Lister Block fire anniversary

Feb. 23 -- On this day, in 1923, Hamilton experienced one of its most spectacular fires.  The original Lister Block  — a five storey stone building constructed in 1886 —  was notable at the time because it was one of the first buildings in the city to have an elevator.
According to a web page from Special Collections at the Hamilton Public Library:

"At 2:36 a.m., police Constable Ross Wright, noticed the flames while patrolling the area on foot. The building had long been regarded as dangerously flammable. Despite the exterior being made of quarried limestone, the building went up in a flash because the interior walls and floor were wooden. The old fashioned design allowed the fire to spread rapidly across the building via the long corridors which were not equipped with fire walls."
Amazingly, the building was reconstructed by the end 1923, less than a year after the fire. This replacement building is the current version of the Lister Block that sits in such a disgraceful state in downtown today. (It has just been listed on thein Canada by the Heritage Canada Foundation)
Also interesting, that on the anniversary of this event,  that there is a story in The Spectator today about how the Lister Block  has been listed on Canada's top ten list of endangered heritage sites .
According to the story by Meredith Macleod:
"The crumbling monolith at King William and James streets was included in the Heritage Canada Foundation's list of forgotten or threatened buildings in its report card on the state of heritage conservation in the country for 2005. The report card also includes a list of the worst heritage losses of the past year."
The Lister Block is currently slated to be demolished to make way for a new office building that will incorporate a facsimilie of the old facade in its design.
Any stories or recollections about the LIster Block? Anyone remember the fire?
Mark