Ghastly Find Among The Ashes

FIRE! FIRE!

The Frazer House Stables and the Engine House Burned

             On Thursday “night” last week, a few minutes past 12M., Welland was startled by the unwonted alarm of fire, and a glance served to show that the “fire fiend” meant business. The fire broke out in the large frame barn in rear and belonging to the Frazer House and as soon as the alarm was given the whole structure was a mass of flames, extending immediately to the engine hall to the east, and to an ice house and small building used as a store-room for sleighs, etc. by the Messrs. White, to the west. Fortunately, owing to the calmness of the night and the stream of water supplied by the steamer, the conflagration was confined to these structures, and the fire in the engine house (used also as a council chamber) was extinguished leaving the building nearly a total wreck. The hose tower at the back was completely destroyed, and the fine town bell surmounting it, which in giving the alarm at the faithful Stogie’s hands, had actually sounded its own requiem, fell to the ground and was ruined.

THE CAUSE

             Among the ashes next day was found the charred trunk of a man, minus head and feet, which had been burned off. A clay pipe nearby explained the origin of the fire. The unfortunate man, there is good reason to suppose, was one Morrison, a tramp tailor. Morrison had previously worked for Mr. Whalley. He left town some weeks ago, returning on the night of the fire. He then engaged to work for Mr. Whalley and, being “dead broke” Mr. Whalley paid for his bed at Early’s hotel. Late at night, Morrison, then very drunk, returned to Mr. Whalley and said he could not get his bed at Early’s. Mr. Whalley, probably thinking Morrison was trying to get money for more liquor, paid but little attention to him, and he (Morrison) went off and has not been seen alive since. He had previously boarded at the Frazer House and applied there for board early in the evening, but could not get accommodations. Being acquainted with the premises, it is supposed, finding himself out all around, he sought the hospitality of the barn, to which he was no stranger. The pipe explains the rest. Morrison’s remains were given in charge of Mr. Cronmiller and interred in the old English Church burying ground on Sunday, underneath the corpse of the man Wright who was drowned on Friday evening. It only required a box about three feet long to contain the remains.

LOSSES

             The heaviest loss was born by Hyslop & Co., a wholesale fancy goods firm of Hamilton, whose peddling wagon with all its contents and a fine team of horses were totally destroyed. One of the horses, however, belonged to Roy McCrimmon, the traveler, or rather to his father, of Ancaster. Roy unfortunately had exchanged one of the firm’s horses for one of his father’s for the trip, thereby making a better matched span. Both horses were very valuable and it is reported that McCrimmon the elder rather objected to let his horse go, saying that it might be burned. Roy replied, “If it is, keep its value out of my salary.” Mr. McCrimmon says he started out with a $2000 outfit, and goes back with a not over bulky valise. The loss of the outfit and the horses is put at $1500 and no insurance.

             The Frazer House barn, owned by Mr. Joseph P. Brown of Niagara Falls, was not very valuable and the insurance upon it had been allowed to elapse.

             Of the town property, the building was insured for $1000, the bell for $200, about half its value. The building loss is more than the insurance. The town books and records were saved, the principal desk being brought out by Mr. Charles Asher alone after several others had refused to enter the room, the ceiling of which was all aflame and coals and cinders dropping in every direction. It will cost about $1000 to replace their property.

             The Fire Co., although not having much property actually consumed, had their chairs and other furniture sadly defaced and injured by the heat and water. They had in their hall a table with a marble top and the inevitable idiot was on hand to hurl it out of the second-storey window. Fortunately, however, it was not broken. No insurance.

             Messrs. Henderson and Wilson of the Frazer House lost two or three tons of hay and oats. They principally regret the loss of Hyslop & Co.’s outfit in their stables and the inconvenience of being deprived of stable accommodation for the time.

            Messrs. White lost a small building used as a store-room, and a few things. It will cost them about $100 to replace their property.

            Where a fire department is called out for actual service so seldom as ours has been, it is inevitable that the lack of practiced experience will be felt when the pinch occurs. Such proved the way here. Owing to the inadequacy of the alarm system a number of firemen did not get out, leaving the department short-handed. An attempt to work with an insufficient quantity of hose was first tried, by which the fire could not be reached to advantage until a stop was had and an additional length of hose inserted. An 11/4 nozzle was put on, such as used for drowning out fires. Had a smaller nozzle been used the stream of water could have been thrown too much greater height and precision. The lack of an efficient hook and ladder service was sadly felt. Hooks would have torn down the small buildings which proved a menace to the Messrs. White property, and thus have left the steamer free to devote all its attention to the town hall. A hook and ladder department to tear down burning walls and open up a way for the water is almost as essential as the steamer itself, a fact which would have still more, vividly impressed itself upon the public mind on this occasion had there been an east or north east wind instead of a dead calm. There is, in fact, little reason to doubt but that had the fire department been full, properly equipped and sharply managed, the town property could have been saved. Now that the mistakes and deficiencies of the fire service have been made apparent, it is to be hoped they will be remedied without a loss of time.

FIRE ALARM

            The council have since met and appointed a committee which has attached a hammer for fire alarm to the bells upon the Methodist church and Army barracks.

Welland Tribune

26 September 1884

Fire: 19 September 1884