Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-18
HAMMERFEsT BURNED.
Sad Fate Of the Worlds Most Northern
Town.

According to telegraphic advices received in
Christiania on July Il the greater portion Of
Hammerfest. the most northerly town net only
in Norway, but in the world, has been DESTROYED
by fire. Itappears, says correspondent OF the
Paris GGtignd'ai Messenger, that the whole Of
the Strang.de as far the Roman Catholic
Church, the market place. the custom house.
the school, the town hail. the prison. the post
office. the apothecary's shop. the public Offices
and the piers have been burned down. The
damage is estimated at 1000, 000kr. of which
only small portion is said to be covered by
insurance. The official archives were saved
Great distress prevails, and provisions and help
have been dispatched by one of the tourist
steamers from Tromso. News is, however
rather scanty, us the telegraphic cnmmunica-
ton has been interrupted by the fire. Ii ID,
luckily, some time since we have had such
disastrous fire in Norway, where in years gone
by they were so sadly frequent, but stone
houses are now IN many places being substi-
tuted for wooden ones.
''Hammerfest is Of course no large town;
stlii ats inhabitants number about 2 400 souls,
and tue place has certain importance apart
from the interest that attaches to it FROM
commercial point OF view. Hammerfest does
considerable trade with the Russians in the
Archangelsk government and a large feet of
scaling and whaling vessels belong to it Ii is
IL
side, ON ths border of the region OF the birch
tree. The northernmost birch forest is a little
wood at the Akkarfjord some four miles 10 the
south OF Hamuerfest, in the imme diate neigh
borhood of which there Is not a single tree
From May Is to July &c the sun is permanently
above the horizon, but il does not make it's APP
pearance between November 20 and January
II. The principal street IN the town Is
''Storgaden," with the church. the town hall.
the higher school and the national school
yxbi hob ali
pendieular upon this street is the Gronnevold-
gade. where number of train-oil boiling es-
Establishments are situated, aud very unpleasant
neighbors they are.
1.-The houses OF Hammerfest are modes,
wooden edifces, the tops Of which are often
covered with a comparatively thriving vegeta-
ton. The town hall was rather prettily deco
rated inside, and the two churches. of which it
would appear TINT the Lutheran has been de-
stroyed. possessed a certain unambitious coEi-
moss. There are, or were, two hotels. and there
is often good deal of life going on, both in
the harbor and on shore, where Laplanders and
kvanes are always about in their peculiar
dresses. The trade, as a good many things
abou. Hammerfest, is somewhat primitive, be-
ing mostly done by exchange. The Russians
bring tea. -four and other merchandise for
which they receive fish and salt, but only very
rarely coins OF the realm.
Civilization has been somewhat slow in
reaching Hammerfest. and about as late as the
middle Of this century there was but one ma
tionai school, where the Norwegian children
sat on one side OF the only room and the chill
dren Of the Lapianders and the kvanes on the
other. The access to the school room was
through An outer apartment which was used as
mortuary for the remains of such hapless Lap
landers az should be buried in the town. This
remote position has, however also its adyan-
tages, among which i may mention that the
Salvation Army has not yet attacked Hammer
fest"