The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-06-17
DISASTROUS FIRE AT QUEBEC.
500 Buildings Burned, 1900 Families Home
less and % 100000 Loss.

less and 100000 Loss.
QUEBEC, June Gone of those destruc-
tive fires to which Quebec Is so subject, broke
out at IL p. m, In the midst Of st. Johns |
suburbs midway between st. Rocks and Up |
pertown. The fire originated in a small |
wooden house In Oliver street, and immedi-
ately spread to the adjoining buildings. The |
fire brigade became demoralized and lost all |
control of themselves, and the fire continues
at 2 o'clock this morning. st. Johns church,
the Roman Catholic church, the largest in |
the city, worth S100, 900, is burning, and 600
houses are destroyed, some biick and stone,
but the majority poor and small and of wood. |
Several persons are missing. The houseless
are camped out in the fields surrounding the
city. Thieves made Off with most of the
property saved from the flames. Half of the
people in town block the streets and the
firemen are impeded. Panic prevails every
where. The principal streets destroyed are
Richmond, Lateouville, Oliver, Richelieu
and Da.uillon, running east and west paral-
lei with the river; also St. John, Marie,
Deligy, St. Clair and Sutherland streets,
running north and south. In many instances
the parties burned out owned their resi-
dences.
The fire brigade Is miserably inadequate
to the wants of the city, and the water sup
plv is ridicuously small for such an emer-
gency. ,.
trous fires In the history of this unfortunate
city began last night. At p. M. the first
alarm came from Staliver aud st. Clair
streets. Al 1859 the second alarm called out
the whole fire brigade. Half the city APP
pesred on the stie ets by ll:30, called out by
the brilliant flames, and the avenues leading
10 the fire were SO blocked with people that
massage was impossible. The confusion in
creased, half the people being panic stricken,
and The rest idly and incompetently tried
10 render assistance. Parents partially
clothed hurried along with children in their
arms and leading Others, while cows and
horses from the burning stables rushed half
maddened through the crowd. The fire
originated in a stable, when the flames
spread 10 the surrounding wooden buildings,
and the whole neghborhood was soon .
mass of flames for some hundreds OF feel,
the flames from the other side of the street
overlapping in the middle and completely
closing them. In almost less space OF .'he
than il takes TO tell it, the finest aud largest
church in the city was doomed. NeGt after
the church came the FriaI's school opposite,
and still the fire swept on. Trusting: rs II
confident that 50 majestic an edthce could
never fall prey TO any of the elements, tie
neiehbo1s around had carried their house
hold goods 10 the front of the church, and
there piled them at The very door OF the
sanctuary. All was lost. The church was
worth at least S100, 900, and insured for Slo,-
900. At the foot of Jupiter street below the
Berthelot market, the flames had crossed
from the lower side of st. John street, and
from this they rapidly flew west along that
fine avenue, keeping pace with the other
division of the confagratiou. Opposite, at
Jupiter, it spread southwark to BerShelot
market place, destroying Gabriel street and
st. Patrick street as far out as there were
buildings TO be destroyed. Lower-ield alone
STAYED The progress of the fire. At Scott
street the fire ran upwards toward the Grand
Alice at terrible rate OF speed, there being
| no water, men, hose, nor other appliances TO
stay it.
Four wooden houses were found on fire by
| them when they arrived upen the scene ana
| with water absent and unattainable for some
twenty minutes, it was impossible for them
| to obtain the mastery. The hydrants threw
good streams when the water came in, but
! too late to be of much service. When the
fire spread. as above described, the men OF
the brigade lost all control over any portion
of it. They necessarily divided into so
many parties and were so weakened, that the
flames spread onward with almost lightning
rapldity. The fury of the devourlng elc-
ment knew no bounds but at the city out
skirts, and none who failed to see them
would be inclined to credit the rate atwhich
they swept all before them, The great point
of Daauillon, West street and Genevieve
street have been destroyed. Whenthe flames
appeared in St. John street, further out, at
o'clock, the bells of St. Johns Chapel, IL
rapid and alarming tones, told of the danger
| r. ~ and nollad ocaistannp The
whole efforts of the fire brigade were imme.
diately bent on saving the sacred ediiice, but
to no avail. Nothing was saved but the
sacred vessels and some of the most valuable
plate and furniture of the sanctuary. The
/ fire had entire control of the nnhle strnctnre
| Briefly summed up, the streets consumed
are, running east and west, Richmond In
part, thence Palace south, Oliver, Richelieu
| Daguillon and st. John, one ward in Mont
calm street, st. Gabriel, Neville and Britor
| streets. Running north and south the prin
cipal streets were Sutherland, Delinquy, st
| Clair, st. Marie and St. Genevieve. Among
| other property on st. john street are a large
number of handsome buildings used as stores
and private residences. The battery wa.
called out and rendered excellent aid in saw
ing property and keeping order. Several re.
markable whirlwinds were caused by the fire
The men were In some cases lifted off theil
feet. On the lower field, where the most o
the burnt-out people had camped with thei
saved goods, the fire followed the unfortu
mates and burned up most of the goods piled
on the grass. Burning shingles fell over tn,
city, and as far out as Maple avenue, durin.
the night, endangering every part Of tho
town. Several incipient fires In different
streets were suppressed by the vigilance o
the occupants. 1t Is computed that Their,
must be loss of $1,000 900 between build
ings, stock and furniture. Over 1900 fami
lies are rendered homeless and at least S0t
buildings destroyed.
Even the police and fremen were to
great extent demoralized. The most darinl
robbery was carried on freely in full sight o
everybody. Liquor stores and private
dwellings attacked by the flames were ran
sacked for liquors, which was openly drunl
by the lowest people common to the localt,
and who frequent low houses, whose de
struction is one of the compromising feature
of the disaster.
Five lives are known to be lost. Thre,
bodies are already recovered, those of Mr.
and Mrs. Hardy, 1l3 Oliver street, and tina
of Maroise A. Joiner, of Richelieu street
Mrs. Geo. Lapperixere and two children ar
missing and believed to have persisted in TIN
flames.
INNER SfTauEII MOE