Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-27
U ,isastrOus Fire In st. Johns, N. B.-OVel
Ten Million Dollars Lost.

D ,isastrous Fire In st. Johns, N. B.-Oyel
Ten Million Dollars Lost.
ST. JOHNS, N. B., June 20.-Thls
afternoon at halfpast 2 o'clock a fire
broke out in McLaughlin's boiler shop
A strong north westerly wind was
blowing at the time, and in an incredi.
bly, short space of time the flames burst
out, carrying with them hundreds Of
houses, stores and lumber yards.
The fire spread rapidly towards the
business portion Of st. John, clearing
in its career entire streets of buildings.
Dock street, Market Square, the whole
of Prince William street, Water street
south side and part of north side Of
King street, Kings Square. German
Canterbury, Princess, Duke, Leinster,
Charlotte, Orange, the whole of the
lower Cove district, Sydney and Car
meithen streets, portions of Wentworth
and Pitt streets, in fact the entire city
south OF King street, including wharves
and shipping.
Among the public buildings destroyed
are the new postoffice, valued at 5000,
600; custom-house, Victoria Hotel,
Academy of Music, Dramatic Lyceum,
Royal Hotel Bank of New Brunswick,
Maritime Bank, Agencies of banks OF
Montreal and Nova Scotia Savings
Bank. Victoria School house, Grammar
School, Trinity Church, St. Andrews
Church, Centenary Church, German
street Methodist Church, City Hall,
water commissioners office, banking
house Of Simeon Jones & Co., George
Phelps and MacLilla & Co.. Western
Union telegraph office, Daily Telegraph
newspaper, offices of Daily News, Globe,
Freeman and Waterman newspapers,
news room, all the insurance offices
and Ritchie's buildings, Claw otfices.)
| Among the leading business houses
destroyed are those of Daniel s. Boyd.
Richard Thompson. John w. Nichol-
son, James Domeille & Co. w. II.
| Thorne & Co.. Thomas r. Jones &
Co., Geo. F. Smith, Everett, J. 4 w.
F. Harrison, Hall & Fairweather, Turn
bull s. Co.. Mcgee Bros. Stewart &
| White, James Mansan, J. & J. Hogan
& Co., Watts & Turner, Eastern Ex-
press office, H. Chubb & Co., Thomas
Fmlong, Harrington Bros. Geo. S.
Deforest, Geo. Stewart, Jr., logan &
Linsay, Thos. H. Hall, Landry & Co.,
| VIM. Thompson & Co., Andre, Cush-
ing s. Co., Guy Stewart & Co., Seam
well Bros, E. D. Jewett s. Co.
The police, in fact every wholesale
and nearly all the retail houses were
destroyed. The only bank saved was
the Bank of British North America.
The Western Union telegraph office
only saved the instruments and books.
Several schooners and large vessels
were burnt. Water RATS laden with
goods and household wares readily
caught the flames and were consumed.
The fierce wind drove the flames to
the south and east and destroyed every
thing till they reached the waters edge.
Five men and two infants are now
known to have lost their lives. and
many are missing. The loss is estimat-
ed at from ten to fifteen million dollars.
and the insurance will not, it is thought
exceed six million dollars. Thousands
Of people wander the streets homeless
and in despair.
The destruction of provisions of all
kinds seems to point to famine. and
relief must come in speedily or many
must perish from want. Few saved
even their clothes. The fire is still
raging, andno hope is entertained Of
extinguishing it until it has exhausted
itselffor want Of material to keep it
alive.
The wind. has died down, but the fire
still burns fercely. The gas works are
destroyed, and the remainder of the city
is in darkness.-The area burned is
nearly 200 acres.
Further details OF the great fire at st.
Johns, n. B., show that three quar-
tiers of the city was burned, including
public buildings, the largest dry goods
houses, fine residences, banks, COM
mission houses and the hotels. Meet
ings for relief have been held in Port
land, Bangor and other cities III Maine.
A train left Bangor last night with
cooked provisions for the sufferers. The
fire is said to have had its origin on the
lumber wharves. The Victoria Hotel,
the largest hotel in the province, was
consumed. Nearly the whole business
part of the city was consumed. Many
of the buildings were very fine and of
recent construction. Many Of the old
buildings were of granite and very sub
stantial, but the flames swept every
thing. Several newspaper offices were
also destroyed. Dispatches have been
sent from st. Johns to various cities in
the United States stating the melan-
choly situation Of affairs and that fifteen
thousand people are homeless.
The total losses by the St. Johns,
n. B., fire are still estimated at from
twelve to fifteen millions. The num-
Der OF lives lost are now ascertained to
be eight, including one woman. VAR
ious cities in the United States are con-
tributing to the relief of the sufferers.
The Chicago people, who know what
such disaster is, are particularly ac-
tive. The Boston merchants have sub
scribcd $4,000. Bishop Stevens, of
Pennsylvania, has issued circular TO
his diocese protestant EpiscopaI re-
questing aid for the sufferers. The
following contributions are among those
reported in Canada; Toronto city cor
poration $4,000, London $1,000,
Ottawa $4,000, Sarnia 81, 900, Hamilton
$1,000. Handsome private subscrip-
ton of money and clothing have been
raised in every town and village in the
Dominion.