New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-26
THE QUEBEC PIRE.
Ninety.sne Houses Dsssroyed-J0O Fnmi
lies Homciess-Less. 81, 600, 900.
From The Quebec News, June n.

most distressing calamity that has befaen the city
CURED yesterday in Dres-de-Vie. Shortly after mid
day an alarm given when the attic oftbe house
cupied by Mr. James Tucker tailor at the upper end
OF Diamond HarbOr. was discovered to be on fire. A
crowd soon collected near the spot and Fire Engine
company No. was promptly in attendance; but owing
10 there being but very poor supply OF water but IT
tie could be done for nearly half an hour to arrest the
progress Of the flames, which were now breaking oui
reached the ground and the feed mains turned
re bad made such progress that not only the house
where 1t originated was enveloped in mass Of flame.
but the two adjoining houses had caught In the rear.
ana we're burning brlskly where little could be
done to arrest Its progress. The houses on the OPP
posie side OF the street had also gned and now com,
mcneed the work Of confusion, hundreds OF terrified
families rushing into the streets with their trappngs
and furniture. The fire at first took westward turn,
and the rcmen worked with almost superhunan effort
TO prevent the flames from ignng the Christian Broth
en- SchooLh0use and Chapel and By dins Of persever.
aDce and labor succeeded The wind had been blowing
lightly from the west all morning. bat increased
In Violence and sweeping the mes Of the five or six
burning buildings In an opposite direction the cOna-
grafton soon became general and in less than half an
hour there were not less than thirty houses in blaze
The rharyes too for several blocks. we're all on fire.
and II now only became question of surm5e whore
the fire was to stop.
BY y. the alarm spread in the city, that all Diamond
Harbor was on FIRE. and upon requsition from His
Honor the Mayor. Lord Alexander Russell ordered
out TWO companies OF the Rife brigade and 9Th Fin.
sleers. md one company Of the Royal ARTILLERY. BY
the tine they reached tho ground, half OF the
marrow street IN full blaze, the fire. famed BY the
wind which had now almost increased to gale from
the west burning with the ntensest ferceness. The
men Immediately put 70 work TO assist the inhab
'ants to remove thor effects. md never did
work with more hearty good will They rendered
every assistance that lay in their power but owing to
the crowded state Of the thoroughare with hundreds
OF men. women, and children hurrying past With
article Of furniture. IL found impossible to attemp.
anything like organization.
When the fire hal ragged for nearly two hours the
scene that presented Itself beggars description. There
was mixture Of the ludicr0us and terrible about it.
The street was covered with hundreds Of the nhabit
ants, each hnrryng away with some article Of
furniture. while hundreds OF others stood In the way
looking on as IDLE SPECTATORS. Furniture moved
out Of some Of the houses 10 adjacent wharves only
20 De- destroyed before the honsa from which they
moved had ignited The road leading along the foot OF
le elf opposite the Montreal Steamship Co.'S wharf
was rewn for several hundred yards with effects saved
from the burning buildings women gathered here
and there in little knoS crying others consOpe
and all terrified NJ the dreadful calamity which was TO
leave so many Of them houselcss and pennless. Not
few might be with infants in their arms whose
mothers could not be found. and here perhaps the
most sublime feature IN Nil this terrible scene. for amid
all the calamity and terror that surrounded them, these
poor creatures tended for the little ones at the sacrifice
of losing perhaps all they possessed Higher up the
street. near the burning houses confusion crush and
nproar held foil sway sailors soldiers women carts
Laden with furniture, occupied the center while the
footpaths were covered with every inagnab article
Of domestic or general use
By O'Clock the fire had reached down far as Glib.
Inns wharf which wcs burning with increased erceness
Col McCrea, of the Royal Artillery. who was present.
became convinced that the only way 10 arrest the
fagraton was 20 blow up some ~ the houses on each
side of the street, to widen a gap Of sixty
seventy feet In consultation with the Mayor. the
later consent reluctantly given. and squad OF
the Royal Artillery were dispatched 20 the Queens
store for ammunition, arriving back with cart load In
short while; hut by this time the flames had reached
the houses which IL was intended 10 blow up, aud the
p,n was rendered useless. Col. NcCrea now decided
~ blow up the property belonging 81 Mrs. Martin and
lpied 10y Mrs shea side Ol the street. and by
Mr.. Fawciei nearly opposite so IA 10 prevent the
flames from spreading to tho Montreal steamship
wharf. Inc Artillery were formed In body across
the street to clear The crowd, which seized with
panic and fed in AL directions The inhabitants Of the
houses were turned out: but /, now became evident
that the fire beginning tn exhaust itself and would
not spread much farther that the explosion OF the
houses was not resJrtfd Ia
Long before the fire had reached the center OF Dia
mond arbor the whayes IN the rear OF the houses on
the side In fun blaze down 10 the spot where
II ceased Nearly every house ia the locality had rows
II galleries aud stsrways; on several vharves too
there were rows ~ wooden horses VITA piles
of rewood snd chips scattered about. These burned
with fury from the outset, and were soon mass Of
also In great danger and the rigging ~ two OF them
ually ignitcd. but ertIngushed by the efforts Of
the hands on board. They had to slip their warps and
haul out into the stream On Elss wharf and on the
two wharves leased by Mr.. Gblin there a large
quantity OF coal about l. 200 tuns in all belonging to
Mr. Gibhn. hat on Elliss wharf was saved by the
superhuman efforts of Mr.. OSuliyan of the Harbor
Masters Office with the aid ~ the four men belonging
10 bis boat The coal OF Gbins wharf gnited. and all
III
total loss and may consume the wharf with II. The
boats OF the Water Police were also on the river
by direction Of Capt. Russell and did signal service.
The burnt district extends from the Bishops school.
house within about six houses of the vacant space
under the citadel The deyouring element made clean
sweep both sides of the street and wharves with the
exception of Mr. Miles OBrens property and the house
Immediately opposite. owned by Mr. John 0Conne,
which stood in the very heart Of the street How they
escaped IL is impossible to Imagine. unless owing to
some miraculous circumstance The number OF houses
lcou IN ly
st. but We must add some 40 or ~ wooden tenements
on the several wharyes, which VIII give Us total o
about l3O houses burned.
We were unable TO obtain correct list ~ the amount
of assurances last evening" but they fall very mucn be-
low the sexual loss We estimate the loss OF property
alone at over 10000 averaging each house al 200
The loss of stock aud furniture destroyed may be cacu
lated Mt half M much more. The occupants Of the
houses which the fire aid not extend were nearly as
heavy losers those who burned out Several Of
the houses were gutted and nearly all had their effects
destroyed or carried away. In this respect Mr.. Frs
Christie Mrs.. Biekel Mr.. Dawson and Mrs. Shea will
suffer considerably.
IL would take more space than spare to relate
the many incidents of the conagration. Several eases
OF parties negecing to pay their INSURANCE. premiums
Others In the confusion and excitement left their
money and valuables prey u the flames. Some have
seen the earnings of lifetime wasted IN less than haii
an hour The cup II misery to Of the sufferers
is fn 10 OVERLOOKING and great amount Of destitution
ia unavoidable unless speedy measures are taken Tor
their relief The Mayor Fought to call public meet
ling without ueluy, 10 WI
der the pressing circumstances CT the case.
There was good deal OF drunkenness among the sea
men and the strangers but very few cases among the
military. who behaved nobly all day. Several acci,
dents occurred none ending seriously that We could
hear OF.
The Mayor who exeited himself to the utmost Mt the
fire all day seeing that hundreds would have To- sleep
on the roadside, went to the Commissioner OF faOic
Works and procured the Of the Government sheds
ON the Custom House wharf where all who choose can
occupy them until better provision is made. Mr. Rae.
of the firm Of Aans Rac& Co.. also hhmaney placed the
Ocean Steamship Company's store ut the disposal Oh
The moor sufferers as temporary place Of shelter The
whale community is stirred with commiseration for the
unfprtunatcs and doubt relief VIII Dc speedy ana