Thursday, June 15th. 1922 Headlines
Headlines in several Manitoba newspapers of the time reported; "Village Of Elma Ravaged By Fire"; "Entire Business District Is Wiped Out"; "Several Families Homeless." Articles went on to say "Many children suffering great hardships."
Flames Spread across the entire business section of the Village
Flames, declared by Deputy Fire Commissioner J. Baird, to be of incendiary origin, did damage estimated at $50,000 to $60,000 and destroyed the entire business section of the village of Elma on the Canadian Pacific Railway (Canadian National Railway) 53 miles east of Winnipeg.
"In the early hours of yesterday morning rendering several families homeless and destitute."
The story in the Manitoba Free Press went on stating:
"The story of the conflagration brought to the city last night by Deputy Fire Commissioner Baird and other citizens who visited the fire-ravaged community yesterday, is a pitiable one, for the flames spread with such an alarming rapidity that none of the residents of the destroyed buildings had time to save any of their belongings and the plight of the stricken families, which include about twenty-seven children, is stated to be the worst possible."
Children Huddled in Stables
Some of the children, ranging in age from sixteen months to sixteen years were yesterday huddled in stables and covered with sacks to protect them from the hordes of mosquitoes.
The few remaining houses are entirely inadequate to accommodate the homeless, and the community does not contain any citizens who are in a financial position to adequately aid their stricken neighbours.
Of Incendiary Origin
According to Mr. Baird, who returned to Winnipeg last night, after conducting an investigation into the disaster, the conflagration was undoubtedly of incendiary origin.
At a few minutes after midnight, on the14th. June 1922, C. Windeborn, proprietor of a general store, was awakened by an explosion in a vacant house adjoining his premises. Immediately the building was a mass of flames, which in a few minutes had caught fire to the Windebourne building. The rapidity with which the conflaguration spread, said Mr. Baird, suggested that coal oil or gasoline had been spread upon the two structures.
Almost a hundred years ago
In 1922 the village of Elma did not have any firefighting equipment. There was no electricity to run pumps, there were no telephones. At the time of this disaster, there was only a dirt trail to Whitemouth and no road to Winnipeg as we know today. The railway was the only direct way to Winnipeg.
From the initial discovery of the flames by C. Windeborn the flames within minutes had enveloped three other store buildings, three warehouses, and two stables
The other store buildings noted in press articles were, Knosalas General Store and boarding house, J. Barnski, pool room, and G. Gilwijcz, general store and residence.
The flames spread over the entire main street. Not one building was left standing on the main street with the exception of a couple of shacks at the most westerly end of Elma.
Any buildings on the main street obviously were built after the great fire of 1922, including the Elma hotel. In fact, the hotel and the building we see today known as the pool hall were built soon after the fire.
A perusal of the municipal minutes of the time shows no mention of the disaster in Elma.
Building permits were not issued in the RM of Whitemouth until 1991 which unfortunately means a written search of what buildings may have been there prior to the fire is impossible. In fact, there was no Fire Department in the municipality until after 1954!
Authors note. More checking on this. The spelling of names changed from article to article.
The enormity of the disaster which in minutes had rendered most of the residents destitute, left few people able to give details of the way the fire spread.
From what little information was given the flames had spread west to a cross street, where it was checked. The rail station was also in danger with sparks catching the roof on fire, with the fire being extinguished before serious damage was done.
J. Baird had reported the insurance for all other damaged and destroyed buildings would only amount to $20,000 while actual damage was estimated to be in excess of $50,000.
On top of everything else the post office, which was housed in one of the stores, was also burned in the fire. The postmaster from Winnipeg , Mr J. Dixon came out to make alternative plans for post services. He related on returning to Winnipeg.
"Something must be done for these little ones at once" "Relief must be rushed to them without delay. The sight was one of the worst in my experience, and the children especially are suffering. I saw one family, that of Knosalas, whose eight children were huddled in a stable with nothing to protect them but a few sacks. And the mosquitoes were terrible."
Before leaving Elma, Mr. Dixon spoke with the local police magistrate Mr. Whittle, who gave assurances any clothing or other relief supplies sent to them would be distributed "in the right way and where it would do the most good."
Mr. Dixon suggested the Provincial Red Cross should act as the medium for the forwarding of relief.
Red Cross
According to an article on June 15th. in the Winnipeg Tribune, the Red Cross sent a representative with sufficient clothing for 24 children and to ascertain whether any further assistance was required. Twenty-Two children and their parents were made homeless by the fire. The Red Cross telegrammed Winnipeg to state there was ample food and housing accommodation and any further needs of the community would be looked after by themselves. Yet the same article goes onto to say there was excessive crowding and the neighbours could not continue to provide this form of shelter.
It was reported the Canadian National Railway had decided to send several boarding cars to Elma to provide emergency housing for the homeless.
Mr. Wendeborn, a store keeper was noted as being the biggest loser as his insurance had expired just twelve hours before the fire.
The post Office was housed in a box car until a permanent place could be found. Telephone service was restored on the 15th. June, connecting the community again to Whitemouth and Vivian.
Official Pictures were taken by the Fire Commissioner Thomas Baird. The chimney was taken down shortly after the pictures were taken. The lower picture shows some of the women and children surveying the damage. A horse and wagon with a tender to the right.
