The Columbian fountain., 1846-06-20

We mentioned yesterday the fact that great
fire had occurred in Quebec, but gave no fur
ther particulars than the mere announcement
that forty six bodies had been recovered from
the smoulderlng ruins. The following addi
tional items are from our exchanges of yester-
day-obtained by them from postscript in the
Montreal Courier of Monday.
ORIGIN IoF THE FIRE, AND OTHER PARrrc-
ULARs.-The fire broke out in the Theatre Roy
al, ST. Lewis, (tormerly the riding school, } just
as Mr.. HarrisoD's exhibition of his Chemical
Dioramas was closing. 1t was caused by the
upsetting of a camphine lamp, which almost
instantaneously enveloped the stage in flames.
The house had been densely crowded, but
fortunately some portion of the audience had
left before the accident. The Courier says
A rush was at once made to the staircase
leading from the boxes by those who, in the
excitement of the moment, forgot the other
passages of egress.
In an incredibly short space of time the
whole OF the interior Of the building was enve-
loped in one sheet of flame. The newly erect
ed platform, covering the pit, and communi
eating at each end with the stage and boxes,
favored the progress of the flames.
The writer of this article was one of the ear
liest on the spot, and present at the closing
moments of the hapless beings who perished
from their over exertions to escape
The staircase communicating with the boxes
was steep one, and we are Of opinion it had
fallen from the weight of those who crowded
on it. AT least such was our opinion at the
moment.
less crowd and eternity, and on that space we,
with FIVE or six others, stood, the fierce flames
playing around us, and the dense smoke repel-
ling all efforts to extricate US. AS far back as
we could see there was sea of heads, of wri-
thing bodies, and outstretched arms Noise
there aoas nons--bh feD means escaped the DOOM
ed At the extreme end in view, there were
faces calm and resigned; persons, who, from
the funeral veil of smoke which gradually en-
shrouded them, appeared calmly to drop into
an eternal sleep. BY our side was one bro
ther striving to extrcate another, but abandon
ment was unavoidable One poor creature at
our feet offered his entire worldly wealth for
his rescue. The agonizing expression of the
faces before us can never be effaced from our
memory.
The flames at the time were above and
around US, but human aid was Of no avail. In
FIVE minutes from the time of which we make
mention, the mass of human beings, who had
but short interval previous been in the enjoy
ment of a full and active life, were exposed to
our view mass of calcined bodies
UP to the time of publication, forty-slx bo-
dies have been recovered from the ruins, most
of them recognised. The Courier adds the fol
lowing, including a list Of the sufferers, most
of whom were citizens OF Quebec and its vici-
nifty:
"Sad wailing pervades the city. Scarcely
street can be traversed in which the closed
shutters or the hanging Grape do not betoken
sudden bereavement. Fathers, sisters, child
rem of both sexes, indulge in the deepest lam
entation. Woe has fallen upon many, for
those who were thus suddenly and awfully
summoned into the presence OF their Creator
The Theatre and stables adjoining, we should
add, were burnt to the ground. "a, p. m.)
The ruins are still smoking; and, as in the time
of London's great plague, the dead cart plies
to andIfrom the scene.of the calamity to differ.
ent parts of the city, conveying its ghastly load
of charred remains, followed by weeping rela-
tives and the gaping crowd which ever attend
such dread scenes"
MELANCHOLY OcCURRENcE.-We learn
from the Philadelphia Keystone that young
and promising young lady. attacked TO the first
Baptist church, (Rev. Mr. Ide's,) named Mar
tina Whitman, while out on pic mic party.