The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-07-13
ST. JOHNS HOLOCAUST.
An Awful Loss of Life-Sixty Persons
Perish-915, COO, 900 Worth OF
Property Disappears in
Fire and Smoke.

An Awful Loss of Life-Sixty Persons
Perish-915, goo 900 Worth of
Property Disappears in
| Fire and Smoke.
ST. JOHN, N. B., June 2I.-Yester-
day was the most calamitous day
ever known in the annals of st.
John. Nothing could have burst
more suddenly on anexpecting citi-
Zens than the fire which destroyed
so many valuable lives, wasted prop
erty by the millions, and spread not
only deSOlatlon, but terror and con-
sternation all around. The public
buildings, palaces of commerce,
temples of religion, banks, palatial
residences, newspaper and telegraph
offices, school houses-almost every
thing which the citizens of st. John
felt proud-were all in q few hours
laid in ruins.
The loss of our hotels, churches,
banks, school houses, etc., was made
thousand times more painful by
the lamentable destruction of life
accompanying it. ALI efforts of the
firemen to check the flames proved
unavailable. Onward swept the sea
of fire with irresistible rapidity.
The firemen eAdeavored to battle
faces with boards until their cloth
ing became singed. To say that the
fire ragged fiercely would but family
describe the terrible manner in
which it kept on, unheeding the
streams of water directed upon it.
The engines were obliged to shift
positions, and there was danger,
too, of the hose being burned, but
it seems as if the fire did not wish
to part company and kept up a rapid
pursuit.
Several explosions were heard,
coming from one of the hard ware
stores. They caused a general scat
tering of the people. The shipping
floated down the harbor to places of
safety at an early stage of the fire.
There were no losses of shipping
by the fire except the schooners in
Market slip. At The early part of
the day the Western Union Tele-
graph Company's Office was burned,
and it's valuable batteries and appa-
rstus destroyed. A great quantity
of goods saved fell into the hands
of thieves, who hung around like
vultures, eager to avail themselves
of any opportunity that afforded to
carry off what they could lay their
hands on. The ballast wharf was
covered most of the night by thous-
ends of people, anxious to escape by
water; so were the railway tracks
and grounds around the track be-
tween the ballast wharf and Courte-
nay bay.
The following persons are report
ed lost: Benjamin Williams, Harold
Gilbert, William Mcneil, Barrett
Cotter, ex- Mayor Reeds mother and
two aunts, Hugh McGovern and
three unknown men. Many persons
are reported missing, but it is hoped
they will turn up alive.
Accidents were numerous, and
many firemen were injured. No
clear estimate of the property de-
stroyed or of the insurance can be
given; certainly S10,0OO,O0O or $12,-
100000 are gone, and the insurance
men think the risks may run up
to $15,OO0,OO0.
The entire business portion of the
city is destroyed; not leading es-
tablishment has escaped. All the
principal dry goods stores, all the
leading grocers, all the ship brokers,
commission merchants, all whole
sale liquors, flour, provisions, coal,
salt, lumber, tea, West India goods
are utterly wiped out. Forty-nine
blocks, or nearly 200 acres south of
King street have not six buildings
remaining.
The valuables ofthe Bank of Mon
treal and the Bank of NoVia Scotia
were removed to the vaults and safes
of the Bank of New Brunswick. It
is not known how the latter stood
the test. Every street, square and
alley is filled with furniture, and
thousands of people are without
either food or shelter. The Inter- |
national company's steamer New
York sheltered and fed q thousand |
persons last night. The vessels in |
the stream have large numbers of
people on board. Thousands had to |
get away from the lower part Of the |
city by the boats.
Of the $40 acres in the city boun-
daries 400 acres are burned down /
and 10000 residents are homeless. |
They have crowded in everywhere,
many under tents. The losses are
now estimated at $I5,0O0,O0O; in
surance, $6,O0O,OOO.