CLIFTON HOUSE FIRE

CLIFTON HOUSE BURNED DOWN-LOSS, $100,000-FULLY INSURED.

(From our own Correspondent)

[Welland Tribune, 28 June 1898]

On Saturday a portion of the Clifton house kitchen chimney was blown down, which probably left it in a defective condition, for at 9.30 on Sunday morning, the roof at the north-east corner of the building was discovered to be on fire, and Town Clerk Robinson, who happened to be in his office, was called up by telephone. He ran out, rang the alarm and the hose and hook and ladder companies were soon on the way with the patrol wagon full of hose. When they reached the Clifton house they found that an attempt had been made to check the fire by a “bucket brigade,” but unavailingly.

The firemen were soon at work, augmented by the West End Hose Co., Bender hose, Niagara Falls village firemen and three companies from across the river. There was plenty of hose, fully 150 firemen to use them, but the water pressure from only a four-inch main was too weak for effective work. Still the firemen worked hard with hose attached to the main on the hill behind the Lafayette, the hydrant on Ferry st., and the 6-inch main on Bender avenue. The flames spread rapidly a brisk gale blowing towards the front of the building. A gang of bridge workers’ gave great assistance at removing furniture and carpets, which were piled up in the park opposite, and a number of Miller & Brundage’s employees saved all the stock from their curiosity store in front of the building. All the guests (about fifty) and employees escaped without injury.

For four hours the flames played havoc with the east and front of the building, the floors falling at intervals, finally yielding to the many streams of water and want of material to burn.

The northeast corner, stables, cottages and large hall at back all escaped, but the rest of the building was gutted. Portions of walls and chimneys had to be pulled down to prevent accidents.

The great bulk of the furniture was burned. This property was covered by $15,000 insurance, and the building was also amply insured.

Mighty crowds watched the conflagration, and somewhat impeded the firemen. The Ontario and park police did good service and prevented pilfering, though we may hear a little on this point later.

Later in the evening we viewed the scene of desolation, and the firemen were still busy pouring water on the smoking ruins of pulling shaky walls down. The steam fire engine was taken up to pump water from the park pond, but it was out of repair and useless. The firemen were often in great danger, and it is wonderful how they escaped injury. One of our boys, Jos. Winterton, received a bad gash on the wrist. There were other minor mishaps, but nothing serious. The standing walls, composed of stone rubble, fronted with pebble plaster, seem to have been very strong. The front was two storeys and the east side four storeys high.

The fire was a calamity in many ways. First, it was the principal hotel at the Falls and an old landmark; and secondly, fully 75 people are thrown out of work, not to speak of the loss to business generally witch will ensue.

The property belongs to the widow of the late Hon. J.T. Bush, and was leased for many years past by G.M. Colburn, who is absent in New York. The first Clifton House was built in 1835 by Harminus Crysler, one of our pioneers, and was added to from time to time, being run by J. Cummings, Chippawa; Bromley & Sayers, the late Mr. Zimmerman, who was killed in the *Desjardin canal bridge accident in 1855, afterwards being purchased by late Hon. J.T. Bush, a well-known American citizen, who died about ten years ago.  Clifton played no small roll, and in its day, entertained some of the world’s greatest people. The dismal ruin looks most depressing, surrounded as is by beautiful nature. What would have been a very prosperous season had just commenced. There were some fifty guests in the house most of whom crossed to the American side. Architect John Nichols told us it would take fully $60, 000 or more to replace the building as it stood. No doubt it will be built on a grander scale for its site is simply unequalled. We heard an authority say that the C.P.R. might build a great hostelry there. There is no doubt but that it will be replaced at an early day. If not by Mrs. J.T. Bush by some person or company. The firemen think they might have saved a large portion of the building had the water main been larger and pressure greater. However, they did their best, and deserve great praise for their pluck and perseverance. We would venture to suggest to the mayor and council that the firemen be sworn in as constables, which would give them some power to protect themselves from crowds, also that the water mains down Clifton Hill be enlarged. When the fire was at its height it presented a grand spectacle. Some difficulty also was experienced in bringing water across the M.C.R. track at the top of Clifton Hill, space having to be dug out under the rails to pass the hose through and prevent stoppage to trains.

The front of the Clifton house was somewhat Grecian in style, but the east side was as homely as a building could be, with nothing to relieve it but a plain verandah at each storey. This is the most serious fire the town has ever known, but perhaps a greater and grander building may soon spring up from the ashes of the famed Clifton house.

BACK IN THE FIFTIES

HAPPENING IN WELLAND COUNTY FORTY YEARS AGO

INTERESTING EXTRACTS

Mrs. A.E. Rooth of Port Colborne has favored us with copies of the Welland reporter, published in the village of Drummondville (now the Village of Niagara Falls), away back in the fifties. Our selections on Feb. 15^th for a similar back number leave little more to be gleaned of interest to the present generation, but we cannot refrain from noting a few of the important events found in the Reporter’s columns.

DESJARDINS CANAL CATASTROPHE

The issue of March 19, 1857, gives a thrilling eight-column account of the dreadful railway accident which occurred at the Desjardins canal bridge on the Great Western railway, on the 12^th of the same month. About sixty-four lives were lost in this fearful catastrophe, among the death list appearing the names of Samuel Zimmerman and Mr. and Mrs. John Bradfield of Niagara Falls, and John Morley of Thorold. Mr. Zimmerman was buried with Masonic honors, over two thousand people attending. The body was deposited in a vault built on his own grounds immediately below the house. Thos. C. Street and Dr. Macklem of Chippawa were injured in the accident. The Reporter appeared in full mourning; a day was set aside by the authorities as a holiday as a mark of respect to the memory of Samuel Zimmerman.

Welland Tribune
8 March 1895