The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 1

Weather Forecast-Fair and Cold. Temperature Yesterday. Minimum Maximum 22. 73RD YEAR, NO. 205.

OTTAWA, CANADA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4. 1916. PRICE TWO CENTS. Parliament Building, Housing Commons and Senate, Destroyed by Fire Several Lives Lost and Many Thrilling Escapes Are Recorded -i L4 fv mMMMmAP wzk imi The central building of the Parliamentary group, practically ail of which, save the Library at the rear, is a mass of ruins. A it? -m.

"4 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE CENTER HAS FALLEN PREY TO FLAMES Vr i THE DEAD. MADAME BRAY, OF QUEBEC. MADAME, MORIX, OF QUEBEC. The commons chamber, which was fireswept within a few moments of the outbreak of the coiifliifrra- tion. The first warning was the inrush of smoke anil the members present a bare quorum of the house fled for their lives.

1 I 4 frj i 1 A THE MISSING. ALPHOXSE DF.SJARD1NS, DO- viviov ponrruiv PREMIER ESCAPED WITHOUT HAT OR COAT AND WITH DIFFICULTY MYSTERIOUS FIRE WRECKS THE IMPOSING CENTRAL STRUCTURE; SEVERAL FATALITIES RESULT Origin of the Blaze May Never Be Known. Starting in the Reading Room, the Fire Swept Through the Commons Chamber in the Western Wing, Thence East to the Senate, and Early This Morning the Entire Building, Save the Library, Was a Mass of Ruins. ALPHOXSE DESJAHDIXS. OF ABOVE, A PLUMBER.

ROBERT FAXXIXG, A WAITER. TWO GUESTS OF MME. SEVIGNY DIED IN FIRE Madame Morin, of Deauce, P.Q., and Madame Bray, of Quebec, Trapped at Chief Conservative Whip Trapped in His Room and Got Out Via a Ladder. Other Ministers Had Exceedingly Close Shaves Mr. Burrell Only One Injured.

tioa of his government's headquarters, while Hon. Robert Rogers, Sir Sam Hughes, Deputy Speaker Rhodes and many other prominent parliamentarians mingled with the soldiers and firemen to render what assistance was possible under the circumstances, the clang of ambulance bells and repeated calls for doctors bringing home to Ottawana the tragic features of the costliest Are that has visited the Capital in ma.iy years. So much water was poured into the wings and central portions of the senate and house of commons that it floodeil everything Hall. The Canadian Parliament Buildingcentral figure of the imposing ermip on Parliament Hill is in ruins. Fire1 which broke out at.

nine last night in the Commons reading room swept with tremendous fury down the corridors, and It-aped to the Commons chamber and plosions as sections of the roof collapsed, millions of sparks shooting upyard into the starry sky to the accompaniment of warning shouts from spectators to the plucky fi.f men. several of whom had bs carried down and revived. 10 o'clock the entire building lojlied doomed. The breeze came ironor Sir P.obert Border, stated that he was in hi oflice when his undersecretary hurried in and informed him that the buiiding was afire. He turned back for his hat and coat, but was persuaded that it would be dangerous to wait for them.

Sir Robert e-iid that he was glad he had accepted the advice as he experienced considerable difficulty in making hi way out of the building rushing in frying fire. I ran from Room li to my locker in which were my hat and coal, towards the speaker's chambers, but a thick black volume of smoke kept mo back. I then tried as best 1 could to get our at, the House and succeeded in doing so. The smoke was so Intense that it was difficult to see one's hand shcad." Mr. K.

M. Macdonald, member for Pictou was in the visitors' gallery It whs definitely HHrcrtained at midnight that two women lost their lives in the- lire. Th victims were Madame Henri Dray of Quebec and Madame Louis Morin of Mnauee, both kucsIh of Madame Scvl- ealleries, and In the space of three irom tne nortn-east and as if in for a hundred yards around, transforming the concrete steps into flow Tin- fHimnis clock tower of I'HrliHint'iit Hill whkh for half a minutes had filled the whole west defiance of the best efforts that Cbief wing with an Impenetrable volume nf smoke, quickly followed by raging gny, wife of the speaker. cciilury fttmxl wutinol over the Gipilsl of 'Honda. At 1.21 thi iiioniiiiK the frown collajispd ami the rem of the tower i a black- Morin is The case of Madame talking to friends when the.

alarm as it was. Mr. John Stanfield, chief Conservative whip, was? trapped in his room, and had to escape dowa a came. He said last night: "I was 1 particularly fad as she had Intended i licil llll Graham and his men could put forth, flames burst out on the west if the main structure near the parliamentary press room, after which they rapidly devoured every within reach until the main wer stood all that separated them from the Senate side. seated in the gallery when Mr.

Med- to return In hr home two days ago-eric Martin of Montreal, and Mr. She had put it off from one time to ladder which was extended lo him by some firemen with the assistance Frank Glam, of East Middlesex came another, however, and finally rtplay- of some neivsuaoermen. rushing Into the chamber shouting for another dny when her ne- COMMONS WILL SIT TODAY, THE CABINET DECIDES AT MIDNIGHT SIH THUS. WHITE'S ESCAPE. i Sir Thomas White, minister of I got down from the gallery parture had been fixed for this morin two minutes, was unable to get ning.

While a guest of Msi'lume my hat and coat and rushed out to Hevlgny, Madame Morin had be-n names. TWO KNOWN DEAD. Two people are known to be dead. They are Madame Bray, wife of Dr. Bray of Quebec, and Madame Morin, wife of Dr.

Louis Morin of Quebec They were guests of Madame Sevig-ny. wife of the speaker, and were cut ifT in their apartments. ollt REPORTED MISSING. Four men are reported to be bur-i in the ruins, but the fierceness the fire has so far prevented -arch for the bodies. They were opposed to have been buried by a Tallu.g wall.

Madame Pevigny escaped by lcao- finance, was in the office of Hon. Dr. i The ra- taken ill and hnd spent rome time in the front of the bulldin ing cataract Many rumors gamed circulation and were of course magnified to an alarming extent. Hl'MORS OF INCENDIARISM. Rumors of incendiarism, however, were given color by the statements of Mayor Martin, of Montreal.

Mr. W. K. Bradbury and othere, who stated tnat they distinctly heard ex-ploeions prior to the first rush of flames through the house of commons. Police were at once placed on the alert for suspicious characters, and no one was allowed within fifty yards of the tire Dominion police are S3 id to have beun an investigation into the wtory that trouble arose several day ago, due to the employment of Germans.

Thie could not be verified. SAVING OF THE LIBRARV. Perhaps the most heroic fire light ATTACKED THE TOWER The huge tower, stretching majestically up above the irrepressible flames, soon filled with smoke, and though the big clock struck eleven and twelve, it soon met the fate of ipidity with wh Reid, minister of customs, which adjoins the reading room, where the I -ann't under- quentty not in the most ruggei was remarkable fire was supposed to have originated. how euch a thick tii of of health at the time the flre oc- Sir Thomas, when interviewed, said Unique Session of the Council Held in Room at Chateau Laurier Reaches Decisio That Business of the Country Must Go on Despite the Fire, 'ifmoke gathered in fctich a hort timejeurred I heard the cry of fire and went out n(jr undPrB(Hnd nw fir, appears from what could be to obtain access to my office xn i learned tonight that when lh Are nor can I understand how the fire made such progress." started Madame Hevhuiy managed to escape throu.jh the corridors of the, building. Madame Henri liuiwatilt, the other sections and shortly after eleven, the ring of lights at the crest of the steeple, which for many years had flashed forth as a beacon to Canadian parliamentarians, flickered for the last time and slowly dimmed.

Perhaps the most spectacular feature of the unfortunate blaze was into a Are net while Hon. Mar Sir Robert Itorden made lite fol- Xiyi'K CABINET coCXCIL. of ali-o a guest of Madame i Sevignv. jumped from a window in announcement at midnight: An informal cabinet council was hld last night at 11 o'clock at the in Burrell. minister of agriculture.

'it severely burned about the face hands when escaping from his flee which adjoins the Commons the second Miorev and escaped unin- i 'T-'ie House of Commons will meet ing was that made necessary to save MKi-nu ivfluiiirr -ir this fllrfnVl aftarrn mt 1 l' wmcn were my ni ana coau i tried to get out of the door of the CES. HUGHES I KJHTS FIRE. reading room leading to the corridor i Major-Gencral Sir Sam of the House a large volume of, minister of militia. attending a smoke kept me back. There was dinner In the Chateau Laurier when flame intermingled.

Hon. Martin he was told that the House of Com- Burrell tried to escape through the morn was on flre. He Immediately; same door and was burned in the proceeded to the House, and seeing process. I escaped by the Senate the gravity of the situation, ordered with Ir. Reid but lost my hat and tne local battalion, the 77th, un-.

coat and was unable to get to my der Col. Street, and the Engineers, office at all. When I got outside the ho were stationed at the Exhibition building, numbers of members of building As usual, the minister of lured. Th two young children the priceless library. At times Chief the destruction of the main tower.

eanng room. Vr, iwirut aiier wnirn tnt The place will be annotmcel toJay. above announcement was made. Madame Hevigny were rescued In firemen's nets and also escaped with fright. Meiniiers can obtain information a nothing worse than a bad Madame 'to (he place of meeting at the Irivy Holh Madame liray and ffi'-e at any time after Morin, however, appeared to nae Council is- ,1 lhe "RICIIX OF FIRE A MYSTERY.

I Rapidly the flames climbed toward Graham's red-helmeted, rubber coat-Th origin of the Are is a mvaterr 1 the to'' moke in fierce vol- ed men were literally submerged in P.cC,Sto?tadr: w- owiblv by a German aeent hut I clock the main tower was a so wrap- have to abandon the library to the at bolhlVd m.nute. fate, which befell other parts of the lrrs of the room where the flre i later all that remained of it, tottered building. However, they faced great tared and others were in the room 'and- preceded by a warning cry from i odds under the cireumsLances and. '-If. it would have been difficult policemen, firemen and soldiers in aided by the Provident! breeze.

anyone to deliberately set the nr charge, crumbled and fell, reduced which swept the fire southward, they Parliament. Including Dr. Michael minna was ine inics oi me This cabinet council was the mcst unl'iue in the blfory of Canada when the circumstances of Its calling are considered. It was held in the room of the minister of public works, ho lives at the Chateau laurler It was decided there that the work of the country must go on Immediately, especially as ihe war will not wait. Sir Robert Uorden.

and. In a short time a cordon of' Clark, were there and for a time we feared that many Uvea were lost." UtKen iiic a D' corridor when they left their rooms and to have been nd Th' premier that tbe place of the hall. When their bodies were woild be either the Russell theater recovered the smoke had proved too or Victoria Museum building, much and life was extinct as a re- Asked aa whether lhe session suit of asphyxiation rather than the fire Itself. would be adjourned, the premier le- ithout belt, in coinnarativelv short space of time eventually succeeded in Keeping ln- MR. ROGERS SAFE.

Hon. Robert Rogers, minister of public work, was in the chamber with Hon. J. 1. Hazeo when the troops was lined around the burning structure and the huge crowds were kept hack.

The chef of the I'arlia- mentary restaurant and his assbLaiit I were seen by Oeneral Hughes at the west wing of the Center bbick, and scaling ladders were hoisted and the men brought down. The minister of militia was up all night directing op- was and collected throughout the whole disaster but felt keenly cry of fire rang through the corri the low of the beautiful building I with its treasured memories. TUK IjEAI) WOMEN plle that he and Ins colleagues had yl'KUEC, b. Madame Israv. "ot et conwidi-rel -i ium'lcn.

who lost her life In the lire which dors. Mr. Rogers when seen said: "1 had crossed from the chamber 'ering cigar butt might have done i from one of the most imposing pieces though smoking In that quarter is of Canadian architecture, to a mls-Jpposed to be prohibited. 'shaped mass of smouldering mason- EASr PREY FOR FLAMES. jryand ruins.

FilleH .1. THE TOWER FALLS. Hied with thousands of loose pa- the flame. leaped from atand FoT tlme the B'ant lOW" tand with an almost ineonceiv- remained silhouetted agalnrt the rapidity. At the same time th-' dark background of the Uatineau tact the circular annex, in which thousands of volumes of valuable literature were stored.

Water poured into it and fears were expressed that some of books would be seriously damaged The extent of the literary losses will not be ascertained until today, but the library remained as solid aa the day it was 1 into Room 1 when members came destroyed lhe parliament buildings at tMtjwa. was the wife of Mr. H. A. FALL OF THE GREAT TOWER IS WATCHEDBYMANY THOUSANDS Bray (f this city, and a dau(jbt-r i the late Hon.

(ieorge Tanguay of the H.R.H. GRIEVED 'mok. rolled forth In dense clouds hills- Hntly Chief Graham and completed. DID NOT HEED CHIEFS ADVICE arrx-ating volume. While hia men poured tnousanns or ions I cf "rm was instantlv rirf water Into the enfilading flames, but AT GREAT LOSS MADAME DUSSAULT JUMPED INTO NET; of members, of people In the the'r fight proved a losing ore and cileries and the n.

Mrt eighed with regret as it lislativ council. llr hubanl general manaBr of the Fartor'es Insurance Co. here and came heie from Montreal several yarn fche is a slter of Mr. Kdoujtrd Tan-gur. of Oenrge Tariguay, wholesale merchants.

Madame Morin was the wife ut' mU a list of missing is remarkable, capitulated to the fury of the flames. The Pride of the Capital Ma de Big Fight Against the On-rushing Flames, But at This Morning it Toppled and Crashed to the Ground. founda- THEIR ttt t- i shuddered on na maie Civic Official Had Urged Ryal Pty Went to Parlia Patrol By His Men. No Hill to Watch Opera tragic ith tions and came down One Guest of the Speaker Brought to Safety. Mr.

Louis Morin of St. Joseph de tions. Escapes. Ulrf hi- i arfluno. mat iney were i .4 no iniuries result- aealnsi one of the hardest fights' ed.

At SI i-J minutes after on o'cock shot up to th superstructure time, the main tower fe j. Its inie out of every opening la the struggle fr fgistene was witch- lice. With flames all around it, the Ileauce, jue. Tbese two ladies. Royal Cie Ir.ik- -ber with Madame l.ui..lt, wife and Luchesa of ConnaugM.

sanied l.rd of this city, were gmsts of the sKker'a nisiory of the Ottawa flre! one of The big fire recalled the fact that Chief Graham has re-peatediy advocated the establishment of a 'aJ anment. I'nfortunateiv. i.ndm.rk for Speaker Kevlgny and Madame Ser-ignj hurried out with their two children when the fire alarm was given. They immediately tried to return to heln Madame Morin and Madame old clock kept up "Business aa Ua- appeared to freshen and it wife. All ihr- hurband l-f over fifty years, during which time Montreal.

and His. Mj parliament Hill, also a daily m- visitors des-ructive flames acroim hundreds flf thousands of Shsughnessy, were present in fie Russil roarer at a ronert ren Brav but Madame SevSgny was over- spertlon by his men the interior enm. hv 7nk. i.r, the utairwav. Mr.

of the various buildings. Two weeks bad 'climbed the winding stair-case to view the Capital and its environ disa- by Edrina, tha Car.ad- Kevicnv was able to to the first laaro tiaa it been biow- front the east, the library could bn but anate 1 Perhape th house of commons "ambers mirnt have been re-err- ments from the great height. ttswa by the 1 .39 train lor.iehC At that time It was doubtful If Mr. Bray knew the worst, but he fr-l it, and was evidently heart -broken. It Is V-lieved that Mgr.

Ms'hiej broke tne sed news to Mrs. Bray's mother, Madame Targuay. hard to renlize as the tower smoked, lai.OLr.g but also leu. Botn nau iiiiwni h. h.l,.,,i hv the nremen.

Evi- cials on this very point. True, there out. At first it not fwtit seri- th'j5ndJ! tit r.MMtm.. It had Uux-d or the fur a c-n- -r and whi rroadv 4Z-d ta a nifre or I tnattr-of-fact man at burning The rnt of bniltj n. thry took ryrnpatb if aa' of the tai-J' tiwer.

Fr a J-. tine bfurx, but a mhtt the rvKml uy. V.ffX ih am- eoulrj be (riadliy creep-iniC Up fwl by f'Kri, eath sf-reive t.uy vhn nn from drrfne itit0 el nr Theo blazed like a riant tonh and ualf" atiri Pirufk out tha midaigbt hour, 4n running, aioppin? na.iy ai Iz.ao. lia. the pinuni old work kept up lhe.

fiht- The roof ins of fhe ufsjeerwrrks kept th fire from jiTicsT ihrouith for almost an hour arai volume of smoke of the tower to ye Th-a the fire broke fi t' it the rnot impreasire apec-taci that c-outd be imagined and a f-a m.outea the career of the h.i dentlv Madame Morin and Madame protection Inside in the form of oik, and so intimation was to nao ceen but the Do His i fell, that the work of years. hoee and patent tubes, Hya; However, when Bray had become confused in trying room ira? swn undone in less than two hours. to get out, taking another corridor minion p'fliceman. wbo first noticed the blaze, is said to have afterwaris fio concert was ovr. oy his guea'a, he prodM to fie parliament buildings to watch oper instead of Speaker and fi-EXE OX THE HILU During the night as the magnifl- they were explainea that tne eitlr.guuiner nan Madame feerigny when no effect whatever on the original ation.

Their Hovai Hig'im cent building waa reduced to ashes, helping the children out. of biazir.g timber. hiie iIM 'eapel acres toward thei era section of the buiiding no? "nck pouring through the -e in dense and 1 xittmt of fresh out-! 8jw Thounds hurri-d to the! heap of flre. aero deeply grieved at tiie bss Another striking; drawback arose the beautiful anructure. Parliament HilL often the scene of There was a report that Madame huge gatherings of national and in- Dussault, who was also a guest of imnnrlanr Tin sentel a VI CA--mw Itarf hmmn ifliiiiPMt fUsTiM rru'ii the a-a towr concluded.

The fias ataff above the tower room and fhe fire t-tih up to the from the absence of fire escapee. Translator EUcape. Trmr.siatonC rff, on lh uir Ci'jid Got cm down Uy the fnnid Flairs, if tmok mt that mmnt. -aIl-J the fire- 5Tjrj' i4a-r thrvysrh r. of th win-dovft cd rrr; Ut th croand by that -e.

a-4 e-. CRADLED ON KNEES striking appearance. Khaki clad but it fortunately proved to be on- trappea tne tipper nwm nao 1-iose-tiurst Drenches Crowd, soldiers guarded its ga tea. while po- true Madame Dussault lumped means cf getting down until lad- licemen dd their utmost to main- from the window into net and waa dera were ran no by Chief Graham tarn order around the building it- aaffc ral were nearly suffocate, frt of the K.dt I -tout with one of tbe stenoersphers to pet 1 mrtii TV ttm 1,5,1 car-ied en am much aa people sto-d back ia 3A to assist mm tH- THROUGH THE SMOKE had attired himself in the latter and went lo leave he was met by a b. asrniia waitirisT rrnm -a -w ucm i.ir- ire mnA i artar.a.

Had a vry r.arrow -sca 1 Soldier Overcome. elf. avaiiabl stream mis poured into th blxin tructare. I Eirplor of th Snt and th tm Kaalisenaw1 .11 tiOCJL CQm IT aVbTftat t. i.

of smoke, which forced him tea lamM tack and rortn Correspondent Fijhu Hit 'back. cloud Ht decided, however, ta mikfl a- For a iui looked aI Banner 1. Clarke, of the f.ftr nerm.e sua were ndi sr. Field Kitchens Useful. fira) aroaid be conflned to OB" ommona oo 4 n.c eer.na Trainina- Dot waa overcome hnserer.

cm-hed like Others staoi.es far-ber awar also Way to Safety. in rescama some oi iiw comenta. jl nrr r- iti aaa tie center or or the eo.a wnne lenoicc ins sote th. nM.n nf th Mn. cox tne bener.i or tne anoser ane tt i e-k tnree ne)4 r-J: fc-- i.

at the fire. He was taka to Water crt'e were tbus dmolihJ. on th tbera was a general to ret rhni were ser.t to t'e-nat- siie and thes wm a break and to-rether with the steto-arspher they crawled os their hands and knees along the corrMor. They were directed to tbe door by the call of a policeman who waa "This Way." tr. Carls waa badly affecte'l br the smoke and ha stmka errwet hrsnitlL tnoTOUahrv exhausted Shr.afe miAm th mrmllm A nf rmmi'n nf ri WA'er V.t tne 4 3 pttt'B the sl- s-rw tt the chamber I tha is ttijs int.

s.ke. -mEi hx feet frost biten. His firm at 1 o'clock. Those on the Com- time tha trouble was s'tecjed to. dtere.

whi-h wa br the Albert Carle, the parliamentary repreoen-ati-e of lye Reveil and jt I oit was in the gaiiery when the first alarm ef f.re wis given. Robert Borden, who escaped leoEdition was still bad at l.Zt this mons aide were also tandira. If and the water turrd off. the de- men. Tbev form around the kit- -KVERAI, EXPLOSIONS.

imiBas hia oerooat, retanied to tie 1 morclnc aithouarn not coas.dered they remain tfcey tniarht facilitate the wa in front of the P.ideaa and i ed the midnight He rushed to the press room together with difficulty. sen era. ex- Sill and sadly watched destrae- 'serious. work of rebaiidinc. meal.

bad become a reaj-jiar at ream..