The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-10
MISC ELLAN EO U s.
From the Albany Argus Of June Z.
IT FIRE AT OUEBEC,

From the Albany Argus Of June T.
THE GREAT FIRE AT QUEBEC.
We had conceived this terrible confagration to be
very extensive; but the accounts Of the destruction
which are before us, exceed our apprehensions.
The Montreal Herald of Monday contains upwards
offour columns of detail, from which we extract the
following;
DESTRUCTION OF PRopERTY.-The length is over
n me-the depth at the widest part, should think,
not far from half mile; within these boundaries
were laid out the following streets ST. Waller street,
Fleurie street, Des Praries street, ST. Margaret
street. Des Posses street, st. Joseph street. ST. Fran
co.'s street, King street. Prince Edward street. lpart
ly,) ST. Roch street, ST. Dominique street, Grand
street, Craig street, Rue de IEghse Crown street.
ST. Nicholas, ST. Paul's, and 81, Charles streets,
Rue de la Croix, Henderson street, ST. Paul's mar
ket, (Lower town.
Suburb of ST. John-Cote d'Abram-north part
of st. George sreet-do do. of St. Oliver street, and
houses in ST. Eustache, ST. Augustin, and Rich
mond streets.
Every building, with the exception of three or
four within the above range, is in ashes.
The whole time of the conaagration was but
twelve hours, and it was only prevented from sweep
ing the Lower town at the eastern base of the cliff
and with it an immense amount of shipping at the
wharves by the mayor consentng to allow the artil-
lery to blow down the houses standing in its way.
The tide being at ebb, there is not question that
flames unless this expedient had been resorted to,
and at fortunate place for executing it,
book might be filed with all that is said Of in
dividual acts of heroism and narrowing spcctaces
of suffering. You may imagine what the latter
must have been, when tell you that, of seven
charred carcasses which have SEEM two were those
of woman and an infant at her breast; three of
the others were of little children. II is my impress
sion that many children must have perished-so
sudden was the progress of the fire, and Judging
also from the fact that the streets being in several
cases on fire at the two ends possible avenue of
escape was open. One gentleman mentioned to me
that he saw child at the corner of street, whom
six mothers came forward to claim, before the true
one was found
There are l,50O buildings burned-l 200, at least
dwelling houses.
An immense pile of Goals in the commissariat
yard is now burning, and may continue for week.
The commissariat had given the use of the gov
eminent ovens to Mr.. Clearihue to bake bread for
the peoples but what is to clothe them, From twelve
thousand to fifteen thousand persons have been
thrown cut of house and home in the clothes in
which they stood.
The following are, understand, the amounts in
sured in the various Offices
Canada Office 100000
Quebec 100000
Phoenix 10000
Montreal $4,000
Mutual, (St. Roch's. )-This company was form
ed by the St. Roch's people exclusively, and there
fore will be unable to pay anything
The committee of relief have notified the suffer-
that each will be allowed two dollars on applca-
At Montreal, public meeting was held, at which
the Roman Catholic bishop of that city made ad
dress Large committees for each ward were APP
pointed, and subscription for the sufferers com
menced. The list is headed by the governor-genera
with $4,000; the Bank of Montreal followed with
$4,000 City Bank, III 200; private citizen, g. 400;
the Catholic College, 81 ,000 Bank of the People,
| III ,000 Several subscriptions were made of 500
and $500, and large number of 5000, $50, and 500
| From the Quebec papers we select the following:
"One assertion we may safely make, that the
amount of property lost is not 80 far magni6ed and
the sacrifice of human life is moderated The total
loss has been computed with the utmost nicely pos
sble, and found to be between million and one
and halt of pounds or in dollars from "a 900 600
to S6000000 The loss of life cannot be estimated.
We hear of many private interments of the re-
mains found by supposed relatives and it is asserted
that about forty victims of the confagration have
far been inhumed and that many will never be dis
covered. This statement we fully credit, from our
own observations, the first sufferers fed toward
town, and, from the irregular and distant outbreaks
OF the fire from Its origin, they could not have re-
| traced their way, and must have persisted, cncom-
passed by the flames which, from moment to mo-
ment, narrowed the limits of apparent safety around
| them.
We have abundant evidence, from eye witnesses,
VI WomeIy CAhuict, anu dScu peTsOus HdVHiB per
| lshed, who, but the moment prior to their death,
fancied themselves safe; so quickly and SO insid-
uously did the fire pursue its devastating progress.
The scene of desolation and despair is beyond
human power to describe. Baffled by the sudden
and unlooked-for directions the fire Took the unfor
tunate refugees at last yielded themselves to apa-
thetic despair From street to street they wended
their melancholy way, laden with their children and
the most precious of their household goods, but still
the insatiate of their misfortune traced their
path with unreenting fury. In the greater number
Of instances the inmates of dwellings, barely escaped
with their lives, and many Of these were severely
burnt so sudden was the on-coming of the flames
Towards the afternoon panic seemed to have
seized the Inhabitants Of the burnt and burning dis
trict and from extreme activity perfect apathy
succeeded--they knew not whittier to fly, nor what
to do. The blocked streets were in blaze as they
sped through them-furniture took fire in carts, or
caeches, as it was hurried off; and the heat and
dense volume of smoke which, ever and anon,
swept athwart the suburbs, enervated the active, and
paraysed the exerons of those even disnterested.
None were safe.
From momen to moment the risk Of escape with
life increased owing to the sudden and unancipaed
outbreak offre at distance from that at the crisis
of confagraton. Forseveral days all communica-
ton between the suburbs and the Upper Town was
cut Off save by the round-a-way "a mile and a-half
Of. Sauvageaus Hill.
Women children--day, even men-sat weeping
by the road side, beref oftheir little property and
beggared by the destruction of the fruits Of their
economy and the investment of their savings.
Many knelt in prayer to the Great Disposer of
events seeking his protection and succor and the
clergy of the parish passed, rows of humbled and
desoate beings fell at their feet craving their bless
ing.
a From the PHILADELPHIA Gazette.