Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-06-30
Appalling Calamity in Quebec.
NEARLY 100 LIVES LOST.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Eorty.si.r bodies tound.
From the Quebec Mercury June Is.

fioHi tHe SueOeC mercury June 10.
1t has again pleased the Almighty TO af
flct oar already chastenod city.
Last night, at ten o'clock, fire broke
out in the Theatre Royal, S.. Lewis street.
formerly the Riding School) Il, the close o
Mr.. iarison's exhibition OF his Chemical
Doramas. From the information we have
been able to CLEAN, Camphene l. amp was
oVersot, from some cause os other, aud the
stage at once became envcloped in Il mes.
The house had been dcnsey crowded
but some had fortunately left before The ac-
cident.
A rush was al once made to the staircase
leading from the boxes, by those who, in
the excitement of the moment, Gorgol the
other passages ofeges s.
| In an incredible short space Of time the
whole Of the inerio: of the build ng was
enveloped 10 one sheet Of fl rne--lbr new
| ly erected platform covering the pit, and
communicating at each end with the Stage
AMI boxes, favored The progress oil the
| flames.
The writer Of this article was one OF the
earliest on the spot, and present al the clos
ing moments OF The hapIess being who per-
ished from their over exertions 10 escape
Ike staircase co nmunlcatlng with the box
es was a steep one, and we are Of the O.
pinlon it had fallen from the weight of
those who crowded upon il. AT leas, such
was the opinion at The moment
| One foot was interposed between the
hapless crowd and eternty and on thai
! space we, with five or six others stood, the
fierce Fl ames playing around US, and the
dense smoke Iepclling all efforts 10 exti-
cate. AS far back as we could see there
was sea Of heads, of wrilhing bodies and
| outstretchcd arms. Noise there WIS none
but few means escaped the doomed. Al
the extreme end there were faces calm.
and resigned; persons, who, from The Gune
raj veil of smoke which gradually enshrou-
ded them appeared calmly to drop into e.
ternal s!eap.
BY our side was one brother striving to
exlricate another, but abandonm Mt was
unavoidable. One poor creature at our
feet offered h.sentre worldly wealth for
his rescue; me ngonizng expression of the
! face before US, can never be elfaced from
our memory.
around us:-but human aid was no ava l.
in five minutes from the time Of which we
make mention, the mass Of human beings
who had but short int rival previous been
in the enjoyment Of a full and active life
were exposed 10 our view q mass ofcalcned
bones.
Up TO this hour forty six bodies have
been recovered from the ruins. Most OF
them have been recognized; greater loss
of life than in the two dread connagrations
of last summer. Sad waIlng pervades
the city. Scarcely street can be trav.
ersed if1twhich the closed shutter or the
hanging Grape do not beioken sudden
bereavement. Fathers, sisters, children
OF both sexes, indulge in the deepest la
meniat!on Woe has fallen upon many.
tor those who were thus suddenly and aw
fully summoned into the presence OF their
! Creator.
The theatre, and stables adjoining, we
should add were burnt TO the ground.
The ruins are still smoking; and, as in
the time Of London's great plague, the
dead-cart pile to and fro from the scene of
the calamity TO fferent parts Of the city,
conveying its ghastly load of charbed..Sz
mains, followed by weeping reativessapd
the gaping crowd wkSFefer attend such
dread scenes.