The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-06-22
GREAT FIRE AT ST. Johns.
Full ons-HaIf the City in Ashes.
The Losses Fully s2o,ooo,ooo.
The Inhabitants Homeless, Desti.
tute and Suffering.
Preparations for Their Relief.

Preparations for Their Relief.
New YoRK, June 2l.-U. s. Consul .
B. Warner, at St. Johns, N. B., telegraph
Mayor Ely as follows: "St. Johns is al
most tOtSlly destroyed. All the publ,
buildings are burned, and few business
houses are left. Fully one.half of III,
residences are in ashes. Send all the aid
you can. Fifteen thousand people ar,
homeless.
PORTLAND, ME-, June 2l.-A dispatcl
from st. John at 0 o'clock this morning
says the FIRE commenced at York Poin
slip and swept southwark through resi-,
denceS to Kings street, where II spreaG
aud burned all public buildings. Thu
great dread Ia Of starvation, a. no. u
grocery or provision store was left.
Fifteen thousand persons are homeless
All business gone. The Mayor haa called
a public meeting for the relief Of The
sufferers, They need all the cooked pro
visions and bread they can get.
BosroN, June 2l.-A Bangor, Maine,
dispatch says that there is no commune
cation with st. Johns direct rs yet
The conductor Of the express train re
ports that three-quarters Of the city i,
burned and but one building left stand
ing south Of King street. A train will
leave Bangor tonight with cooked meat
tor the sufferers. General information
places the origin Of the Ere at the lower
part OF the city, on the lumber wnaryes
The fire, it would seem, spread toward
the upper part OF the city, raging through
Main, PUrker and King streets, in which
were many Of the largest dry goods
houses, banks, commission houses and
hotels. It is certain that Victoria Hotel
the largest hotel in the province, las
been consumed. st. Johns was noted for
its dry goods houses and almost all these
succumbed to the flames. The following
are few of the principal firms: james
AdSms & Co., John Armstrong 4 Co.
Moses G. Barbour, Barbour Bros, Bank
Of New Brunswick, Farrell & Smith
Mckenzie Bros. The fire, judging from
the above description, must huve swept
away nearly the whole business section
Of the city. York point was largely oc
cupied for mechanical purposes and wa.
filled with wooden buildings, many oI
them very old and OF Amost combustible
nature. Dock street run from York
point to Market nqnare and was built OIL
brick.
Reaching Market square on the north
ern side, the FIRE swept away some of the
finest stores in the city; among them was
the London House, the Oldest dry goods
establishment in the city; and two or
three other large dry goods houses. The
FIRE must have crossed Prince William
street here to the corner OF King street,
and burned up the latter street toward
King square. King street is very wide
and on both sides Of it were fine stores
including some Of the best clothing
houses, dry goods stores, dress making
establishments, &C., in the city.
NEW York, June 2l.-TeIeg.aphic
communication with St. Johns, inter.
rupted by the fire, has not been restored
and the details OF the disaster cannot be
promptly obtained. A prominent Tn.
derwriter told reporter Of the Erenins
Post that he visited St. Johns about 4
year ago. When there he took occasion
to examine its Fire Department. As the
result OF the investigation ho has sinct
refused insurance pOlicies on St. john
property. The force OF the department
appeared TO be strong enough, but The
iremen were rarely seen by him in thC
neighborhood OF their stations. The
companies were provided with engines
trucks and appliances made in the United
States and the alarms were also that o.
this country, but the engine houses were
left in charge Of boys and the horses
when not needed at the fire, were en-
ployed by the city to cart garbage, ant
were also used in mending and making
roadwayS generally. Abont half an houl
elapsed before company had answered
the alarm. II was not possible thi!
morning to obtain much information
about the losses Of the various insurance
companies, although the loss is undoubt
ed very heavy among some Of the foreigr
companies who have representatives il
this city, The officers OF tho Liverpool
London and Globe Company say they
have received no dispatches as yet, ant
have no idea what the actual loss o
the company but they knew their risk
In St. Johns had been curtRiled la.cly
and that their loss would be less than one
third Of the amount il would have beer
had the fire occurred year or so ago.
PORTLAND, June 2l.-A large meeting
Of citizens was held here to take step
for the immediate relief OF the people o
81. Johns. A considerable sum has beer
contributed and a steamer will leave 10
night with heavy freight oIfood for The
sufferers.
Prince William street runs from Mar
ket square to Seeds Point, and the fir,
seems to have gone in that direction. I
was entirely occupied as a business stree
and was the location OF the heavies
trade in the city. Dry goods stores, gro
cery stores, book stores, hardware stores
and in fact almost every class oi business
was here represented. Many of the build
ing were very fine, only having been bull
within a comparatively short time. Al