Richland beacon., 1877-08-04
ST. JOHNS FL TIE.
The ye,r Brunstrick Metropolis if"osf
Annihilafed by Fire-FOrty Blocks
Rurned--Orer Four Hundred
Acres ip Rains.

Burned-- Orer Four Hundred
Acres ip Rains.
Wednesday, June 20th, was the most
calamitous day known in the annals OF
St. Johns, New Brunswick. About
nine O'Clock p. m, fire was dis
covered in low wooden build.
ing in the northwestern part of the city,
on Mills street, near the river, and
spread with such alarming rapidity,
that within less than twelve hours forty
blocks of buildings had been destroyed,
covering over four hundred acres. At
the commencement it seemed an insig
nifcant affair, but the firemen were
dilatory getting at work, and soon after
they began to play on the flames the
water supply grew weak, and the streams
v ere of but little effect. In consequence
of the high winds, the flames rapidly in
creased, and were soon BEYOND all con-
troll. Huge cinders, all aglow, were
swept in every direction, fires being thus
lighted in numberless places, and the
affrighted citizens saw the centre and
business portion of the city enveloped in
a roaring, cracking sea of FIRE; and j.
was simply question of time and mate
rial to end the scene. In about five
hours the flames had covered over two
hundred acres. One after another
fell the walls and roofs of the large Vic
toria hotel, the new and grand post.
Office, six banks, the board of trade
building, etc.
The hre-prlgaoe became totally demon
allied. A panic reigned. Ore woman
is reported to have been crazed, and
strong men wept like children. The fire
also caught in the shipping, and among
the vessels destroyed were bark and two
r seloOners.
Many very valuable buildings were
destroyed by the fire. On Dock stree
were tie Ferguson, Howard, Reeds, Parks
Johnston and Stanton estates.
On Market square we're ThOrn's anC
y Lewis & Allingham's hardware stores
! the London house, Jordan's dry goods es
/. tablishment, Richard Thompson's jew
elry establishment, A. Chapman Smith
# drug store, and two or three large cloth
O ing stores.
O The following newspaper offices wit
: their stock were completely swept away
IS The Fireman, The Evening Globe, TIL
IS Daily Telegraph, The Daily News, Til
n Waterman, and Religious intelligence
o The Globe, Telegraph, News. Intelli
IS gencer, and Waterman had job office
d attached.
d The following are among the Lis
of public buildings burnt: Pos
10 Office, bank of New Brunswick, cit
II building, custom. house, Maritime ban
70 building, in which are this bank, that (
no Montreal and Nova Scotia Office of III
a school trustees, ETC., the bank of Nov
70 Scotia, new buildings, academy
n music, in which was the Knights of hal
e No. l engine house, Grange hall. Xii
d street Temperance hall, King street Ea
IA dramatic lyceum, Victoria school-hous
no Temple of Honor hall, Barnes hote
70 Royal hotel, st. John hotel, Accord
ns hotel, the Brunswick house, Bay Vie
70 hotel, International hotel, Virgins Q
%. phan asylum, Deaf and Dumb institut
~ The churches burned are Trinity, !
n, Andrews, Christian, German sire
". Methodist, German street Baptist churc
%; Duke street, St. James church. Leinst
IT street Baptist Centenary church,
en Phillip, Carmarthen street missile
or Methodist, Pitts street Mission churt
Am St. David's church, Reformed Presby
~. rian church, and the Sheffield str'
n. Mission house. About 20, 900 people I
=, homeless. 1t is estimated that neal
md $40, O0O, 900 of property were swept aw
in an hour.
.,. .>y,, -uDxEv DAVE a.