The morning news., 1889-05-17
SWEPT BY A BIG FIRE.
SEVEN HUNDRED HOUSES GO UP
IN SMOKE AT QUEBEC.

IN SMOKE AT QUEBEC.
Fully 5000 People Made Homeless
Most of Them of the Laboring Class
and Their Effects Not Half Insured
The Total Loss Estimated at $780,
600.
OrEBEC. May 16.-A disastrous fire
brole out early this morning in Saint Sau-
veur. in the house of Louis McCann, on
Vaies street. and spread with great rapid
itv through the wooden district which sur
rounds it.
At o'clock it was impossible to get the
limit of the fire and the people were
in dismay at tho rapidity with
which the fire jumped from
one wooden building to another. The local
arrangements for quenching the fire were
detective. and the Quebec fire brigade was
sent for and were quickly on the spot, but
their efforts were crippled for want of
water. battery was called out and rem
dered valuable assistance in fighting the
flames.
AN EXPLOSION.
While TIE military were preparing to
blow up some Of the houses to check the fire
premature explosion took place in one of
the houses, killing Maj. Short and terribly
iuiuring Sergt. Willick Of B battery.
Both we're buried in the ruins.
Sergt. Willick was found near the door
Of the house dreadfully mangled.
At 1880 O'Clock this morning the fire had
been checked on the city side, but was still
burning fuuously toward the northwest.
STILL BLAZING AT l O'CLOCK.
At o'clock this afternoon the fire was
still burning and no hopes were entertained
Of stopping It until the open country was
reached. Already about 500 buildings,
mostly wooden tenements, had been
burned, and over 1000 people had been
rendered homeless. The greater portion of
them are camped out in the fields with what
effects they were able to save, whils
few have found shelter with friends in this
city
Maj. Shorts body was recovered about
noon. One leg and an arm had been torn
from the body by the explosion, and were
found at some distance from the truck
st. Sauveur is a separate municipality
from Quebec, but it is separated from this
city by only the width of a street. 1t has
apopulation of 1900.
BURNED ITSELF OUT.
At I 80 o'clock the fire had burned itself
out, after reaching the limits Of the st.
SaVveur toll gate, the Keepers house in
Vail street being the last TO 90. The dis
trct north and west of Maussau and st.
II Ambrose streets has been swept clean, with
the exception of portions of Wales street.
About ZOO houses were burned. AS many
Of them were tenements, the numoer of
families homeless j. not less than l 200, COM
Drising 5000 persons.
Hon. Mr.. merce, and other prominent
II me are interesting themselves in behalf of
the homeless people. Application has been
made TO Sir a. p Caron for the use of the
drill shed and other government buildings to
shelter those who are yet camped out in
the fields. The clergy are distributing
focd and steps are being taken to organize
regular system Of relief.
majority Of the people burned out are
VI Of the laboring class, and as insurance rates
q were very high few have anything to fall
"A back on.
a LOSS AND INSURANCE.
The total loss by the fire is estimated at
81 S6JJU0O. The insurance is as folio VS.:
81 Queen $3.50, Lancashire $4,000, Guardian
|# Sl250O, Har,ford $2,500, British America
III $1,000, Scottish Union 5000, Loadon and
Fl lancashire $6,000 Citizens 5000, Agricul-
n tuIa, o. WATERFOWL, N. Y, $35 500, North
n British and Mercantile $500 London aud
III Liverpool and Globe s., 400, Quebec S6,OOO
Western $4,000, Glasgow and London $20,-
O09, Imperial $500.
Ii Jhe wind had besn from any other
quarter all st. ROchs might have gone. As
Ii was st. Sauveur was badly swept up to
It's iarthoSt end.
~ - wa StI6Tdlly supposed JDdG SeFgG.
IL HhlcG oIed Immediately after being
taken from the ruins, but it has since been
learned that he is still alive in the Marine
hospital. lie is very seriously injured and
is not likely TO recover.
IL IS expected that the remains of Mai.
snort will be taken to Kingston tomorrow
LOT burial There will be given a military
funeral to the train.
THEATER' BURNED.
NOpC,r1Tur3 III ,eo NJ
cester hea,er was discovered to be on fire
shortly after O'clock this morning and
was totally destroyed The fire apparently
started IN the rear of the building near the
stage Explosions followed each other in
J, pa succession, and in short time the
I07l IeH ~. The Bay State hotel stands in
'I1Se proximity aud its rear wall was blist-
SIeI ana was only saved by heroic work
III W tne uremen. Faust was played last
usby Lewis Morrison and his company.
~. ocS morrison places the company's loss at
Ii'OoV' including costumes The scenery
M IslihlaHy cost $500, and additions 81, 500,
r. MoiFSons entire legitimate wardrobe
dNas IN the theater.
Nanager Abraham SAID: "The fire cannot
any way Oe connected with the play, as
hINe was nhshed four hours before the fire."
r,1..ss 1'ss ne saw an employe of the thsater
lnS cigarette in one Of the boxes and
H aEn'l nm about it. The building was
recle4 ia 1860 for the storage of fruit, but
Lo scaeine failed, d in 1868 the st ucture
as bought by the Worcester Music Hall
rT.,,.llon, oog.lllon, and fitted up as theater at an
4peoso OF $1,000.
SEVERAL STORES BURNED.
~. NASHVILLE, " Tenn, May 16.--Fire broke
I Nv III Princeton, Ky, yesterday, and sew
- stores were burned. The fire origi-
'- ~ the store Of w. NJ Rawls, whose
FoDJJ; G. ID. Smith &c Co., grocers,
s-FtV0O, and s. II. Herndon lost IS, 800
FIRES HUMAN FEAST
GCtK.DALE, TEX, May 16-Last night
''g 4Is. Louis Palmer was cooking sup
dropped a kerosene lamp, which
.,lsd, and her clothing took Gre. She
.u'o tle yard, where her husband OK
t'.led the flames, but not before she
.41liy burnod. Then the husband dis
.1 lnat tho house was in flames and
smptS 10 save two small children
sP Ia the building were futile.
H. OIL CLOTH WORKS BURNED.
'"ANIoN, n j., May 16-The Trenton
IN ~ works were partially burned to-
me works we're the largest Of the
u q east The main building alone
'5ed The loss is $l3O,OOO, partially
'1'ed by insurance.