owing to the high rates, did not car- ry heavy insurance. A great number of foundries, ma- chine shops, factories, and other in- dustries are uLLerly destroyed, as well as the Canadian [’m-ifiu station, freight sheds and yards. The list of the dead so far as known |s as follows:â€" Mrs. Bessie Cook, Well- ington street, cremated in house: un- known man found on Broad street, remains charred beyond recognition; Relief funds are being started in the city, and large numbers of sub- scriptions are being made, and ar- rangements to shelter and feed the distressed. Seven dead or missing are reported so far. In addition to Mrs. Bessie Cook, cremated In a house on Wellington street, and the unknown man found at, the C. P. R. depot, reported last evening, another unknown man was found dead on Broad street. VICTIMS OF THE FIRE THEIR ESTIMATE Fifteen thousand people have been rendered homeless by Friday's conting- ration in Ottawa and Hull. It was the work of but a few hours. The fire commenced in Hull, swept through the streets 01 that city, licked up the lumber piles and the mills which'eep- arate Hull from Ottawa, and then drove with irresistible force through a populous district of the capital. The {ire-fighters were powerless. Nothing could stop the progress of the flames. No time was given to the people to save any of their belongings. For them Old and young, sick or well, it was luck if they escaped with their lives. Fif- teen thousand of them are to-day without shelter. They are our own people. AllCanadinns with true Canaâ€" dian hearts beating in their breasts ought to come liberally to their assist- ance. Let individuals, municipalities. in fact, all pesslble agencies. come at once to the reliett of the homeless. unknown man Iound in C. P. R. sta- tion ard, lower extremities badly burne ; John Matthews, 15 Dlvxelon street, reported. dead; John Tumple, Somerset su‘eet. said to be missmg: â€"Drost, W'ater street watchman for E. B. Eddy 00., reported dead; Fire- man Dunn and Engineer Peter Hamil- ton, of Hull, reported missing. It 18 said several bodies have been seen in Hull ; There are no positions south of Pre. floria which cannot be turned by the ‘British. Even the VaaL river does not offer any protection to the Transvaal, lit being fordable at every dozen miles, The position at Biggarsberg can also be easily turned. TH E BOERS’ STRENGTH They Have Plenty of Ammunition. But Few Provisions. London, Monday. April 30. â€" The Morning Post’s correspondent at Bloemfontein sends a long detailed communication in reference to the strength of the Boers, and their re- Beer commissariat, through whose hands the returns passed." It con- tains the assertion that the Boers up to March 13 had lost 6,500 prisoners, FLOW killed and wounded, 11an 14,000 hud slunk to their homes. The] are Extremely short of waggons, and were short of wheat until their raid into the Wepener district, where the har- vest has been the finest on record. Their mealies are in bad condition. Smokeless prrwder for their big guns is almost exhiusted, but other stores and rifle ammunition are plentiful. British Force Likely to Stay in That. District. A degpatch, from Bloemfontein, Monday, April 30, sayszâ€"It is under- stood that the British will continue to hold Thaba NCh‘u owing to its straâ€" Legio importance, and. especially with a view to checking future raids. The oommandoee that, had recently been operating in the direction of Thaba Nchu are melting away, the Boers quietly returning to their farms, and many of them taking the oath of al- legiance Experience has shown, how- ever, in! many cases, that. this is only apretence to enable the Boers to create disturbances on the rear of the British, and vigorous methods will probably be necessary to force real disarmament. The Boers are now evidently return- ing in order to concentrate for oppos- lng the British advance. Now that Thaba. Nchu; as well as the approachâ€" es, lS strongly held, Ladybrand. with the unfriendly Basutos lining the border, IS rendered aposltion of exâ€" treme danger for the Boers, the gravâ€" ity of which will be accentuated from the moment the British advance beâ€" guns. 15,000 FULL KITS WEEKLY Tommy’s Clothing Being Rushed to South Africa. London, April 27.â€"The army clothâ€" ing factory at Millbunk is sending to South Africa 15,000 full kits weekly. Up to March 2.00.000 pairs of drawers had been sent, and now 20,000 pairs are going out weekly in addition to vast quantities of socks and wool- len jerseys. The orders are increas- ing, and it is expected that the facâ€" tory will work at the present rate unâ€" til the end of the war. Forces Arranged to Defend Any Pass British May Decide to Attack. A despatch from Ladysmith, April 28. says :â€"The reports about the mass- ing of the Boers at Tintwa pass ap- pear to have no foundation. There are only small parties of bul‘g'hers in that ueighborhogd. “ .‘v Farm-Fouse From Which Canadians Were Fired Upon. A despntch from Bloemfontein says: ~Richter’s farm. near Leeuw kop, from which, while flyng :1 while flagI the Canadians were fired upon, has been burned as a punishment. Richter is a prisoner. BOER PLANS IN NATAL. BURNED ' AS PUNISHMENT. ~u|~v _-_u Commandants De Beers and Vanuie- kerk have so arranged the Boer forces that they can be massed at any pass which the British might attempt to force WILL HOLD lHABA NCHU. HELP THE HOMELESS IHE DYNAMITE OUIRAGE Two Kidnappers Try to Abduct Chief Witness in the Canal Case. A despatch from Niagara Falls. 0nt._ says :-â€"The dynamite outrage at- tempt becomes a deeper mystery ev- ery day. A correspondent visited the scene of the attempt of a week ago on Sunday. The crowds are not so great as last Sunday, and the soldiers keep everyone as far away as possible. Several sensational turns may be sprung at the trial. The Crown has some splendid evidence, as the follow- ing details which have been kept as close as possible will show. The con- spiracy is evidently a deep one. evâ€" ery effort being made by friends of the men in gaol at Welland to save them. Thursday evening two men dressed as women, in dark clothes, ‘heavlly veiled, are reported to have ‘attem-pted to entice the 12-year-old Constable girl away. She is the Crown’s chief witness. She was an eye-wit- ness of the deed. The masqueraders decamped when the father of the girl wppeared. He has since asked protec- MARKETS OF THE WORLD Prices of Grain, Cattle, Cheese, &c.. in the Leading Markets. ‘ Toronto, May 14â€"â€"-We bad a light run of only 35 carload‘s of live stock, in- cluding 1,400 hogs. 500 cattle, about 70 sheep and lambs, 40 calves, and a few milkers. The market was again dull and un- interesting and showing no improvo- ment. Much of the cattle was held over for Friday’s market. at from 3 3â€"4 to 40, and occasionally 4 1â€"80 per pound. Other grades had a weakening tendency. There was lithe done in butcher cat- tle. The better stuff sol-d fairly well While stockers are quotably “n” changed prices are weaker. Bulls, feeders, and milkers are about the same as on Tuesuay. Being in such unusually light 8‘1?- ply sheep and lambs wars firm at the Prices which have lately ruled here- There is not much enquiry yet for Spring lambs, which sell at lrom $250 to $5.50 each. Sheep. per cwt. Yearlings, per cwt. Spring lambs, each. BUCKS, paer cwt. . Hogs ; Tuesday Cows, each. Calves, each Shippers, per cwt. . .3425 $ 475 4121â€"2 Butcher, choice, do. . 360 Butcher, med. to good. . 325 350 Butcher, inferior. . . 250 3'00 Stockers, per cwt. . . 275 362 1-2 Choice hogs, per cwt Light hogs, per cwt.. Heavy hogs, per cwt Sows. . . . . S\ags. . . . . Sows. .a. y . . . 300 325 S‘ags- . . . . . 200 225 Toronto, May 1.â€"\Vheatâ€"There isa moderate demand and the market is about steadyi Red and white are quoted at 65 1â€"20 west. Goose wheat is quoted at 69 l-Zc west and 701-20 on a low freight to New York. Spring wheat is steady at 660 east. Mani- toba wheat is steady at 800 for N0. 1 hard grinding in transit Sarnia, 68 1-20 afloat Fort William May and 79 1.20 North Bay. ~ an L-,:A L uuvuu.’ . For prime hogs, scaling from lfioto 200 lbs., the top price is 61â€"40; 11%“ hogs are bripgiqg 51â€"2c perllb. -uabn Flourâ€"[s steady. Cars of Ontario patents are quoted at $2.80 to $25.35 in barrels west, but the large mills are getting 20c to 250 more. Manitoba flour is steady at $4 to $4.10 for patents and $3.70 for strong bakers.‘ Millfeedâ€"The market is steady. Cars of shorts are quoted at $16 to $16.50 and bran at 515 west. Barleyâ€"Is steady. No. 2'15 quoted at 43c east and 42c west. Buckwheatâ€"Is steady at 510 to 52c east and 500 to 51c west. “veg u. p ~4.u°...=. v__~ . Following is the range of quota- tions: Cornâ€"Is steady at 400 for Canada yellow west, American is quoted at 47 1-20 for new No. 3 yquw Tog-ongo. viivyerâ€"iâ€"ils steady at 52c west and 54¢: east. Outsâ€"The demand is fair and the market is steady. White are quoted at 280, east; mixed are quoted at 26 1-2c and white at 270 bid and :27 1-20 asked. Oatmealâ€"Is steady at $3.20 for cars of bugs and $3.30 for barrels here. Peasâ€"Are steady at 620 east and SIP hid west. HDressed hogs in waggon lots on [he street here toâ€"day were quoted at $7.40 to $7.60 per cwt. Smoked and Dry Salted Meatsâ€"Long clear bacon, car lots, loose 8 1-40. do cased 81-2c; ton and case lots, 8 3-4c; breakfast bacon,. 11c to 120; backs, 110 to 121-20; shoulders. 90: hams, lie to 12¢; rolls 9c to 91-20; green meats out of pickle are quoted at 1c less than smoked. I Porkâ€"Shoulders mess, $13.50 to $14. ifidLâ€"Tiercea 85-8c, tubs 83-40 and pails 90. are firm at the prices of last Milkers and Calves. Sheep and Lambs Cattle. Hogs. . 2500 200 3lly light 3‘1?- 6 00 560 500 300 45 00 10 00 r0 65 tion, and a couple or special guards now stand in from or Ms house day and night. Several suspicious people have appeared al the hotels and about town during the past few days, but the presence of the soldier guard makBs them very careful. The two men in the feminine attire asked a couple oflads to show them where the little girl lived who saw the dyna~ miters drop the charge into the canal. Not trace of them has been found as ye . James Hoover, one of the men living near the blown-up lock, has identified Dullman as being in town the Tuesday before making enquiries about the canal. Saturday night a farmer was halted by the soldiers. He refused to comply, and the soldiers tired anll all the guard ran to the spot. The poor, frightened farmer was held for some time, but finally nllowed to go. About thirty witnesses have been subpoenaed for the trial at Welland, and a great number of townspeople will also be present. It is stated that after the prelim- inary examination the prisoners will be removed to Toronto gaol for safe» keeping. .Buffalo, May l.â€"-Spr1‘ng wheat- Steady: No. lNorthern, spot, 753-40} No.2 Northern spol, 733 4c;No.1hard. 73lâ€"4c; No. lNortbern, 711-40; No. I Northern, 09 1-40; No. 8 spring. 67 3-40. Wmter wheatâ€"No. 2 red, 73‘. mixed. 721-20; No. 1 white, 72c asked. Corn -No. 2 yellow, 451â€"40; No. 3yellow, 441-20; No. 4yellow, 43 1-20; No. 2 corn. 441-40; No. 8 corn, 43 3-40. Oat- â€"-‘Firm; No. 2 white, 291â€"4 to 29 1-20; N0. 3 white, 28 1-2 to 28 3-40; No. 4 white, 280; No. 2 mixed, 26 120: No. 3 mixed, 26. Ryeâ€"Fanny, spot, 621â€"2“ 63c; asked. Flourâ€"Quleu and steady. Chm-ago. May. 1,â€"Flaxseed closed:- North-West and South-“Vest. cash. $1.73 bid; May, 81.72; September, 81.22 October, $1.15. Detroit, May 1.â€"-Wheatâ€"Closed. No. 1, white, cash, '71 1-20; No. 2 red. cash 711-20: May, 711â€"20: July, 721-20. BOERS T0 WINTER IN NATAl. Kamrs Told They Must Furnish Forage for Burghers. A despatch from Ladysmith, April 29, says :â€"â€"The Boers are making pro- parations for spending the winter it Natal. They are visiting all the Kat- firs within the occupied sphere, de- manding the payment of the hut tax and informing them they must not pay to the NaLal Government in fu- ture, but to them. The Boers are bringing their stock from the high veldt into Natal for the winter grazing, and have intim- ated to the Kaffirs, that they require grass for their animals, and that. the natives must work for them or move south of Sunday‘s river. The enemy are busy on new posi- tions north of ELandslaagLe. It has been ascertained by means of range- finders that they are not less than fifteen thousand yards distant from the station and the collieries, and therefore beyond the reach of our giuns. Powers Tell Them to Sue for Peace- Intervenuon is ImpOSSible. . A despatch from London, April 29 saysâ€"The Dresden Neuestq Nachrxch- Len [earns from the very best source that at the conference held between Av the/preselng request of the musâ€" siun, Dr. (16 Beaufort put himself In communication with me Cabinets in BE-I'lln, Vienna, St. Pelersburg. and Paris, and nalurally received from all of lhem the answer lhat any interven- Lloll was impossible. All the powers, without exception. advued the Boers to make overtures of peace to England. Even if their indvlieudence should. be sacrificed, the uonclusmn of peace would at least put an end to useless bloodshed‘ members of. the Boer mission and Dr. de Beaufort, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, the latter did his best to convmce the Transvaal dele- gates 06 the hopelessness of their mission. floors vale llne Main Roads In The" Iletrun Nurl". A despatch from Maseru, April 29; says: â€" Firing was heard in the d irec Lion of Thaba Nchu fur some hours yesterday, Many Buers are retreating from Wepener and De Wetsdorp,proceedâ€" ing by truss-roads instead of the main roads near‘the Basutulund border. ADVICE T0 BOERS. IN MISERABLE CONDITION.