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Bis ES es w. oy 43 sy ® 59 i EF | 5 NORTH ONTARIO OBSERVER Thursday, July 24, 1884 James Baird -- Editor HOT EXPERIENCE Nine months ago the village of Port Perry was without exception the most energetic, enterprising and successful Village in the Province. and for its size, one of the best business centres in the Dominion. More than two-thirds of its business establishments were frame structures and hable at any mo- ment, to be swept away by the fire fiend. There was nothing within the corporation making the slightest pretention to a fire extinguisher and consequently the village might be said to stand on the brink of a volcano; but fortunately, we had long escaped any serious conflagra- tion, and had it not been for the bur- ning of a single building now and again, one would amost have sup- posed that the village was fire-proof, and people, though watchful, slept soundly in fancied security. But on the night of Sunday, the 4th of November, 1883, the sleeping in- habitants got a rude awakening by the hated clatter of the fire-bell and the startled sleepers soon discovered that the 'Port Perry House' was all ablaze and as there was no means of fighting the flames, the fire-fiend soon leaped from building to building with increasing fury until it had prostrated a large number of fine structures, many of them being the finest in town, and causing a damage between the loss of building and stocks, of about $120,000 of which less than one-half was covered by insurance. The blow was a heavy one and made the vic- tims stagger, but as no amount of whining can recover spilled milk, the scorched ones went to work with a will to erect new buildings on the sites of the old. The new structures were in various stages of advancement and - people were looking hopefully to a PORT PERRY STAR -- July 9, 1985 -- 11 Entire street scene of waste and ruins ungry flames leaped from side to side of Queen Street FEET NER / wali ng time not far distant when the ruins | pe ema TERRES [TWN would be replaced with sightly , structures. But again, on the morn- ing of the fourth of July, the ' nwelcome but too frequent sound of the fire-bell is again heard, and As can be seen by the above photo taken shortly after the July end, the former Master Feeds building. Real estate and stock 4, 1884 fire, the business section of Port Perry was completely valued at $350,000. was lost in the fire. destroyed. The only remaining building on the street is at the far Photo courtesy of Scugog Shores Museum LL Aptos J Cong es Sa J mainte. 3 sg this time the devourer had taken un- disputed possession of the hotel call- ed the 'Mansion House" and from that spread with great rapidity in every direction. With alarming speed and irresistable force, the hungry flames went leaping from side to side of the street, and carry- ing destruction in every direction. The devastation was so sudden and former losers are again scorched in this which adds to the severity of the stroke. A large number of young ladies, some young men and a few heads of families are for the time thrown out of employment, but that will be of short duration. Where there is a will, large, well appointed buildings are already completed and business is carried on in them with a rush. The hosts of customers throughout the surroundings had been somewhat inconvenienced but it has not been of long duration and now everybody can be supplied with List of losses The following list of losers and Trick. fresh meals 60) overwhelming, that comparatively there is always a way and the pluck all they wish to eat, drink or wear. values will give some idea of the ex- u H RAPA Jewellery Hh little salvage was affected and the and energy of the scorched ones Of course the stocks are all new, the tent of the loss which this fearful 1 McKenme. photographer. bor i devourer carried everything before were equal to the emergency and quality first-class and the prices calamity has brought upon this J Billings. buildings 1 400 {1 it until it had laid in ashes the On- immediate steps were taken away down, down. The almost en- village of Port Perry and its ~~ D&DJ Adams. brokers 50 i] tario Bank: 3 Law Offices; 3 Doc- towards clearing off the rubbish and tire absence of anything ap- inhabitants. He (hee Jamieson. property ho } tor's Offices: 1 Broker's Office; 2 the erection of new buildings to oc- proaching destitution is a most Name Loss T ediord 11.000 Printing Offices; 1 Dentist Office; cupy the places of those destroyed, pleasing feature and says much for A koss & Son. stock & burldings ~~ 822000 Mrs Allison 4.000 2 Photograph Galleries; 1 Grist and we are vastly mistaken in our the thrift and good judgement of the Ontano Bank ' 500 Mrs Sinclair. Mansion House 8.500 Mill: 3 Cabinet Factories; 1 Car- expectations if the Port Perry of people. boing 3 Mehaply. hardware po Maso Lott or poo riage Factory; 2 Blacksmithing 1886 be not in every particular vast- The entire village is one grand 7 ornkan. dry koods cl Tira ans Vs ony Establishments; 2 Drug Stores. 3 ly ahead of what it has been in the scene of busy life, whose armies of G B McDermott. buildings 2.200 J A Murray. dentist 400 | Harness Shops; 2 Boot and Shoe past, as well for appearance, com- carters, labourers, stone masons, ~~ ('W Marshall. groceries 270 Dr Clemens office 250 Shops; 1 Marble Works; 1 Livery fort, reliability and value. brick layers and carpenters are B McQuay. hotel . Sh (v Touro VS office A | Stable; the Masonic Lodge; the In the meantime, temporary combining their efforts for the! J Rta, tunis. ad shoes TABS tressmaker % | Orange Lodge. the Oddfellows business places are springing up in restoration of the town and the work mrs iniscox. bakery 7.500 H Doubt. tailor 100 Lodge; the Sons of England Lodge. every direction, as if by magic, and is progressing with amazing TC Forman & Son dry goods 17.000 HL. Ebbels. office 2,000 the United Workmen's Lodge: the a whole army of temporary but rapidity. E Mundy printer 2.000 Miss Yan Camp. artist 100 A Vansickler. hvery stable 200 NF Paterson. Q OC, office 6,000 Royal Templars Lodge and the con- ( McKenzie. livery slable 6.000 P A Hurd. office 400 | tents; 1 Bakery. 2 Tinsmith"s Johnstone & Hobbs. carriages 10.000 10 0F Lodge 1,000 Shops; 2 Hotels, 22 Stores. 12 Dwell: o AG Campbell. flour and feed G40 KT of Temp » | ings. The entire loss will amount to Wh tb 8 Shen bln vnriokers 0) ls Moule on nearly $300,000 over one-half of 1 y paper J "Nott furmture 400 GS Miller. building 1,000 which is covered by insurance R Henry residence 1.400 A Thomas household goods 225 As we have stated above, the ~ ° pour Parsons printers ol ! Foote contractor i" M 1 £ 'Ty . , ) ) frightful conflagration was 50 t n fir J he Peri ov 1.400 Mrs M Currie building 8.500 bewildering in its effects and so rep or ng O e W Bond shoemaker 0 W'S Lattimor. cord 1.000 rapid in its spread that the salvage . T Walton sewing machine ag! 350 WJ Nott undertaker 1.351 was exceedingly light. The above WHITBY CHRONICLE B Rgbinson. barber 100 Dr Jessop. building 1.100 devastation with the dreadful July 11. 1882 dag grate, oh Lr ing scourge by fire eight months ago. Again and with more disastrous results than followed the fire W Shaw marble works 1 000 TH Dancaster horse 2.000 left the entire business area of Port of November 26. 1883. our northern neighbour, Port Perry, the W Leonard photographer 270 T Devrell builder 200 Perry on scene of waste and ruins, pretty village by Lake Scugog. has been swept by the fire fiend \ H Reynolds. carnages boo And ( spell, Balding | and when the bright sun of the mor- After such a warning as that of seven months ago, it is sur- : Longs nee 2 Le agent jon | ning of the ath of July looked down prising that some efficient fire apparatus has not been secured Curts & Henderson flour and feed Vio James Parker agent 100 on what was yesterday a hive of by the municipality. but such has not been done, and at this, as JH Brown dry goods etc 1% 000 (eo Wheler agent 100 i busy life; enterprise and comfort, it at the first fire the only help was given by a small hand engine 1 Bigelow building : i ur ! Finan \ beheld some acres of smoking On Friday. not even a paper. or pins could be purchased in ; yarn gril pil Wi 600 embers. ashes and ruin, with the in- the village | ( -- hy harness RT MG Rebson 2.000 habitants standing round in blank The elevator. and the branch office of our citizen. Mr D NW Telegraph Co 0 Miss Harrison 200° dismay. bewailing the fearful Downey. which are in charge of Mr John Lawder. 1s about the Boxall tnsmith wn {orporation . 2000 havoc The losers by the former fire only business place in the village that has not been destroyed rent) Se ngs on Toh SST were still wincing under its ' pressure. and not a few of the