The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1852-07-19

t'TTOle cdIhInity tnat mas fallen upon Mon
treal. Our papers from the city have failed
to reach Us since the fire took place. The
condagraton WIS ear.ul one. We saw
gentleman who left Montreal Friday evening.
The fire was still burning, and about twelve
hundred buildings were consumed:
From the Montreal Gazette of Friday.l
Yesterday morning, between . and 10 o.
clock, fire broke out in St. Catherine street,
81. Lawrence suburbs. From this, it was
carried by the wind in a northeasterly direc-
ton. The adjoining houses being all rooted
with wood, and generally built OF the same
material, and the late dry weather having rem
dered them as dry as finder, the flames spread
with astonishing rapidity. There was again
no water in the reservoir when the fire COM
menced.
Within half an hour a hundred houses
were on fire. They were generally the
dwellings OF poor artizans andlaborers, and it
was heart-rendng spectacle to see the poor
people gathering their few household goods
together, and carrying them perhaps TO some
place where the fire reached them in few
minutes after, perhaps TO place of safety -
By the time, frequently, they had removed
one load, it was too hot TO return for MORE
In many instances, the poor mother had just
time to grasp her infant from the flames and
rush to an adjoining field or garden and sink
down despaiTiDg and exhausted upon the little
remnant Of properly with her husband. The
despair and agony written on their features
was most saddening.
From the Main or St. Lawrence street, the
fire burnt everything before it along St.
Catherine and Dorchester streets, winding its
pathway upward toward Cote Barron, and
!, ,-t -
along. In st. Denis street, notwithstanding
most strenuous eXertieDs 10 save them, the
splendid buildings known as Cornwall Ter
race were consumed.
The fire having caught in Elsile's wood
yard, and nothing but " wooden buildings inter-
veung between it and the Montreal General
Hospital, that institution was in imminent
danger. From about / O'Clock until 81, the
NEST strenuous exertions were required to
keep the fire from reaching it. Some build
ings and fences were torn down here, and the
fire checked in St. Dominique street. On
the eastern side Of the hospital, the fire ran
down below Do. chester street to ne7r Dagau-
cLetere. Above this it made clean sweep
up to the vacant ground which skirts Cote a
Barren. Ext n ling eastward along Dorches-
ter, St. Cath, rina and Mgnome streets, it
iAidttC Il NlCdh SNttp iOCi DCHIS StItCI. NIlCH
was burned from one end to the other. The
Bishops Church and Palace fell prey to the
DANES.
The or alter part Of the Palace had been
newly erected, and was splendid cut stone
building with beautiful lluied columns before
the st. Catherine street front The fire ran
down st. Catherine street to the house of
Mrs. Coffin, Joint Prothonotgry, which was
coHsum d. The Nunnery opposite was say
%, though the fire ragged ON three SIDES OF it.
The buildings OH Viger Place, including the
Cattle Market, &C., were destroyed, and here
the fire WIS arrested on the lower side. AT
FL z4beth street it crossed Lagauchatiere ST.,
and from that to Viger Place; came within
two or three houses of Craig street. Over
500 houses hive been destroyed, and the loss
of real property will be probably from i 1885,
O0O to El50,C00. Not any more than half
tbs, we believe, is coy red by Insurance, i. so
much. Tne loss OF personal property it is
quite impossible to estimate. Many poor
working m chanics and laborers have lost
their little all, and few of them, we fear, have
taken the the precaution to insure their fur
ntIre.
From Gl5,00O to EGO 600, we think mode
rate valuaiiono these oss s,exclusve of what
has been lost in the church and palace, the
woodward and shops, which Will probably be |
ElO 600. The total loss we should set dow n
therefore, at near SEQ 900. This it will be !
sen is about the amount of the loss by the
fire Q. the 9th OF June, but it entails cOnse-
quences upon the city by far more distress
ing. Upwards OF 5000 persons must have
been homeless last night, and many OF tn m
h4ve It'd Y no means wherewith to pro-ure
u new shelter for themselves. Our citizen
h We never shown themselves niggardiy in !
giving; let them be ready to give now, for we
are sure that many need their bounty.
Alter the foregoing was written we went to
tIke last look OF the ruins. They were a
mournful spectacle. As we drove along The /
side OF Cote barron, the large vacant field
extending from the main street to St. Denis
street, lying just under the Cote, was filled
with groups Of men, women, and children, and
their little piles of furniture and goods, while
ali around aud below them was a smoking
wilderness, covered with chimneys, like a
burned pine forest with its and scathed and
charred trees. The Champs de Mars and Vi /
garSquare were similarly occupied with heaps
0. goods.
Another .fre.-Whiie en- route we witnessed
the commencement of another conflagration.
The wooden buildings in rear of Hays House
having been ignitedby sparks from the other
FIRE, the flames worked their way to that bull
ding. It's consumed and all the houses on
Dalhousie square, including the Hon. Alr. Nlof-
fats residence, and mess houses of the royal
artillery and the Goth regiment, the, military
secretary's office. &c. The fire is still raging
at the hour We write. God only knows where
it will stop. Our city seems to be doomed.
At the hour of going t. press the fire has
crossed Amherst street OH its way through /
the Quebec suburbs, and it'does not seem as
if any earthly power could save any por
non of that ponulo1rs ward