On April 19, 1904, fire ripped through downtown Toronto in what is now the Financial District. It started in a tie factory. Wooden exterior fire-escapes and window-sills meant it spread quickly. New-fangled elevators became chimneys. Because of the strong winds and cold, ice congealed on the telegraph wires, the streets and the firemen, who came from as far away as Buffalo and Hamilton. Fire equipment could not reach the roofs. By dawn, over a hundred buildings had been destroyed.

Creator: Sharpe, Henry Fowlds
Date: 1904
Identifier: 950-2-4
Format: Ephemera
Rights: Public domain
Courtesy: Toronto Public Library.
More information: (view details and larger image)

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