St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-11

at Fort De France. at about half past l
o. M, the whole seaboard was in flames
to the waters edge. Starting in
the middle of the Rue Blanc,
the fire had reached the Grade
Rue and the Rue st. Louis and
Had Destroyed Everything
within a space of 100 yards up to the
river Madame. The palace of justice
being threatened, and with it the north
east of the town, the vital necessity of
saving the court house was recognized,
but the street was narrow, there were
no pumps and but little water. and the
people were tired out and diSpirited
after six hours of hopeless struggle
with the flames, the heat from which
was most intense. AS a result they be-
came disorganized, and thought only of
saving what personal effects they could.
1t was not until the wood work of the
presidents Office had caught fire that
the pumps arrived, and organized meas
ures were adopted by the comparatively
fresh firemen from st. Pierre to save the
buildings. which, after an hours hard
struggle, was accomplished. Meanwhile
a ruin, together with the magnificent
VI OLE uC PdiIlC uOW OCCoLAO 6OAO1 oAs
Women and children were screaming
and running hither and thither, and
furniture was being thrown out of the
windows into the streets until they be-
came almost impossible. At the last
moment, when it was too late, dynamite
was employed to arrest the progress OF
the fire. Terrific
Explosions Were Heard
and whole blocks of buildings were
seen to fall, killing some and wounding
many persons. The pensionnat de
Souers, the postoffice and the Hotel
Bediat though escaping at first, were
now in flames, and at p. m. 1,500 of the
best houses in the town were burning.
At the other extremity of this huge
furnace. which covers ninety square
acres, the fight with the fire was gal
lantly and cOurageOusely carried on, but
the wind was high and houses were rap
idly burned and falling bodily across
the streets communicated the flames
to the houses on the other side.
These falling houses constituted a
grave element of danger to the firemen
and greatly retarded their efforts. AT
night the fire had consumed everything
between the Rue du FOrse and the sea
duu UcGWCCIi UuO Odfdullo duu thO4e
Madame. At about 10 p. m. the houses
at the bottom of the Rue du Govern
ment were attacked, and only by siren
uous efforts were the presbytery and
the gendarmerie saved. Had they
fallen, the whole town must have been
consumed. 1t was right here that the
progress of the flames was stayed.
The sight next morning was pitiful and
narrowing in the extreme. The Saw
anna was Strewn with odds and ends,
in the midst of which was camped a
whole population suffering from
Hunger, Thirst and Cold,
for near morning rain had fallen, chill
pie, who had no other shelter than that
afforded by the trees. The steamer
Energique soon arrived from st. Pierre
with twenty tons of food, dispatched by
the agent Of the line. The cause of the
fire is attributed by some to kerosene,
and by others to Dutch stove. In the
opinion of many, had prompt measures
been taken and the surrounding houses
been saved saved. + fhe loss is very consider
able, LOO houses having been de-
stroyed, valued at 100000 francs
(S2, 40O, 0O0), and furniture, ETC., valued
at 100000 francs, in. all total of
100000. 1t is impossible at this
moment to tell the number
of victims. Twelve bodies have,
however. been recovered, many charred
beyond recognition, and others fear
fully mutilated. Fifteen soldiers are
receiving attention at the hospital,
many of them seriously, and one, it is
said, fatally wounded. The number of
civilians wounded is considerable.
Fully three-quarters of the town is de-
stroyed as eregards area, and seven
eigbths of the inhabitants are homeless.
Among the public buildings destroyed
are the Pop house, cathedral, custom
house, town hall, Convent of the SOeurs
de st. Joseph, Bureau des Revues, PIN
spection lie Genie, the slaughter house
and the Usine Pointe Simon. The cele-
brated library has also been destroyed.
To their credit be it said, the various
British West India islands have prompt
lv aided with grants of money their af-
ficted sister colony.