Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-07-07
A TERRIBLE FIRE.

Inc ucstTUCuou VI Nv uOiiii, XNs D., ~
, told in the following account:
} The fire started in McLauchian's boiler
: workshop, on York Point, near the north
ern line of the city. A high north wind
J was blowing, and the flames spread
rapidly south and east York Point is
densely inhabited by Irish people, and
contained many poor families and several
large warehouses;. The lanes and alleys
all being narrow and tho buildings all
wooden the flames found agreeable food
The flames soon made flank movement
up Union street. then made wild leap
for Smith and Dock streets, passing
down both of them with fury, taking
front and rear of buildings in its destruc.
tive progress.
The flames rushed resistlessly into the
tall warehouses Of Nelson street, Robert
son place and Dock street, spreading
from Chipman's Hill to the harbor.
Nothing seemed to materially check their
progress. House after house in Germain
and Horseield streets caught from mir
borne messengers of destruction. One
volley of fiery particles struck John E.
Turnbull's factory and beautiful house
Mt the Lower Cove, more than mile
distant, and quickly wrapped them in
flames. Mrs. Turnbull had to be taken
out of the second story window, her
escape by the stairs having been cut off.
This became the center of another fire
radiator, and surrounding buildings were
soon afame, there being no engine to
interfere with the progress of the devour-
ing element. Soon after two buildings
in Horsefeld street were ignited, two in
German street next, and then Trinity
shurch began to blaze.
Neighboring buildings on Germain
street were next caught, and the flames
ran down to Notman's studio to Germain
street. burning the Methodist and st.
Andrews church; next they took the
Victoria Hotel, one of the finest hotels in
America. The guests, who had been on
the roof watching the fire, then became
alarmed for their own safety, for Trinity
church became pillar of fire that
scorched their faces with heat, and blind
ed their eyes with smoke andcinders.
Before this it was evident that the
original fire would sweep to Market
square and slips, where its progress
would be stayed SO that merchants on
North Market wharf and north side of
Market square began removing their
goods in schooners, boats, trucks and
coaches.
The only damage apprehended on the
south side was from sparks. But when
North Wharf Buildings were on fire
forked tongues formed arches across the
water chasm, binding with smoke and
cinders and weakening the efforts of the
fremen.
After hundred fires had been ex-
tinguished, the monarch got firm hold
of South Wharf, the merchants having
barely time to save their books and re-
treat by land or water, OF down Ward
and Water streets. Chipmans Field
stopped the eastward march of the York
Point fire, latter destroying S. II. Fosters
tack works. Georges street kept it from
further progress eastward on Union
street. After hard struggle the Chip
man Hill residences were saved, but the
fire swept down Dock street and devas-
tated the rest of the block.
Nothing could stay it's progress on
Dock street as it turned the corner in it's
onward march and attacked the Sheffield
House, the London House, and the tall
buildings on the north side of Market
square.
These, with large stock of goods,
made powerful heat, igniting McCul-
lough's building and Maritime bank
block, Western Union Telegraph office
next, and afterward Halls tall building
adjoining. The flames leaped across
King street and secured firm lodgment
in the imperial buildings and CONNER
cial palace. The wind became more
westerly and the progress of the flames
up the south side of King street was
rapid and almost undisputed, sweeping
King square without much delay.
On the north side of King street they
were successfully resisted and stopped
at the Revere House, at the northern
end of Prince William and Canterbury
streets, with fine buildings of T. R.
Jones. The North British Insurance
Company and Daily NeVs having
sprung into flame while the fire had run ,
down German street, from Victoria 1
Hotel, till it reached the lower cove.
The fire area on Prince William street
was isolated from the rest of the town,
being walled in by fire on one hand and
water on the other.
The flames worked steadily down
Prince William and Water streets, taking .
Chubbs' corner, city hall, new post-ofice, {
Bank of New Brunswick, Barnes and
Royal Hotel and custom house, which {
also, like the Bank of New Brunswick, 1
hal been made the receptacle of great +
leal of valuable property seeking a new {
secure place of deposit. In its route t
fire spread eastward on King, Leinster, ,
Princess, Orange, Duke, Queen, st. t
Andrews, Britain and Sheffield streets, s
md by four o'clock in the morning had 6
burned all clean to Pitt street, or nearly t
20 Courtenay bay shore, with the ex- |
,eption of the north side of King street, c
md Jail and court house on south side. L
Abandoning the southern half of the L
,ity to flames the firemen strove to save a
he eastern portions of King, Leinster il
and Princess streets. Their success con- O
listed in keeping fire from crossing to s
lorth side of King street, and saving a
'ast side of Pitt and Leinster streets. il
The Baptist and Centenary church fol- L
owed, as well as the fine residences of "
Troop, Lockhart, Jones. &
The last fight was for the possession h
f tln Pitt street block batveen KING n