The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-06-20
AWFUL CALAMITY!
FEARFUL LOSS on LIFE RY FII

The following disastrous intelligence is
contained in the Quebec Mercury of Saturday
June 10: ........ "
1t has again pleased the Almighty to afllic;
our already chastened city.
Last night, at ten o'clock fire broke out
in the Theatre Royal, st. Lewis Street, for
merly the Riding School) at the close of Mr.
Ilarrisons exhibition of his Chemical Diora-
mas. From the information we have been u
BILE to CLEAN, CaInphine lamp was overset,
from some cause or other and the stage at
once became enveloped in flames.
The house had been densely crowded, but
some had fortunately left before the accident
A rush was at once made to the staircase
leading from the boxes, by those who, in the
excitement the moment, forgot the other
passages Of egress.
In an incredibly short space of time the
whole ofthe interior of the building was en-
veloped in one sheet offlame; the newly cree
ted platform covering the pit, and commu-
nicating at each end with the stage and boxes,
favored the progress ofthe flames.
The writer Of this article was one of the
earliest on the spot, and present at the closing
moments ofthe hapless beings who persisted
from their over eXertions to escape.
The staircase communicating with the box
es was n steep one, and we are ofthe opinion
it had fallen from the weight of those who
crowded upon it. AT least such was our o.
pinion at the moment.
One foot was interposed between the hap
less crowd and eternity and on that space
we, with five or six others stood, the fierce
flames playing around lis, and the dense
smoke repeing all effort to extricate. As
far back as we could see there was sea of
heads, of writhing bodies, and out-stretched
arms. Noise there UuS none--bm tetU means
escaped the doomed. AT the extreme end in
view there were faces calm and resigned; per-
sons, who, from the funeral veil of smoke
which gradually enshrouded them; appeared
calmlyto drop into eternal sleep. But our
side was one brother striving to extricate an
other, but abandonment was unavoidable
One poor creature at our feet offered his en-
tire worldly wealth for his rescue; the agoni-
zing expression of the faces before us can
never he cfficed from our memory.
! The flames at the time were above and a.
round us-but human aid was of no avail: in
five minutes from the time of which we make
mention, the mass ofhuman beings who had
but short interval previous been in the en-
joyment ola full and active life, were exposed
10 our view mass of calcined bones!
Up to this hour forty SIR bottles hare been, re-
couered from The rains! Most of them have
been recognized--a greater loss of life than
in the two dread confagratons of last sum-
ncr
Sad wailings pervade the city, scarcely a
street can be traverscd in which the closed
shutter or the hanging Grape do not hetoken Il
sudden bereavement. Fathers, sisters, chill
dren of both sexes indulge in the deepest Ia
mentation. Woe has fallen upon many; for
those who were thus suddenly, awiuly sum-
nInned into the presence .oftheir Creator.
The theatre and stables adioiningwe should
add, We're burnt 10 the ground.
The ruins are still smoking: and, as in the
time of Londun's great plague, the dead-cart
plies to and fro from the scene of calamity TO
different parts ofthe city,conveying It's ghast-
" load of clIarred remains, followed by weep
ing relatives and the gaping crowd which cv-
erattend such dread scenes
o. A locofoco who dares not volunteer in
the war he voted for must be a great patriot
surely! You will find many such up here in
Vermont. If they were not towards and hyp-
ocritcs in their professions of patriotism would
they not volunteers Gov SIade has called,
and can you find one offer in all northern Yer
mont
Gen WinfeId Scott was born in l7s6, and is
now 60 years old Gen. Zachery Taylor, the
hero of Alto Palo, was born in 1889, and is
now in his 56th year.
Grossly "PERsoNAL." The n. O. Delta
says, "a New York paper says the mOnkey
market is easy there. We should Judge so
from the number of mustached balloons that
are to be seen promenading Broadway .... .
"Sir," said Gen Taylor to CaptainMay, "we
must take that battery" "Men,' said the
Captain, awe must take that battery, follow
To give the command was to do the act
letter from Ohio says:-"There has new
err been such prospect for mighty crops in O.
hio as now. Nothing can prevent the farmers
from harvesting a larger wheat crop than they
have had for ten years. The time has gone By
in which the grain usually is injured
THE NEXT PREsrDENoY A meeting has
been called in New York for the purpose of
nominating Gen Taylor for the next Presi-
dency Gen Taylor is understood to be a
Whig in peace, and he certainly is hero in
war. ....... ....
NOTICE. The Vermont Society for the
promotion of Universal Peace will hold it's first
Annual Meeting at Danvile on Saturday and
Sunday, the 9th and 25th of June. All per-
sons invited to attend and participate in the
discussion of this all important subject
In behalf of the Standing Committee,
JONATHAN LAWRENCE,
B. w. DYER.