The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-09
THE NEWS.
Ouebec is Visited by a Dis
asterous Fire.
A Number Of People Driven
Out of the City.
The Albany Fight Enlivsned by q
Bribery Sensation.
FURIOUS FLAMES.


NEW YORK June 9.-The HeraId's Que
bee special says: One of those destructive
fires to which Quebec is so subject, broke
out at II p. m. in the midst of St. John
suburbs, midway between ST. Roche's and
the upper town. The fire originated in a
small wooden house ON Oliver street and
Immediately spread to the adjoining build
ings. The fire brigade became demoralized
and lost all control of themselves and the
fire. At two o'clock this morning, St.
Johns church, Roman Catholic, the largest
in the city, worth 100000, is burning, and
600 houses are destroyed, some of them
brick and stone, but the majority poor and
small and of wood. The loss so far must
be over three-quarters of a million. There
are certainly one Thousand families house
less. The fire is still spreading No loss
of life is reported as yet, though several
persons are reported mission.
THE HousELEss,
are camped out in fields surrounding the
CITY, Thieves made off with most of the
property saved from the flames, and the
fire overlook nearly all the remaining NOV
ables. Half of the people in the town
block the streets, and the firemen are i'm
peded.
A PANIC PREVAILS
everywhere. The burning sparks and
shingles are falling all over the city, and
its total sweeping out Of existence is by no
means improbable. A number of local In
surance Companies are sure to be
paralysed by this disaster The principal
streets destroyed are Richmond, Latonille,
Oliver, Richelieu and Daguillon, running
east and west parallel with the river, also
St. John, St Marie, D'Ligny. st. Clair and
o,4b
mond, Latonille and st Clair streets were
principally inhabitanted by the demi-monde
In many instances the parties burned out
owned their residences. The fire brigade
is miserably inadequate to the wants OF the
city, and the
WATER SUPPLY
is ridiculously small for such an emer-
gency.
A LATER ACCOUNT.
QUEBEC, June 9.-One of the most dis
astrous fires in the history of this unfortu-
nate city began last night, and at a. m.
was first under control The alarm came
from st. Oliver and ST. Clairs streets at
1850 The second alarm soon after call
ed out the whole fire brigade. Half the
city appeared on the streets by II 80, call
ed out by the brilliant flames, and aven
ues leading to the fire were blocked with
people so Inag passage was Impossible
The confusion increased; half the people
were panic-stricken and the rest wildly and
incoherently tried to render assistance.
Parents partially clothed hurried along
with children in their arms and leading
cows and horses from burning stables,
rushed half naked through the crowd.
THE FIRE ORIGINATED
in stable, whence flames spread to the
surrounding buildings and the whole neigh
borhood was soon one mass of flames from
either sides of the street and overlapped in
the middle, and completely closing them.
Even the police and fremen were to GER
tain extent, demoraliZed. Daring robber- |
les were committed in full sight. Liquor
stores and private residences attacked by
the flames were ransacked for liquor and
openly drank by the lowest of society
common to the locality in question, and
who haunt low novels whose destruction
is one of the least regretable features of
the disaster. The sparks which everywhere
few from burning building, were them
selves
TERRIBLE soRCE OF DANGER
to the rest of the city, it was a common
sight to see mems coats and hats ablaZe
from burning pieces of shingles which
lighted ON them. The wind being from
the north drove the fire rapidly In the
direction OF st. Johns church and various
contrary local currents scattered the cin-
dars around in every direction.
The brigade found the fire more unman-
AUeabIe than ever.