Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-10

| other steeple gradually SINK and telescopsd
| Nothing was saved but the sacred vessels and
some of the most valuable of the plate and
| furniture of the sanctuary. The church was
| worth at least 100000, while the insurance
| amounts to only 81 900. Across John street
| the flames leaped, hugging in their embrace
| the building opposite, which at first it was
fond1y hoped would escape destruction, and
encircled in their fatal wreath Deligny, St.
Clair, st. Patrick Drolet and Racine Streets
Richelieu avenue and Delignor, starting from
Genevieve and extending out as far as st.
Clair. This quarter of the city was one of
the most thickly populated, comprising a
large class of well to do tradesmen. shop
keepers and generally people in comfortable
circumstances, but without any superiority
of means. and 1t is on pc, pie of this class
that the fire inficts the greatest loss.
The scene throughout was indescribable
The streets were crowded with men, women
and children who moved to one quarter only
to be driven from that to another, and SO on,
until heartbroken and exhausted, they drop
ped their worldly treasures and eontented
themselves with fleeing for their lives Half
of those present seemed panic stricken, and
.three-fourths of the others only added
each other and really contributing to
the destruction of property while be-
lievlpg they were helping to save it.
Parents. partly clothed, hurried, along in
every direction, with infants wrapped in
bedclothing in their arms Cows and horses.
let loose from burning stables, rushed
through the crowd>or stood dazed by the up
roar. The scenes common to all great fires
we're readily discernible. Even the police
and hremen were to great extent democrat
lied. Daring robbery was carried on freely
in full sight of everybody. Liquor stores
and private dwellings, attacked by the flames
were ransacked for liquor. which was openly
drank by the people of the lowest grade of
society, who are common to the locality in
question and who frequent low novels whose
destruction is the least regretable feature of
the disaster. There were, of course strik-
ing contrasts in the numerous instances of
generous humanity. The sparks, which
blew from the burning wooden buildings.
were themselves terrible source of danger
to the rest of the city. It was no uncommon
sight to see mems coats and hats ablaze from
the burning pieces of shingles which lighted
upon them.
Several remarkable whirlwinds were caused
by the fire. In some cases men were lifted
off the ground by the force of the wind. The
fire extended even to the lower field, where
most of the houseless people had camped out
with what household effects they had saved
and these goods were almost all burned as
they lay piled up on The grass. During the
night burning shingles fell over the city as
far out as Maple avenue, endangering every
part of the town. Several incipient fires in
several streets were suppressed by the vigi
lance OF the occupants. 1t is computed that
there must be loss of 1900. 900 between |
the buildings, stock and furniture. More
than 1,5O0 families are made homeless by
the confagration. At least 800 buildings
have been destroyed. The fire brigade and |
apparatus was quite unable to cope with such |
a fire. and to its weakness and the wretched |
water service the whole disaster is due
The losses to the insurance ccmpanies
amount to $4,000. Subscriptions in aid /
of the sufferers have been opened. headed |
by the Governor General with $500. The 4
saddest feature in connection with the whole 4
dreadful affair is the unfortunate loss of /
life. At present six persons are known
TO have persisted. The baked bones of |
Mr.. and Mrs. Hardy and Charles Morris have
been recovered. The search is being con-
.inued by torchIght for the bodies of Mrs
Lapierre and her two children.