Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-20
AWFUL CALAMITY.
FEARFUL Loss or LIFE BY FIRE.

| The city of Quebec has again been visited with
another fire, in which, although little property
destroyed, the loss of human life has been earfully
great. Forty-six bodies have been recovered from
the ruins, and others were still missing The names
of those who have been found are given in the SUBJ
joined account.
FROM QUEBEC MERCURY SATURDAY EVENING.
1t has again pleased the Almighty to afc already
| chastened city.
Last night, at o'clock, fire broke out in the Theatre
Royal ST. Louis street, formerly the riding schoo at the
close of Mr. Hasons exhibition of his chemical dioamas
From the information have been able to CLEAN camphins
lamp overset from other and the stage at
once became enveloped in flames.
The had been densey crowded, but had fou
nately left before the accident.
rush was at made for the staircase leading from the
boxes by who in the excitement of the moment forgot
the other passages of egress
In an incredibly short space of time the whole Of the in
terror of the building enveoped in sheet Of fame
the newly erected PLATFORM covering the pit and communcat-
ing each end with the stage and boxes favored the progress
Of the flames.
The writer of this article Of the earliest the
spot present at the closing of the hapess be-
ings who persisted from their oyer-exerons to escape
The communicating with the boxes steep
one, and of opinion it had fallen from the weight Of
those who crowded upon at least such opinion at
the moment.
One foot ineposed between the hapess crowd and
eternity and that space with five six others stood,
the fierce flames playing around and the dense smoke
pellng oil efforts to extricae.
As far back could there a of heads, of
writhng bodies and outstretched arms Noise there uaS
none but tew escaped the doomed At the extreme
end there faces calm and resigned persons
who, from the funeral veil of smoke which gradually
shrouded hem appeared calmly drop into eternal sleep
By side brother striving extcac another but
abandonment unavoidable One poor creature at our
feet offered his entire worldly wealth for his The
agonzng expression of the faces before be eff
faced from our memory.
The flames at the time above and around us-but
human aid OF avail In five minutes from the time Of
which make mention the of human beings who had
but short interval previous been in the enjoyment of full
and active life exposed to view mass OF calcined
bones.
Up to this hour rtgsr bodies hare been recovered from
The Most Of them have been recognised greater
loss of life than in the dread CONGREGATIONS of last summer
Sad wailng pervades the city scarcely street be
Taversed in which the closed shutter the hanging Grape
does not beoken sudden bereavement Fathers sisters,
children of both indulge in the deepest lamentations
has fallen upon many for those who thus suddenly
and awfuy summoned into the presence OF their Creator
-Four 0cloch-Forty-six bodies have been recovered.
All but two have been recognised.
The ruins still smoking and, the time of Lon
great plague the deadcar plies to and fro from the
Of the calamity different parts of the city, conveying
its CHASTITY load of charred remains followed by weeping
aves and the gaping crowd which attend such dread
| scenes.
Since the above in type we have received an extra
Sheet published the office Of the Quebec Gazette. We
have carefully compared this with the from the
office of the Mercury but find additional to place
the melancholy list The editor of the Gazette justly remarks
that the list of deaths the weknown of
Of the most respected residents of Quebec The Gazette
| cludes its account with the following paragraph
"There is always danger places of public exhibition
when there only few doors for letting out the visters
Many dpoabe accidents have occurred from this
The most remarkable in America Richmond Virginia,
December g. 1871 when hundred present,
Of whom seventy peshed among them the Governor of
the State and the Mayor OF the city,"