The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-09-03
From the Brunswick Courier.
SAINT JoHN Monday morning, Aug. 10.
AWFUL COMMUNICATION IN SAINT
JOHN

! We have the melancholy task of announcing
another awful visitation to Saint John-the sdes-
trucuon by Fire Ola large portion of the city,
including about fifty extensive mercantile cstab
| lishments. The fire was discovered ut ten MIN
utes before nine Saturday night, bursting
| from house in Nelson street, occupied as Il
store und warehouse by Mr. Hugh Irving q
Brothers, ship builders, &c. and The upper part
as dwellings, which continued burning unl day
light Yesterday morning., before lis devouring
progress was stayed. Al the buildings on
both sides Of Nelson street, and on La"ton'S,
Waerberys, Donaldson - and the North MAR
ket wharves, together on both sides OF DOCK
street, (from the market square to Union street,
on the south side of Union street, from the new
dwelling houses Of Messrs John 81 James Law
ton TO the water including all the crectons and
numbers on the Hon William Blacks and on
Crookshank and Walkers wharves, fronting
| Adams slip, and all the buildings on the north
side Of the market square, and the house OF
Thomas Merritt, Esq. occupied by Messrs A. b
Truro, and W. Strickland, fronting on Prince
! William Street, Opposite the Commercial Bank)
are entirely destroyed, and great part of their
contents either burned or lost. Here the further
progress of the flames fortunately arrested,
the exertonS of the people, providentially being
aided by the brick building of Mr. james NJ Eee,
| formerly owned by w. II. Peters, ESQ., which
joined the last building destroyed. The houses
on the opposite side ofthe street, among which
were the Commercial Bank, Messis BarIows
Joseph Summers g. Co.'s, &c. being covered
with wet carpets and wet carpets and other
Wooens, and kept constantly wet, the fire
prevented crossing the street at this point.
So intense was the heat, that the buildings on
the south market wharf We're frequently OH fire,
although separated from those the north by
a Slip of one hundred and fifty feet, and road
way on each wharf of twenty five feet, making
in all distance of tiCo hundred feet. The rig
ging of several small vessels lying in the slip (t
being low gWater at the time) having ignited it
became necessary to CIT away their mast to save
them from entire destruction, and to pevent the
communication ofthe flames o'the opposite side
of the slip. The American schooner COmpeer,
| lying at South wharf was among the number.
| 1t is utterly impossible, at this time, to give
the names of all the sufferers; indeed. the task
would he difficult any time. as the
ground between Nelson aud Dock and Union
Streets was thickiy covered by numerous small
buildings, in some OF which each single room
was occupied Ivy family. This being the case
the number Of persons rendered houseless is
much greater than by the memorable fire of
the l4th of January, 1887, when lis buildings
were destroyed. The season of the year how
ever, is in favor of those who have been thus
driven from their homes, i'm cases almost
naked, aud hungry and pennyless.
We are glad to hear that notwithstanding the
great confusion which prevailed, no human lives
are known TO have been lost; several persons
however, received several bruises.
1t may seem surprising that the re originated
in Il building built on wharf, with a supply of
water close at hand, could not have been sub
dued before making much progress; bnt when
! it is recoCcted that the tide was on at the time,
! that every thing at all conbustable was in
ready state of ignition from the late and
dry weather--that Nelson and Dock streets
of the nnrrowest description-that there is not an
organized Axe Hook and Ladder Company
in the city-that the engines not OF the first
orher,t hat the sheets and the squares aud wharves
were crowded with numerous apparently idle
spectators, without sufficient control the part
Of the city authorities to direct their energies
aright-that many of the Fire Wardens, altho'
well meaning and ready TO urge what they con-
sdered for the best, are not particularly az
quainted with the nature Of pulling down hou-
ses, &c.-the extent Of the present cont1agration
will not be wondered at.
! The fire is said to have had its origin in the
flame Of a candle coming in contact with oak
um lying upon the top of a cask OF brandy,
from which lad was drawing some liquor, i'll
the premises occupied by the Messrs Irvine.
| But, ii is now matter nmateriul in what way
the fire originated; it is sufficient to know that
by it a large part OF the business part of the
city was reduced in few hours to heaps
OF Wondering ashes, and that several of our en-
teprisng citizens who about the hour and
on the same day only two years and seven
months since, had the modification of seeing
large portions of the produce of years of toll s.
labor suddenly vanish, and from the effects of
which they were steadily recovering, are now
again called upon to bewail the loss of much
valuable property and to seek other places of
business, in which to endeavor to retrieve their
! lost fortunes
The total amount of property destroyed, in.
cluding buildings, merchandise, and household
effects, cannot fall short of 100000 but at
present the sum only he coniectured. Large
amounts are insured in the office of tthe New
Brunswick Fire Insurance Company, the Cen
ral Fire Insurance Company of Fredercon
aud Htna and Protection Companies of Hart
ford, Connecticut, and other offices in the United
States and in Britain.
The burnt district of 1887 being situated to
the southwark, of the Market Slip, the fire did
not extent to thatportion of the city--nor were
any buildings destroyed on the northern side of
Union street commonly called York POINT
/ The Sea Serpent at our o,0n door. George Bell,
Esq. one of the boarding officers Of this port on
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