1898 - Fire on Wentworth Street North

 

  On Saturday, December 17, 1898, during the early evening hours, there was a lot of excitement on Wentworth Street North as a major fire broke out at the Hamilton & Toronto Sewer Pipe Works.

The Times coverage of the fire, including an on-the-scene drawing by Times Artist J. Thompson, follow:

“In the matter of fires the Hamilton & Toronto Sewer Pipe Company is very unfortunate. The company had another big loss by fire on Saturday evening, when its works on Wentworth street, near the G.T.R. were gutted, the damage to the building, stock and machinery amounting to over $15,000.

“About 7 o’clock, a young son of Peter Thompson, Wentworth street, saw that the place was on fire. He ran to the nearest telephone, but was unable to communicate with the firemen, all the wires being down in that vicinity. The little fellow ran hard to the nearest fire alarm box which was in order, at the corner of Emerald and Cannon streets, and there turned in an alarm. The drivers of the apparatus had no difficulty in locating the blaze, as the flames could be seen for blocks, and the east end of the city was illuminated, there being a very bright reflection in the sky. When the firemen arrived, the works were enveloped in flames, great clouds of large sparks were being carried by a strong wind towards Stroud’s cattle sheds and the sewage disposal works, and the Lawry Packing Factory, which was only separated from the burning building by a stone wall, was in great danger. There was only one hydrant in the immediate vicinity, and the first two streams were played on the Lawry building. In a short time, 5,000 feet of hose were laid to the nearest hydrants, and five streams were at work. One line of hose was 1,000 feet long.

“In the meantime, two G.T.R. freight cars on a siding east of the works took fire. One of them was loaded with wood, and this blazed fiercely. Chief Aitchison’s attention was called to this by Mr. J. Anderson, City Building Inspector, who had donned a fireman’s rubber coat and boots, and was working like Trojan carrying hose. The uprights of the car were cut, allowing the burning wood to fall off, and a strong stream soon extinguished the flames, which had spread to the car. The brake on another car was opened, and it was allowed to run down grade, out of the flames’ course. These two actions saved the railway company several hundred dollars.

“The fire in the works roared away for several hours, till all the frame wood, including several thousand feet of new flooring, was consumed. About 2,5000 feet of steam pipes, which were under floors, were twisted all out of shape by the heat. The only part of the building saved was the office, which adjoins the pork factory. Early in the fight, the firemen got out two iron boxes, containing important papers, but they were unable to get the safe out. The safe was not damaged much, however. The pork factory, in which there was over $200,000 worth of machinery and stock, was not damaged at all, and when Mr. T. Harry Lawry arrived, he paid Chief Aitchison high compliment for the admirable work of the brigade.

“The fire is supposed to have started in the lime kilns, which are separated from the main building by a stone fire wall. The kilns were in use till noon, when the fires were supposedly all extinguished, but it is believed that a spark remained, which set the top of the kiln on fire, and that the sparks of which fell on the roof of the main building.”¹

¹ “Big Blaze in the East End : Sewer Pipe Works on Wentworth Street North Gutted : About $15,000 Damage Done”

Hamilton Times.  December 19 1898.