[Welland Tribune, 11 March 1898]
A SCARCITY of the better class of tenement houses is reported. Several persons have been looking for good comfortable houses with but very indifferent success. The Fonthill cemetery plot has at length been freed from all encumbrance and duly registered as a cemetery. Deeds can now be got that ensure possession for all time and against all comers.
The annual meeting of the patrons of the Welland cheese factory will be held in the factory on Monday, March 14th, at 1’oclock sharp. A large attendance solicited.
F. KENNEDY
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[Welland Tribune, 11 March 1898]
The pipes for natural gas were conveyed under Welland river on Tuesday and residents of the Garden ward are now enjoying gas for fuel. The plumbers are kept busy, but many, having laid in coal, will defer putting in gas until next fall.
NIP AND TUCK. – For the first time, at the recent election, Welland town polled a greater total vote than our sister town of Thorold. Welland polled 444 votes, and Thorold 441. The table of total votes polled, elsewhere in this paper, will be interesting reading.
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Niagara Falls Village
[Welland Tribune, 11 March 1898]
A destructive fire made havoc in F. E. Dalton’s block, on Ferry street, at 7 o’clock on Tuesday evening, causing heavy loss to the building and its occupants, W. J. Manuel, bakery, and Miss Forde, millinery. The fire started by pure accident, as follows: – The electric lighting company having failed to turn on their lights, Mr. Manuel was obliged to hunt up the discarded coal oil lamps, and with four of these on a tray he was coming down the back stairway. One of the lamps slipped, and in an effort to prevent its falling the whole lot fell. The lamps of course broke, the flames ignited the oil, and in a moment the stairway was ablaze. Attempts were made with clothing and pails of water to extinguish the fire, but this could not be done and the alarm of fire rang through the streets. The smoke and heat was soon almost unbearable, and the large plate glass windows in the bakery were all broken by the heat. The fire department responded promptly, but the smoke was so dense that egress by the way of the front stairway was almost impossible. In the meantime goods from both Mr. Manuel’s and Miss Forde’s apartments were being moved in a damaged condition. Candies and cakes and hats and feathers and ribbons are tender goods to rush out in the street amid smoke and heat and flying cinders and falling water, and the condition of such stock can better be imagined than described. Mr. Manuel carried a choice stock, and Miss Forde had just received an extra large consignment of new spring goods – and not a yard of goods or a hat were left in the building. The cakes were turned into dough and caramels and gum drops and taffy joined hands and coursed down the shelves and along the floor a delightful syrup. The wreck was complete in the bakery, and the loss in Miss Forde’s and in both living apartments will be quite heavy – as will also be the loss on the building. The adjusters had not arrived at this writing (Wednesday}, and it would be idle to guess at the loss. With the exception of Mr. Manuel’s loss, however, the damage will be covered by insurance. The policy on the bakery was for $600, and would have expired today (Friday.) Miss Forde has $300 on stock and $600 on furniture, and Mr. Dalton is insured in the Waterloo for $2,000. The firemen did good work, but the fire was that of deceptive, stubborn character that is difficult to subdue. It got between the partition, along the cornice and under the metal roof, and the latter had to be torn up to reach the seat of the fire. It was fully an hour and a half before it was under control. The firemen worked well and the pressure on the hydrants was all that could have been desired. The citizens, too, did all in their power to assist the victims of the fire, and the fire-sufferers fully appreciate the many kindness shown.
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[Welland Tribune, 4 March 1898]
The old Welland railway, now the Welland branch of the G. T. R., will see lively times. At least that part of it between Air Line Junction and Allanburg Junction will. It has already been announced that the Air Line Junction of the G. T. R. has been leased to the Wabash company, which will use that line instead of the Great Western branch of the G. T. R. the change came into effect on March 1st, and will include the passenger traffic later, when the road has been put into better shape. Sixteen Wabash freight trains started west from Detroit at midnight, Feb 28th. A portion of the freight will go direct to Buffalo via Air Line and International Bridge, but that connecting with the Lehigh road will leave the Air Line Junction at Welland Junction and go to the Falls via Welland and Allanburg loop line. It is expected the most of the passenger trains will also go this way, and thus via Niagara Falls.
The annual meeting of the patrons of the Welland cheese factory will be held in the factory on Monday, March 14th, at 1 o’clock sharp. A large attendance solicited.
- F. KENNEDY
Freeman Ewer’s Residence Destroyed
[Welland Tribune, 18 February 1898]
The residence of Freeman Ewers in Crowland township, about 1 ½ miles soutwest of Welland, was destroyed by fire early of Monday morning, with most of its contents. Had not the neighbors come to the rescue some of the inmates might had lost their lives, as they were sleeping when the fire began. The insurnce policy was burned, and Mr. Ewers is not sure how the insurance is divided, but thinks there is $350 on the house and contents, and $150 on the barn and contents. The loss will probably reach $600, and the insurance is placed in the Waterloo Mutual, Swayze & Son, agents. The exact cause of the fire is unknown.
[Welland Tribune, 18 February 1898]
Fonthill had another close call in the fire line on Friday evening last. The barn of John Davis was totally destroyed, together with a quantity of feed. The cause of the conflagration was the upsetting of a lantern in the hay mow. It was only by unremitting labor on the part of our citizens, who formed themselves into a pail brigade, that the fire was confined to the original building. The buildings which were most endangered and only saved by the heroic work of amateur firemen, were Mr. Davis’ house and Mrs. Shirk’s and Mr. Crowell’s barns and Mr. Lounsbury’s barns and house. The above mentioned parties desire to sincerely thank those who so nobly worked to save their property last Friday evening. Insurance on building $100. Horses, rigs, etc., saved.
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The Doherty Organ Company’s Works At Clinton Totally Destroyed
150 Men Thrown Out Of Work
[Welland Tribune, 4 February 1898]
Clinton, Ont., Feb. 1: The Doherty organ factory, which has been the boast of Clinton citizens for twenty years, is this morning in ashes. The entire plant, which occupied half a block, is a total loss, not even the lumber having been saved. The origin of the fire is a mystery, except that it originated in the hot blast fan, which was used to heat the buildings. The night watchman was on duty, and smelt the fire, and soon located it in the steel box, which contained the fan. He at once stopped the working of the fan and started the pumps. By the time he returned to the fan with the hose the heat and fire were so intense that when he opened the door he was driven back and almost suffocated. A general alarm was then sounded, but owing to the very deep snow caused by yesterday’s storm, it was with difficulty that the steam engine arrived at the tanks near the factory. The temperature was considerably below zero and a very high wind blowing so that it was with difficulty that the firemen undertook their work.
The factory was the largest exclusively organ factory in Canada, and yet not large enough to meet the demands of their trade, and Mr. Doherty was making arrangements to build another large addition this year. During October, November and December the men were all working overtime. The building, stock and machinery was valued at $100,000, and there were nearly 1,000 0rgans on the way to completion, while in the yard there was nearly a million feet of valuable lumber. Against all this there is but a small insurance from $30,000 to $40,000, hence Mr. Doherty’s loss will be very heavy. About 150 men were employed, and for them to be turned out the coldest day in winter is, to say the least, not pleasant. Mr. Doherty’s residence right behind the factory was also totally destroyed.
Mr. Doherty is one of the most public-spirited citizens of Clinton, and it was only two weeks ago that he came forward and offered to stand half of the expense of building a new Methodist church, the present one proving inadequate. A committee of the Methodist church was progressing favorably in the work of raising by general subscription the balance of the sum required. Everything promised great success for Clinton’s chief industry, the Doherty Organ Works, the extensive improvements of last year making the factory one of the most compact in the country.
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[Welland Tribune, 4 February 1898]
The news of the action of the county council in electing Mr. C. E. Riggins as a member of the high school board caused quite a flutter of excitement in the village of Beamsville, but was not, as many supposed, the reason for the unusual bustle there yesterday. There was music in the air, it is true, but it was boxed up, and was being delivered wholesale. Mr. Eckhardt arrived in town, as happy a man as one would wish to see, and he had good reason to be proud. His mission was the delivery of three of those magnificent Heintzman grand pianos in upright form. (a new and exclusive idea) with patent agraffe bridge, to three of the leading citizens of Beamsville: Hugh Sinclair, Jno. Ritchie and Mrs. J.B. Osborne. People wondered what the excitement was, and when they learned that these sales were made after other agents had done their best, they came to the conclusion that Mr. Eckhardt was a genuine hustler. Not a bad Friday’s work, rounded up with the previous sale of another Heintzman cabinet to Miss Thompson of this city, a Bell to Mr. James Robinson of Niagara township, and a Dominion to a leading citizen of St. Catharines. “Goods the best; prices right,” is as potent as ever.-St. Catharines Star.
Humberstone News
[Welland Tribune, 4 February 1898]
At about 1 p.m. on Monday, fire came near destroying the home of Horace Ramey; and, worse still, very near resulting in burning his baby boy, Adin. Some clothing had been hung about the stove to dry, and this by some means caught on fire. The flames soon leaped to the clothing hanging on the walls, to the curtains, and to the wooden ceiling of the room. The place was hot as a furnace, the fire was eating its way toward the roof, and the little three-year-old boy was in vain trying to climb up the steps to the next room and fight back the fire with his little hands. The father and mother were both out of the house, but the former saw the smoke coming through the roof and ran toward the house, crying fire. Others followed, the boy was quickly rescued, and the pail brigade was instantly at work drawing water from the large cistern close at hand. Determined efforts finally succeeded in putting down the fire and the building was saved. A look at the blackened interior, the melted zinc, and the burned contents, gives one a good idea of how near we came to having a disastrous conflagration.
The Town Will Now be Eligible for Class “C” if Men Sleep in Fire Hall.
[Welland Tribune, 28 January 1898]
Inspector Howe, of the Underwriters’ association, tested Welland’s fire fighting system on Wednesday morning. The electric alarm was pulled at 9.45, and four minutes later a stream was being thrown from the hydrant at Roach’s hotel. The pressure was all that could be desired, and the inspector was satisfied with that part of the test. When the firemen arrived on the scene and found it was only a test, some of them were quite angry and began “chewing the rag”. The inspector found a great deal of fault with this conduct and pointed out that these testes were necessary for the town’s benefit. The inspector also wished to test the new chemical fire extinguishers, but they had not yet been put in commission, but a promise was given that they would be immediately charged.
Mayor Hooker told the inspector that many of the town people were dissatisfied with the electric alarm, and sked him if it was alright. The inspector stated that it was a first class system and fully as good as any of the others which he had tested-it struck just as quickly and as loudly and he was perfectly satisfied with it.
The inspector impressed upon the mayor the necessity of having men sleep in the new fire hall; he wanted at least three. He suggested that the firemen make that their headquarters for meetings, etc., and have it nicely furnished, with folding beds for the men who would sleep there. As the mayor remarked, the firemen’s room in the town hall might then be thrown into the council room, and make quite a good sized town hall.
The mayor then escorted the inspector to the new pump house to inspect the new auxiliary power plant. Steam was got up, and the plant run by the engine to the entire satisfaction of the inspector.
Although admitting that the use of the fire engine is greatly limited since the auxiliary power has been put in, Mr. Howe strongly objected to selling the engine, but urged that it be kept as a safeguard in case a main should break.
In reference to the town having once been in class “C” and some time ago put back to “D,” the inspector stated that the town was never entitled to “C” rating, and was lowered for that reason. If men slept in the fire hall nights, the town would be eligible for class “C,” but if not it might be lowered to “E”.
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