In case any of the readers, I read recently, that The Mayor of Vancouver, Malcolm MacLean, wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada John A. MacDonald born 1816 on this day in January 190 years ago, that "Our City is ashes. three thousand people homeless. Can you send us any government aid?" Vancouver had been incorporated in April of 1886, two months before. Of one thousand buildings, almost all were burnt to the grounds being make of wood, in 45 minutes, as there was little fire-fighting means. Fire had been used to clear land, by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and wind blew the flames from tree to tree and then house to house. I wonder who died as a result of this fire, who were never found, or were completely destroyed by the fire. These would be people with no death record. Only eight persons were confirmed as dying, but there were many transients, who were unknown, who may have died also. I have a great great Uncle Alexander Weir, who disappeared from Scotland about 1883, and can find no death record. He was born in 1861 or 62 in Ontario.