Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-07-14
A FIERY FURNACE.
st. Johns, N. F., Nearly Wiped Out
by Flames.
Five Hundred Buildings. Including Nearly
All the Prominent Ones. Consumed
The Losses VIII BE -
sI2.OOO,0OO.


]
Sr. JOINS, n f., July g., a. NJ
This city is being practically wiped off
the face of the earth by an extensive
fire which is now raging. high wind
is blowing and sweeping the flames
with a force and rapidity which can
not be checked by any power within
the city, and it is impossible TO obtain
help from any other place
The high wind, carrying live embers
| in every direction, ignited a score of
! fires at once, so that within half an
hour from the first outbreak the fire
department and people were utterly
helpless and the center of the city was
I abandoned to its fate.
This is the fourth great fire which
has visited St Johns. In February,
1910, large part of the town was de-
stroyed. In the following year there
was another big fire, with losses of s.
| 600, 900. But the greatest conflagration
of all was June 10. 1916, when 1000
houses were destroyed, involving loss
! of 81, 900 600
ST. JOINS, n. T., July 11.-Authentic
data relative TO the great fire show
that in some respects the previous re-
ports were overrated, while in some
cases the facts disclose worse state of
affairs than even rumors indicated. II
develops that the magnificent Catholic
cathedral was not destroyed, and the
Union bank is also safe.
The fire was the result of lighted
match being carelessly thrown down in
IA stable at the mead of Longs hill. No
rain had fallen for several weeks pre-
viously and the flames, carried by
a strong wind, made rapid head
way. So rapidly did the flames
spread that hardly was there tiue
for the people To flee for their
lives, while buildings hundreds Of
yards off were being fired in every di-
reetion by the flying embers. The
burned area extends from Beck's cove
To Hoylestown. every business house
in this section beng destroyed. From
the military road To the waters edge
ninetenths of the houses are
burned.
II is known positively that twenty
persons persisted. Six were drowned,
while eight men and six children were
burned 10 death. Probably the fatal
tiles amount 10 great many more. At
this time it is impossible 10 learn the
names of any of those killed. inquiry
is being made on every side for persons
who are missing.
The losses Will amount TO about S12,-
900, 900. The insurance will cover about
one-half the loss.
There are $4,000 people absolutely
homeless, with no shed even to shelter
them and no food to eat The men are
suffering most, for they have fought for
| hours the terrible flames without food
! TO eat =. a second to rest, and that in
heat so frightfully intense that hun
| dreds of them, brawny, brave, seafar-
! ing men have tainted from exhaustion.
/ Physicians cannot attend the suffering
men, they are so numerous, and unless
some one sends food to the people at
once the terrors Of the calamity viii be
even greater.
From HEARTS, Content, the cable sta
ton on Newfoundland, comes word
! that village called Cats Cove, consist
/ ing of twenty.e light houses, and miles
/ from ST Johns was wiped out of exist
ence Saturday night The flames had
been carried there by the burning for
| ests.
/ The fires in the forests are sweeping
with terrible effect along the country,
and the villages inthe path of the flames
/ cannot be saved. The condition of af-
| fairs is thus made terrible TO contem-
plate. Nowhere is there anything like
order, and the passing vessels are
anchoring off the coast and send
! ing their crews ashore to assist the
people, who are so thoroughly democrat
lied and exhausted that they cannot
help themselves. There are all about
st. Johns many villages, large and
snail, that if wiped out, win make the
total loss much greater, and the few
reports seem to indicate that nothing
can save them in the path of the flames
rapinu in the forests