Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-07-14

HALIFAX, July ia reliable story of
the awful calamity that overwhelmed St.
Johns, N. F., Friday night and Saturday
has reached here. In some instances previ-
Gus unconfirmed reports are found to be
over-stated, and in other cases the facts
disclose n worse state of affairs than even
the rumors indicated.
The terrible conflagration, which started
on Friday afternoon about 5 o'clock, was
the result of lighted match being care
lessly thrown down in stable at the
head of Long Hill. There was high wind
prevailing at the time from n westward
direction. No rain had fallen for several
weeks, and with the thermometer at rs in
the shade, it can be understood how dry
everything would be.
The city was built of wood, except Water
street, and the buildings in the vicinity of
the barn mentioned above were extremely
inflammable. They rapidly ignited, and
in less time than it takes to tell it Long
Hill was
a Mass of Roaring Flames.
The whole fire brigade of the CITY was
soon on the spot, but human efforts were
absolutely powcrless 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 devouring element rush onward that
there was hardly time for people to fee
for their lives, let alone tear down any
buildings so as to check the progress of
the flames.
The fire department soon became COM
pletely demoraliHed and the people seemed
paralyzed. At $50 in the evening the
water side mercantile premises caught
and the shipping began to pull out from
the piers TO the mid die of the harbor A
few minutes later the Anglo American
telegraph Office became untenabe and
communication with the outside world
was cut off
The Fire Continued
to the eastward until there was nothing
more to burn, its fury being expende
only at the waters edge. Ia the mean
time, however, the fire had begun to work
northward up the slope on which St.
Johns is built. Cochrane street prob
ably the handsomest thoroughfare of the
whole city, was entirely wiped out, will
the exception Of few dwellings at the
very top and the Methodist church.
Two-thirds of the business portion OF
the city is gone, fully half of the entire
city is destroyed, and three-quarters of
the whole value of st. Johns is obliter-
ated.
The homeless, some 1900 in number
are sheltered in the parliament house and
under sheds and tents in Zimmerman park.
The city is enveloped in dense smoke
from the surrounding wooded country,
which seems to he on fire on every hand.
Yesterday the Killride Catholic church,
hI,ap tlac, , he Il 1. I,
Of Bulls was burned
The worst features Of the situation il
that the wind continues westerly and
there is no appearance of rain, which is
so badly needed. There is still much dan
ger, but it is felt that the great agony is
over.
Several Narrowing Incidents
occurred. The corpse of man. over which
wake was being held when the fire
broke bounds, was hurriedly carried to
burial, and deao child had to be buried
without coffin. The charred remains of
woman have been found in the ruins.
One old man died of fright 1t is re
ported that five men were drowned and
several children were burned, but this is
not verified. The churches destroyed are:
Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregations
alist, Cover Street Methodist Halls-St.
Patrck's, Star of the Sea, Total Abst-
hence Temple club, Salvation barracks.
The streets burned from Water, north
and south from Becks Cove TO Hoyles-
town, number over twenty-five.
The coal lighters Dovere and Huntress
and the steam launch Sharpshooter We're
burned, but the rest of the shipping, by
moving out in the stream, was saved.
The loss will reach $40, 200, 600.