The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-23
CAN ADA.
FIRE IN ST. SAWYER.

QUEBEC, May ia disastrous fire
broke out early this morning in st. Sauvier,
in the house of Mrs. McCann on Waiter
street. The flames spread with great
rapidity through the wooden district which
surrounded the place where the fire orig
mated. A large number of houses on
Waiter, Church, st. Peter and st. Marie
streets were burned. The total loss so far
in prospective may be $4,000. At 3
o'clock the fire was still raging, and it was
impossible to guess its limits. The people
were dismsyed at the rapidity with which
the flames jumped from one wooden build
ing to another. Help was asked from
this city and the Quebec engines were
quickly sent, but owing to lack of
water their efforts were crippled. Battery
was finally called out, and rendered val
liable assistance in fighting the fames.
At O'Clock this morning the fire had
about burned itslf out, having destroyed
over hundred buildings. While the
military were preparing to blow up some
houses to check the flames a premature
explosion took place in one of the houses
killing Major Short and Sergeant Wallace,
of Battery b. Both were buried in the
ruins, and st o'clock their bodies had
not been recovered.
The body of Sergeant Wallace has been
recovered. 1t is horribly mangled. The
fire has been checked on the city side bnt
is still burning furiously toward the north
west, and will probably stop only WHEN
-, lnf 20
ance comparatively small.
The larger number of houses destroyed
were small wooden structures. There is
strong e8sterly wind blowing and rain has
been falling steadily for the last three
hours.
m.-The fire is still burning and no
hopes are entertained of stopping it till
the open country is reached. Already
about 500 buildings, mostly wooden tene'
ments, have burned and over 10000 peo-
pie are homeless. The greater portion of
them are camped out on the fields with
what few effects they were able to save,
while fewhave found shelterwith friends
10 this city.
Major Shorts body was recovered about
noon. One arm and leg had been torn
from the body by the explosion, and were
u
found at some distance from the trunk.
st. Sauvier is a separate municipality
from Quebsc. 1t has a population or
$4,000. Only last night st. Sauvier Off
cias refused an offer of this city to sup
ply them water.
4:3O p. m.-The fire has burned itself
out after reaching the limits of St. Sau-
veur, the toll gate keepers house in
Valvin street, being about the last to go.
The district north and west of Massue and
| st. Ambrose streets has been swept clean.
With the exception of a portion of Valvin
street, about 700 houses were burned. AS
many of them were tenements, the num-
Der of families is not less than 1,2OO, COM
prising 5000 or 5000 persons.
Hon. Mr.. Mercerie and other prominent
men are interesting themselves in behalf
o: the homeless people. Application has
been made to Sir A. p. Cason 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 food, and steps are bsing
taken to organize a regular system OF
relief. The majority of the people
burned out are of the laboring class and
as assurances we're very high few have
anything to fall back upon.