Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-06-30
TER MI BLK CONRLAG RATION AT
QU9O1sC.


Quebec was the scene Of a terribly de-
structivc fire on the afternoon OF June 22d,
by which half mile Of streets were raw
aged and nearly six hundred families made
homeless. The Quebec Chronicle gives the
following particulars
LOCALITY AND EXTENT OF THE FIRE.
The conflagration ravaged both sides of
Champlain street, from the school house on
the line of the street itself, or Flanagan's
wharf in the rear, to Martins wharf on one
side, and to the residence of Mrs T. Kelly,
1872 Champlain street-running thus from
west to east. With the exception of few
buildings in the immediate vicinity Of the
spot where the fire originated, all the houses
on both sides of the street itself were Of
brick or stone, the latter material FREEDOM
mating considerably. Where the flames
broke out there were few wooden houses :;
and on the wharvcs in rear all along the river
side, ranges of wooden tcncmcnts were
erected. To our readers at distance it
may be necessary to explain that Champlain
street is the only thoroughfare between the
base of the overhanging cliff of Cape Da-
mond and the River St Lawrence, and that
along the whole line followed by the de-
vastating element it is extremely narrow
Under these circumstances the difficulty of
had maxi ing Roadway against the fire after it
communicated to both sides of the street,
or of even saving life and property, may be
easily understood The residents of the
districts ravaged by the fire are almost
without exception connected in some way
with or interested in, the shipping trade
OF the port. The lower stories OF the
houses on the street itself were, almost
without exception, occupied as tavcrns
grpccries, ship chandleries, marine-stores,
boarding houses, together with few boot
and shoemakcrs The upper stories and
attics were occupied by stevedorcs, timber
towers, timber swingcrs, ship laborers, and
other persons following similar occupations
in connection with the shipping. The tenc-
mcnts on the wharvcs were, with hardly an
exception, occupied by laborers All the
houses and tencmcnts were filled to their
| utmost limits with rcsidcnts-in fact the
examining system must have been prcjudi-
cial to health, notwithstanding the prox-
| unity of the houses to the river, for we
heard in some cases Of as many as six or
seven families residing in the same house
and as many Us sixteen families in small
row of wooden tenemcnts.
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES
A few minutes before one o'clock, =. NJ
the alarm of fire was first given. The
flames were discovered in the back attic OF
a two story wooden house situated on the
south or riverside of Champlain street, a
short distance below the building known as
the Bishops School 1t is not known will
any degree of certainty how the fire origi
mated. A variety Histories were in circula
ton last evening as to the probable cause
Of the conf1agmtion, but none Of then
could be traced to any reliable foundation
There was strong westerly wind blow
ing at the time, which soon famed the frs
Jet Of flame into large volume, and thu
combustible material Of which the building
was composed was, in very few minutes
envcloped in flames. The progress of tin
fire was favored in great degree. not onl.
by the wind but by an additional advantage
in the RI sult of the recent exceedingly dr.,
weather, which had reduced shingles
weather boards, fences, window frames
&c, to the consistency of match wood.