Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-06-13
THE GREAT FIRE AT QUEBEc. We ex-
tract from the Montreal Herald of Monday,
some additional particulars of the late con-

hagratlon.
The whole time ofthe conhngrali,n was but twelve
hours, and II was only prevented from sweeping the
Lower Town NJ the eastern base of the cliff and with
II an immense amount of shipping at the wharves, hy
the Mayor conserving to allow The ar,llers to blow
down the houses standing in its way. The tide being
OF ebb, there is not question that many Ship would
have gone to feed the devour ing flmes unless IN $
sxpedcnt had been resorled TO, and at fortunate
place Tor eXt cutting II.
book might he filed with all tina, is said Of inni.
viga acts Of heroisn and Of Throwing specraces Of
suffering. You may Imagine what the latter must
have been when tell you that Of charred err.
cases which have seem two were those of n woman
and nan, at her breast Three of the Others were
of little children. Ii is my impression that many
children must have persisted, sudden was The pro.
eress Of the fire, ami judging also from the fact that
the streets being in seve al fire the two
ends, no possible avenue OF escape was open. One
gentleman mentioned 10 me that he saw child nj the
corner of a street. whom six mothers came for ward
TO claim before The true one was found.
From The Quebec papers we select the
following:
One assertion we msv safely mako that the amount
Of property lost is no, so far mngnf1 and The sacr
fee of human life is underrned. The total lass has
been computed with the utmost nicely possible and
found to he hetwaen one -nlLiS----l.
haT Afpounds or, IN dollars, from 81 600 900 q
5000 000!-The loss Of life cannot he estimated
We hear OF many private interments of The remain,
found by supposed relatives, and It is asserted tina
about forty victims of the confederation hive IA
been iuhrmed, and that many, very many. viii neve
be discovered. This statement we fully credit from
our observations. ms the hrst sufferers He'd IN
ward town. and. frau the irregular and distant out
breaks of the fire from i- origin they could not hav
re,raced their wav, md must have persisted, encom
passed by he fumes which. from moment TO momen
narrowing the Limits OF apparent safety around then
We have abundant evidence, from eve witnesses, {
women children and aged persons having pc ishec
who hu, the moment prior 10 their death, fanci'
themselves safe: quickly and 81 insidiousy di III
fire pursue Tvs devastating progress.
The scene of desola'ion and despair il is beyond hi
man power to describe, B1fiei by the sudden an
unlocked for directions The fire took, the uHforinna
refugees Welded themselves up TO apaIhetc despni
From street 10 street they wendell their mennchol
way laden with their children and the most ptecol
of their household goods, bit still the insariae ca II.
nj their misfortune traced their path with unrelenln
frv. In the greater number Of instances ne inmni,
ofdweings barely escaped with their lives and mar
IT hese were severely burnt; So sudden was the OF
coming of the flames.
Toward The afternoon panic seemed TO have sci
ed the Inhabitants of the burnt and burning disiric
mud from extreme activity n perfect apathy succefd
they knew not whittier to hy, nor what 10 do III
blocked streets were in a blaze they sped ihrons
then,-hirnture took fire in carts caleche-, il
hurried off--and the heat and dense volumes of smol
which ever and anon swept aihwari the suburbs, e.
evsied the active and paray sed the exertions Il tho
even dlsnteresied. None were safe.
From moment to moment the risk OF escape wi
life Increased, owing to the sudden and unanicipat,
outbreak Of hire at distance from that the crisis
conhae ration. For several hours all communion no,
between the suburbs and the Upper Town was cut o
awe BY the ronnd.a-way (of roile and haf)
Snnyageau'7 II n. 8.
'oElsn. ehiidres-.n!ay, even msn--ssi weeping b