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Show nALF-:iiLLio:i loss - BY FIRE AT FERIilE VANCOUVER, B. C April 30. The business) portion of Fernie. B.-. C, was1" destroyed by Are yesterday. yes-terday. The loaa Is estimated . t J500.000. Nine-tenths of the town is In ashes. Fertile la a town of 3000 population, popula-tion, the largest settlement in the Crows- Nest Pass district. -: About 1:30 In the morning1 Are started start-ed in C. Orchard's general store and spread north and south along Victoria avenue. The water supply almost failed and the firs practically burned Itself out. . Nearly the whole of six blocks were destroyed and the loss la estimated at half a million dollars. Six hotels, two wholesale houses, Christ church and. virtually all the retail stores in town were destroyed. Very fed residences were bnrned aid there were no casual-, ties. A rainstorm saved this balance of the town, thoroughly wetting the houses. The Insurance companies will probably proba-bly lose 3350,000. Already preparations are being made to rebuild. |