The New York herald., 1875-12-13
JAMAICA.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND HEAVY LOSSES IN
KINasToN-A NEWSPAPER OFFICE DE-
sTRoYED-Two STORES BURNED DowN-sUs-
PIcIoN OF NcENDIARIsM-THE FRUIT TRADE
WITH NEW YORK
KINGSTON, Dec 8, 1875.
One Of the most disastrous fires that has happened
in this city many years occurred the night Of tho
3oth ult and morning of the lst inst, reducing TO
heap of ashes tho office OF the Morning Journal and
completely destroying two other business premises,
one either side of it Before entering into the
PARTICULARS
il may be as WELL In order that the readers OF the
HERALD may have something like understanding Of
the situaton" to say that the office Of the Morning
Journal was situated on Harbor street, the centre Of
the retail dry goods business in the city Adjoining
it to tho eastward was furniture and
general househtting store, to which was at
tached small cabnetmaker's shop kept by
Mr.. Alexander Berry, next to which Scotts cloth
ing warehouse and tailoring establishment at the
of Harbor and Church streets On the other side Of
the Morysing Journal office was a saddlers shop, kept
by Mr. James Mcdonald, welto do scotchman, who
has done business from early manhood till he is be-
ginning to be advanced in life Adjoining Mr. McDon-
AIDS shop Is the substantial brick built -roofod
hreproof of Roxburgh Son. which stands at the
corner Of Temple lane. On the other side Of Temple
lane and stl in Harbor street. is n small fancy store
then another The rest OF the space, till you come TO
King street. the widest thoroughare in Kingston and
which, for all official purposes, divides formerly d.
vided the city into east and west s occupied by the
massive 6reproof store OF Mr. Emanuel Lyons dealer
in hardware and marine stores
HOW THE FIRE ORIGINATED
no one can tell but the general impression is that It
broke out in Mr. James McDonalds saddlery establish
ment. 1t would seem, indeed, that this is settled
fact How 1t occurred, however, is another matter,
which may be difficult of solution. Some persons talk
OF ncendiarsm, but this is hardly likely, nasmuch
Mr.. Mcdonald OF those quiet easy men Of whom
1t is hard to conceive that he can have enemy,
though he has hosts of friends, principally among
country gentlemen, who wont to make his place
one of general resort for the Interchange Of nforma
ton and opinions. A theory has been started how
ever, which, If founded on fact, may yet show that
the calamity the result of unlawful act
though arson was not the intention OF the
perpetrator. 1t is said that among the
merous friends Of Mr. Mcdonald one of them
has been in the habit of depositing sums of
money from time to time in a certain iron safe in
the building with Mr. McDonald's permission; that
person Of this fact entered the building
or, more likely, concealed himself in it during the
the night It's further supposed that, being alarmed
at some noise that suggested the entrance of some
other person the building, he endeavored to
cape upsctting the light which he had with him, in
the hurry OF his fight Now, lives the
premises and tho building Is always closed before
dark, seeing that 1t Is not usual for such trades
that of Mr. McDonalds to be carried after dark in
this country, the inference that the building
tered for some illegal purpose, or that fire was ap-
piled from the outside is certainly not violent
What is certain is that the flames in old build
ing SO largely composed Of wood, the walls alone
being OF brick spread with great rapidity and
reached tho Morning Journal Office which equally
old and built of similar material. In regard to
THE JOURNAL oFFIcE.
am in position to say that the work the paper for
the next day had been finished at about eight O'clock
even to the imposition OF the "forms," which we're
left on the to await the coming OF the pressmen
on the following morning In order to work them OF.
The last man could have left the Office half an
hour when the alarm OF fro was given, and in an in
crediby short space OF time only was Mr. McDon.
ad's shop but the Journal office enveloped in sheet
THE YIRE
and the shouts of the popuace soon brought inn
mense multitude TO the scene, and the
members of the so-called fire brigade, with
their apologies for engines, turned out, and endeav
ored to get the fire under by squirting one two
tiny streams OF water on an immense body OF flame,
that raging ike volcano S0Otn TO say, half
dozen toy squirs might been just effectua in
subdung the flames. What added TO the difficulty was
the fact that the hose was old made of leather, and
had become rotten.
Immediately as the fire was perceived at Up Park
Camp three companies OF the Second West India regi-
ment under the command OF Captain Stokes we're
marched down to the scene of conhagratIon and
dered much valuable assistance in subduing the flames
The night very STILL Had the fire taken place
three four weeks later when the northers generally
blow indicative Of the Christmas season. great part of
the city might have been laid in ashes.
GREATEST sUFFERER
from this unfortunate fire is Mr.. Robert Jordan pro-
prietor Of the Morning Journal whose building and
stock uninsured. All his presses have been
pletcly destroyed including circular press OF the old
pattern, worked by manual power the nrst OF the kind
imported into the island, but which, need hardly say,
has long been antiquated. A number of jealous and
active friends eXerted themselves and saved few
OF type and some books from the stationery store at
tached the printing oce but the building and fur
nture and al the printing and bookbndlng appliances
have been completely consumed. The old printing
machine indeed remains among the debris but its day
OF usefulness is gone What renders the loss Of tho
premises be depored by the proprietors that
offers had been made for its purchase for fancy
to be erected on the Site which is one OF the most
eligible In the city, but the offers had not been closed
with, If entertained at all
BERRY
is insured for $4,000. He estimates his stock at
$4,000.
THE JAMAICA COOPERATIVE COMPANY
loses 81 500 the building and the Lancaster Insur
ance Company (Engandl 81, 500
sCoTTs
is said to be insured in the Jamaica Cooperative for
So 600 but 1t rs not likely that his stock which alono
is damaged, Is insured at ALL
SEVERAL ACCIDENTS
happened, but none resulted fatally.
THE SPECIE CIRCULATION
OF the island at present is estimated 81 500 900 and
the bank note circulation at $3.50, ,000
TRADE NEW YORK.
gentleman in Spanish Town has started an orange
trade for shipment OF the fruit to the United States In
day he had forty carts blocking up the thorough
fares leading to his place OF business laden with oranges
estimated at 250 600 in number.
M ~-s~-~ 4e.