Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-11
RAVAGED ST. JOHNS
o-Thirds of the City Swept
by the Flames.
A PROPERTY LOSS OF s25, Ooo, 900.

Eight Lives Certainly Lost and the List
Not Yet Complete-The Confiagration
Has Its Own Way from the Start
About $4,000 People Homeless and
Prompt Help Needed-An Explosion
Near San Francisco Destroys 1915, 900
in Property and Kills Six Persons
| Three Men Hurt at a Big Fire at Louis
VILE.
| HALIFAX, n. s., July IA reliable
! story of the awful calamity that over
whelmed St. Johns Friday night and
| Saturday has reached here In some in
stances previous unconfirmed reports are
found TO be overstated, and in other cases
the facts disclose worse state of affairs
than even the rumors indicated. One
t1ght spot in the dark picture is that the
reported destruction of the Roman Catho-
lie cathedral turns out to be
| incorrect. The terrible confagration,
which started on Friday afternoon
about 8 o'clock, was the result of
lighted match being carelessly thrown
down in stable at the head of Longhill.
There was high wind prevailing at the
time No rain had fallen for several
weeks, and with the Thermometer At 70
in the shade 1t can readily be understood
how dry everything would be-
Flying Embers Garry the Havoc On.
The city was built of wood, except water
street, a d the buildings in the vicinity of
the stable mentioned above were extremely
inflammable. They rapidly ignited, and
almost in less time than it takes to tell it
Longhill was a mass of roaring flames
The whole fire brigade in the city was soon
on the spot, but human efforts were abso-
lutely powerless to have any effect on the
already wholesale destruction going on
Buildings hundreds of yards away were
being fired in every direction by the flying,
burning embers, and so fast did the deyour-
ing element rush onward that there was
hardly time for the people to fee for their
lives. The fire department soon became
completely disorgauized and the people
seemed parai5zed.
The People Flee for Their Lives.
At $50 i'll the evening the water side
mercantile premises caught and the ship
ping began to pull out from the piers to
the middle o: the harbor. The fire at this
point was an appalling sight. All efforts to
fight it had been abandoned and the peo-
pie only thought of saving their lives, so
apparent was it that efforts to save prop
erty would be futile. People fled to the
rear of their houses and escaped from the
piers in boats and all sorts of available
crafts. The buildings along this street.
although mostly of stone and brick, seem
ed to melt away almost as quickly as the
wooden structures.
The sweep Up Signal Hill.
1t was just 10 o'clock when the Atlantic
hotel and the custom house. more than
half a mile away from the stable where
the fire originated, fell. Next to collapse
was the Galway wharf, immediately below
the atlantic house. The big tobacco fac
tory, BrOoklying's premises Terra Nora
foundry works, McKay's stores ard
wharves, John Woods premises, Harvey's
extensive es ablishment, bread factory and
Coastal Steamship company's stores and
wharves. Signal Hill for few minutes
Checked the progress of the flames but not
for long. Soon the walls Of flame shot
onward like an avalanche The residence
OF the American consul soon vanished. and
the destruction OF the Long brewery and
beautiful residence of John Lndberg fol-
lowed
Wiped Ont a Fine Thoroushfare.
The fire continued to the eastward until
there was nothing more tosburn. In the
meantime, however, the fire had begun to
work northward up the slope on which ST.
Johns is built. The first place to receive
the fire visitation in this direction was
Cochran street, which runs from tne gov
eminent house to the harbor. This tho
oughfare. probably the handsomest of the
whole city. was entirely wiped out with
the exception of few dwellings at the
very top and the Methodist church. St
Patrick hall escaped for some time owing
to the great energies of the Christian
Brothers whose schools are situated
therein, but their efforts were in vain and
the building went down. The brothers
made suprt ne efforts to prevent the
flames from going across to the Mercy
convent, and success crowned their great
work.