Lyonel Doherty

Times-Chronicle

This is part 2 of a series of articles gleaned from the recent “Fairview After Dark” tour hosted by Rebecca Rizzo from the Oliver Museum.)

Watch your step, folks, and stay on the trail; we don’t want anyone wandering off and getting swallowed up by the night . . . or caught up in some time warp with no exit.

Imagine if you could travel back to the old Fairview town site, what would you see? And how would you be greeted? 

Good thing they didn’t burn witches back then. 

Rizzo pointed out that aside from the Blasted Church, the judge’s house and the jail, no other buildings from the mining town survived in their original form. 

Behind her where she stood in the cloak of darkness, quite far down the hill, was the site of the town’s pride and joy – the Hotel Fairview.

Construction on the three-storey structure began in 1897, with the grand opening taking place on July 1, 1899. With a marvelous view of the valley and elegant furnishings, the 60 by 60-foot hotel was considered the finest in British Columbia’s Interior. 

Rizzo said it was often a visitor’s first choice for accommodation when travelling from the United States border to Barkerville. 

Guests would sit at the lavish 50-foot long bar that was complete with a mirrored backdrop extending its entire length and decorated with ornate crystal lamps. A wide staircase reached from the ground to the top floors. 

But after three years of operation, a devastating fire destroyed this much-celebrated landmark on Oct. 22, 1902 – 119 years ago.

“At approximately 3 a.m., while the guests were fast asleep in their beds, flames broke out in the basement office,” Rizzo told her rapt audience.

She said that Mr. Mathias, the hotel manager, awoke to the sound of crackling flames and quickly went down to see what the source was. Upon discovery, the manager tried to extinguish the fire and was badly burned in the process. 

“Failing in his attempt, he quickly ran back upstairs to save his wife and child.”

Rizzo said the hotel’s main staircase created a pathway for the flames as they rapidly climbed to the other floors, cutting off all escape routes. 

Guests began to jump from their windows in a desperate attempt to flee. When Mathias reached his family’s room in the smoke and chaos, he found it empty and realized that his wife had already grabbed their son and jumped to safety. 

“Relieved that his family was safe, Mr. Mathias then tried to get out, but he was caught in the flames and was horribly burned before he could escape,” Rizzo said.

Although he was finally able to jump from the building, Mathias never woke up again and died that evening from his injuries. 

Sadly, the hotel manager was not the only victim, as two other people lost their lives that night in the scene which was described in the newspaper as a “charnel house.” 

Louise Smith, an 18-year-old school teacher from Enderby, had been renting a room on the second floor while she taught the children in town. 

“She was described as a universal favourite in town, a lovable girl,” Rizzo said.

Another guest, Frank French, later told the story of how he burst into the teenager’s bedroom and dragged her out into the hallway and broke a window for them to escape through. However, when he returned for the young lady, she mysteriously disappeared. 

“We’ll never know how she met her end. Only portions of the beloved teacher’s remains were found amongst the rubble,” Rizzo noted.

Fairview’s druggist, John Love, and the hotel’s housekeeper Lizzie Hunt were staying on the third floor. During the fire both were badly burned. 

“To escape the fire, John lifted Lizzie through the third-storey window and let her drop. Lizzie’s fall from the building broke her thigh and injured her back, paralyzing her from the hip up.”

Hunt would later die from her injuries. 

Rizzo said Love jumped from the window after Hunt and was unhurt except for terrible burns to his face and hand. 

All 14 guests who were reportedly staying the night were burned or injured.

An engineer named Alan Stewart who had jumped from the third floor survived the fall but broke his spine in the process. 

Dr. White, who had also been staying at the hotel that night, was one of the lucky few who only sustained minor injuries. He was responsible for sending an SOS message to the nearest settlements of Camp McKinney and Greenwood, requesting emergency help. 

“With the cries and moans of wounded guests and their frantic relatives ringing in the ears, and the hellish flames lighting up the night sky, the residents could only watch as the pride and joy of Fairview burned to the ground.”

Rizzo said the fire marked the end of the golden years for the townsite and its dreams for the future. 

(Stay tuned for the next instalment when Rizzo’s tour continues.)