The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-09 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE AT QUEBEC.

The following is a copy of the despatch in which
Lord Monck, Governor-General of Canada, an-
nounces the great fire at Quebec :

‘` GOVERNOR VISCOUNT MONCK TO LORD CARNARVON.
" Quebec, Oct. 22, 1866.

"My Lord,—lt is with much regret that I have to inform
your lordship that a terrible fire took place at Quebec on
Sunday, the 14th inst., by which a large portion of the city
lying outside the fortifications was completely destroyed.
" Nearly all the houses in the:district of St. Sauveur and
St. Roch, where the fire occurred, were built of wood, and a
strong gale of wind was blowing at the time. Consequently
the conflagration soon attained such dimensions as defied
all attempts to chuck it, though the most strenuous and
gallant exertions to do so were made by the troops of the
garrison under Col. Lord Alexander Russell, and by the
crew of her Majesty's ship Aurora, under Captain Liddell.
The progress of the flames could not be arrested, and the
fire finally burnt itself out, after consuming almost the
whole of the suburbs situated to leeward of the street where
it commenced. These suburbi wore densely inhabited by
the poorest class of the population, consisting chiefly of
French Canadians, and though there has not yet been time
to procure details in the matter, I have reason to believe
that upwards of 2,000 houses hive been destroyed, and
nearly 18,000 persons rendered homeless. Every effort has
been made byAhe Mayor and citizens of Quebec to alle-
viate the sufferings of these unfortunate people, and to
provide the vast inultitude suddenly thrown for support on
the charity of their neighbours with food, clothing, and
temporary shelter—but such is the magnitude of the cala-
mity, and so wide-spread the distress consequent upon it,
that I look forward with much apprehension and anxiety
to the early approach of winter, and to the unprepared
condition of the sufferers by the late disaster to meet it. '
" Subscriptions have been set on foot throughout the
oto me
Quebec in
by the General Committee of Relief, praying for a grant of
e t
public money, is now under the consideration of my Minis-
pthroisvpinrce pressing
foring theem emergency,
purposeency, of
and sen
a ding
memorialassitan presented
Minis-
ters.
" I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of an
address issued by the Mayor of the city, the Bishops of the
diocese, and other principal persons, immediately after the
occurrence of the fire.

" Precise statistical information in regard to the extent of
the destruction caused by the conflagration shall be sent to
your lordship as soon as it can be obtained.—l

" MoNcx.

" The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, &c."

" gTO THE PEOPLE OF CANADA, TO THOSE OF THE
MOTHER COUNTRY, AND TO THE GENEROUS-
HEARTED OF EVERY LAND.
"'Twenty-one years ago two conflagrations, separated
from each other by an interval of but 30 days, reduced to
ashes about two-thirds of our city, and left naked and on the
smoking highway upwards of 20,000 human beings. At the
sight of so much suffering the whole civilised world was
moved to profound compassion, and abundant contributions
flowed in from all sides to the sufferers of such heart-rend-
ing misfortune. Canada subscribed liberally, the Mother
Country was superabundant in her gifts, and foreign nations
were not behindhand in sympathy and generosity. Our
agricultural population, though impoverished by adverse
seasons, was moved to compassion and contributed all that
it could in money, but more especially in produce. We
we were then at the beginning of summer, at the sight of the
brilliant sun overhead, promising opportunity and reward to
industry and toil, and of such universally expressed sym-
pathy, hope and courage, took possession of the hearts of so
many thousands struck by misfortune. Soon the subscrip-
tions poured in so abundantly that the Relief Committee
appointed by the citizens were enabled to aid them in rebuild-
ing, and this assistance was given on the condition that
nothing but incombustible materials should be employed in
the reconstruction of their houses. Thus it was that nearly
3,000 wooden houses were replaced by as many of stone and
brick, and saved from total destruction on Sunday last the
entire quarter destroyed by fire in 1845.
" But the high wind which prevailed blowing in a con-
trary direction, a considerable portion of the St. Rock's su-
burbs, also built of wood, has escaped the disaster of 1815.
Since that period au entire town has been built iu wood
beyond the Quebec city limits, and in a locality over which
our municipal authorities could axe-raise no control.
" On Sunday last, at about half-past 4 o'clock in the
morning, a fire broke out on the west side of Crown-street,
on the limit of the quarter whence proceeded the coati...gra-
tion of 1845, destroying all that lay before it to the eastward
of the same street for a length of over a mile, and covering
a width of about half a mile. The easterly wind, blowing
a furious hurricane, carried the fire in every direction with
desolating rapidity, hurling to a great distance the burning
materials, and multiplied the centres of destruction to such
a degree as to baffle every expedient and render futile all
efforts to stay the terrible ravages of the destroying ele-
ment. The military authorities and the men of H.M.S.
Aurora lent, under the circumstances, to the municipal
body all the assistance within their power, and many times
even risked their lives in efforts to save property, and to
them we owe, in a great measure, that we have not to de-
plore a still greater disaster. In a great number of cases
blowing up with powder was had recourse to, in the hope,
by creating wide breaches, to isolate and circumscribe the
fire, but without success, for the flames did their work of
ruin with the impetuosity of a torrent, bounding from place
to place as if to avoid obstacles and overleap distance. Al-
most 2,500 dwellings were thus reduced to ashes in a little
less time than 12 hours, and from 15,000 to 18,000 persons,
at the approach of a rigorous winter, left without food,
without clothing, and without shelter. Men even perished
in the flames, whose calcined skeletons were rescued from
the smoking ruins after the day's destruction was over.
The heart bleeds at the sight of so much desolation and of
so many thousand unfortunates clamouring for bread
shelter, and warmth.
On the night following the disaster the municipal
authorities caused food to be distributed, and on the day
following the citizens met, under the presidency of the
Mayor, to organise relief. About $30,000 have already
been subscribed among our citizens, and the subscription is
still going on, and even some distant localities have, with
spontaneous generosity, already lent us their assistance ;
but how insufficient will this be to cover losses which do
not fall far short of $2,000,000 ! The law, which within
the city limits, compels those sufferers to rebuild with in-
combustible materials, will be for them equivalent to a
forced expropriation unless we can assist them to a certain
degree in complying with its terms.
" To the generous-hearted of all countries, then, we
direct our appeal, and in the recollection of the compassion
bestowed upon us in 1845 we place our hopes to be enabled
to surmount the appalling misfortune of 1866. For the
present the sufferers fiad refuge in the undestroyed por-
tion of the city, in the surrounding parishes, and in the
public buildings, where food is distributed daily by the
Relief Committee. If, as already narrated, some among
them have perished in the conflagration, how many others
must succumb to the rigours of a Canadian winter, or to
those diseases which develops themselves and often
propagate in a terrible manner in large and crowded agglo-
merations of human beings! Some of the places in which
they are sheltered are now so overcrowded as to endanger
alike morality and existence. In a month hence our city
will be covered with the snows of a long winter, and, ter-
rible as was the scourge of 1845, from that fact alonesaitnw day
less calamitous than the conflagration whichodneso_a___.
last threw over our city so much mourning and
tap-
For this reason, then, we humbly crave permission r sympathy
peal to you in our distress, and to implore
and your generous contributions towathyrrelief of our
unutterable misfortune.
A
"'JOSEPH CALTCHON, Mayor of Quebec, of the
uebee•
" C. F. ETEQ 4..
UE DE THOU, drar
Diocese.

" J. W. QUEBEC.
" 'J. DuvAL, Chief Justice, Q.O Canada.
B.L.C.
`" W. J. TESSIER, Speaker, L..,
" 'IV. C. MEREDITu, Chief Justice, S.C.L.C.
" C. F. CAZEAU, Vicar-General.
-"Div COOS, D.D., Minister of St. Andrew's
Church.
GEORGE V. liousmAN, M.A., Rector of Quebec
-)u behalf of the Executive Committeel "

(0:

T Queen,he followingiletter, written by command of her Majesty
thebeen addressed to Mr. Watkin, M.P., as
chairman of the committee of the fund now being raised in
a
aid of the sufferers by the recent terrible conflagration at
Quebec. The subscriptions received in London up to last
evening amount to about .0,500
" Windsor Castle, Nov. 7.

"Sir,—lt having come to the knowledge of the Queen
that a public subscription is being raised for the relief of
the sufferers by the late calamitous fire at Quebec, her Ma
jesty has commanded me to address you as chairman of the
committee formed in London to receive contributions, and
to express her Majesty's sympathy •for the unfortunate
persons who, in aninclement seLson, are deprived of shelter
and the means of subsistence.

" The Queen is gratified to notice the efforts which are
being made for their relief, and desires me to announce to
you a subscription of £3OO from her Majesty. —I have the
honour to be, Sir, your obedient humble servant,

" T. M. BIDDITLFIL
" To E. W. Watkin, Esq., M.P., Chairman of the
Committee of the Quebec Fire Relief Fund."