Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-27
The City OF ST. John, n. b., Burned
Up.

up.
Sr JOHN, N. B., June 20 This
afternoon, at halfpast 2, a fire broke
out in Mclaughlin boiler shop, Port
land. A strong northwesterly wind
was blowing, and, in an incredibly
short space of time, the flames burst
out, carrying with them hundreds of
houses, stores and lumber-yards. The
fire spread rapidly toward the business
portion of 81. John, clearing in its ca
reer entire streets Of buildings. Dock
street, Market Square, the whole of
Prince William and Atwater streets,
south side, and part of the north side
of King street, Kings Square, Ger
main, Canterbury, Princess, Duke,
Munster, Charlotte, Organe, the whole
of the lower cove district. Sydney and
Carmarthen streets, portion Of Went
worth and Pitt streets-in fact the en-
tire city south of King street, inclu4-
ing wharves and shipping.
Among the public buildings de-
stroyed are the new Post Office, valued
at 100000 the Custom House, Vic
toria Hotel, Academy of Music, Dra-
matte Lyceum. Royal Hotel, Bank of
New Brunswick, Maritime Bank,
agencies of the banks of Montreal,
Nova Scotia Savings Bank, Victoria
School House, Grammar School, Trim
ity Church. St. Andrews Church,
! Centenary Church, German Methodist
Church, City Hall, the Water Com
missioners Office, the banking houses
of Lyman Jones Il Co., George Phelps,
and Mcclellan Il Co., the Western
Union Telegraph Office, the Daily
Telegraph, Daily Times, Globe, Free
man, aud Watchmam newspapers, the
newsroom, all insurance offices, the
Ritche Building, and the law Offices
Thousands of people wander in 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
| pGi}S-i i'Olu NdHt' ICW Sstseu even
their clothes. All the public buildings,
three principal hotels and all the
newspaper Offices are burnt. About
three fourths of the city is destroyed
No clear estimate Of value Of pro-
perty destroyed or insurance can be
given Certainly $4,000, 900 or
Sl2, 100000 are gone, and the insur-
ance men think their risks may run up
to s5,0OO000.
The entire business portion Of the
city is destroyed. Not leading es-
tablisament has escaped. All the
principal dry goods stores, the leading
grocers, all ship brokers, commission
merchants, all the wholesale liquor
dealers, -four, provisions, coal, salt,
lumber. tea, WestIndia goods, are ut
terly wiped out. Forty odd blocks or
nearly 200 acres south of King street
have not six buildings remaining.
St. John, which was the chief city
Of the Province Of New Brunswick and
the commercial metropolis Of the Bay
Of Funday, occupied commanding
position at the mouth Of the St. John
River. From its favorable commercial
and geographical position it has been
called the liverpool Of America" by
our neighbors of the Dominion and
Provinces. In 1871 the city had a
population Of 28,S05, and the con1igu-
Gus suburb of Portland 1880 more.
The ridge upon which it is built is
composed of solid rock, through which
streets have been cut at great expense;
and the plan of the streets is regular,
including a succession of rectangular
squares. The drainage of the city has
been brought to an advanced condition,
as nearly perfect as the obstacles to
overcome would permit, within few
years. Most of the excavations for
sewers etc., had to be made through
solid rock. The appearance of the
town was rather dingy and uneven,
owing to the difference in the size Of
structures and to a general absence of
paint. st John possessed fine har-
Dor, kept free from ice by the high
tides OF the Bay Of Fundy and the
sweeping current of St. John River.
It was usually we'll filled with ship
ping, and the shores were lined with
wharves and mills. Since 1923 the
water-supply of the city had been
drawn from Little River, and the
works had a daily capacity of 5 500, 900
gallons. There was fire department
with three steam engines, but up to
the tinc of the catastrophe they had
been but seldom called into requisition,
and the department was not considered
as being extraordinary efficient for
anything beyond ordinary emergencies
There were twenty-six churches of all
denominations in St. John and Port
land, four banks, and four daily and
several weekly papers.