The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-06-17
THE COLUMBIAN, VOL. XIV. NO. q
COLUMBIA DEMOCRAT, VOL. XLvI, NO. Il
A FEARFUL FIRE.
TEREmfE coNrLAGRAcloN IN THE CITY ol
QUEBEC.


TEREmfE CoNFLAGRs-loN IN THE CITY on
QUEBEC.
QUEBEC, June 9.-One of the most
disastrous fires which this unfortunate
city has ever been afflicted with, com
menced last night and was only got un-
der control at o'clock this morning.
The first alarm was from the corner Of
st. Oliver and st. Claire streets at 11:10
o'clock a few minutes later, the bells
from Basilica, st. Johns and st. Roch's
churches rang out second alarm, and
the whole force of the fl re brigade was
soon on the ground. The reflection of
the flames was so visible that in short
time half the citizens appeared to be at
tractcd to the scene, and about 1880
o'clock all the avenues around and lead
ing to the fire were so completely packed
with people that it was next to impossi-
BILE to force way through them.
The scene in the vicinity of the conna-
| grafton was utter confusion. Half of
those present seemed panic stricken, and
three-fourths of the others only added to
the confusion by running against each
other and really contributing to the 3e-
struction of proper y, while believing
they were helping to save it. Parents,
partially clothed, hurried along in every
direction with infants wrapped in bed
clothing in their arms. Cows and horses
let loose from burning stables, rushed
half madde. ed through the c.owd or
stood dazed by the uproar and confusion
surrounding them. The fire originated
in stable of st. Oliver street, near ST.
Marie street. The flames quickly spread
TO the surrounding wooden buildings and
| to the ST. Gets above and below.
st. Oliver, Latourclle, St Marc and
Richclieu streets We're quickly mass of
fire for some hundred feet of each in ex-
tent, q c flames from the other sides of
the streets overlapping in the emiddle, and
completely closing them to all traffic.
| The scenes common to all great fires
were readily discernablc at this stage,
even the police and tiremen were to a
great extent demoralized. Daring rob
berry was carried on freely in full sight
of everybody. Liquor stores and pri
vatc dwellings attacked by the flames
were ransacked for liquor, which was
openly drank by the low characters who
infest the locality. The sparks which
everywhere flew from the burning wood
en- buildings ere themselves n terrible
source of danger to the rest of the city.
1t was not uncommon to see mems hats
and coats ablaze from the Burning
pieces of shingle which lighted upon
them. The fire brigade allege that four
wooden houses were found on fire by
them. When they arrived upon the
scene and with water absent and unat-
tainable for some twenty minutes it was
impossible for them to obtain the mas
terry. Nothing was saved of st. johns
church but the sacred vessels and some
of the most valuable of the plate and
furniture of the sanctuary The fire had
possession OF the t. ; structure in al
most less space of time than it takes to
rea,, of it, and the finest and largest
church in the city was doomed to destruc
ton. The church was worth at least
100000, upon which the insurance
amounts to only $4,000. AT the foot
of Juniper street, below Berthlot market,
the flames had crossed from the lower
side of ST. John street, and from this
point they rapidly progressed westward
along that fine avenue, keeping pace
with the other divisions of the contlagra-
ton opposite. Nor was the fire now
confined to st. John street. AT Juniper
street ii spread southwark to Berthlot
market place, destroying property on
Gabriel and st. Patrick streets, as fan
out as there were buildings to be de
stroycd. A lower field alone stayed the
progress of the fire. AT Scott street tho
fire ran upwards toward Grand alley a
a terrible rae of speed, there being nc
water, men or hose, nor other appliance
to stay it. Onlya gap, caused by the re
cent conilgration here, stopped the tota
destruction of the whole street.
TIE BURNED DISTRICT
1t is inn 'ssible to describe the spreaC
of the flames on every side. Bretl,
summed up, the streets consumed, ar
Richmond in part, principally the soutl
side, Latourcllc, st. Oliver, Richelieu
Duquillon aud st. John ward. .Montcalm
st, Gabriel, Nouvillc and Breton Run
= ming non n and south the principal street
were Sutherland and Deligny, ST. Clail
St. Marie and St Genevieve, west side
! beside Jupiter street in Montcalm ward
, also west side. Among the property de
a stroyed on John street were large nun
Der of handsome buildings used as store
|, and private buildings. a. battery wa
called out and rendered efficient aid i
e saving property and in keeping order
q TIE LOSS.
i 1t is computed that there must be
:. loss of S2,0O0,00O between the building
{ stock and furniture. Over 1900 fam
Y lies are rendered homeless by the conlli
Il grafton. At least eight hundred builC
# ings have been destroyed. The fire bri!
). adc and apparatus was quite unfit t
Il cope with such fire and TO itswcakne,
V and the wrctchcd water service the wbol
o disaster is due.
!. a novelty in architecture is now bein
5 erected by Mr.. Lafierty on the grounc
=. of the new park near South Atlan,
3 City. II is intended for restaurant, al
|, FL, ~,