St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-11
SHROUDED IN SMOKE,
Further Details Of the Fiery
Visitation of the Fair City
Of st. Johns.
Two-Thirds of the Business
Part of the Town Now in
Ashes.
Ten Thousand People Are Now
Housed in Tents and
Sheds. e,-
The Value Of the Property
Destroyed Will Easily
Reach $25, 100000.

u
last, about 8 p. H.. stable at the head
OF Longs hill caught fire. AT the time
the wind was blowing a strong gale
from the west. Rain had not fallen for
three weeks, and the buildings of the
town. which were OF wood, with
the exception of those on Water
street, were extremely inflammabie.
The adjoining houses rapidly caught
and in few minutes Longs Hill was
sea OF flames. Human effort was pow
erless to cope with the fire. Flying
emhers ignited houses hundreds of
yards to leeward. and so rapid was the
work of destruction that there
was not time to haul down
sufficient number of houses
to make the fire break. The
people seemed paraIyzed. Water street
was reached at 8 O'Clock. The market
house. the Commercial bank, the
Antheneum buildings, st. Andrews
church. the Temple Club house, the
chamber of commerce building, the
Telegram building. the Anglican cath.
edral (cost S500,0O0), the Methodist col
lege. the Masonic Temple, and st.
Patrick's hall, all fell before the flames.
At about $3.50 o'clock the Water side
mercantile premises were attacked and
the shipping began to get out from the
plOrS to the middle of the harbor. The
Anglo-American Telegraph office be-
came untenentable at $50 o'clock. COM
muhieatIOn with the outside world was
cut Off. The sea of fire which
Swept Water Street
endered all attem pts at saving property
utile. "A few hundred people. who had
he temerlty to remain Indoors, were
compelled to flee to the rear and make
their escape from piers aboard vessels
that were waiting, swinging to their
lines, ready to drop OFT out of danger.
The air was filled with blazing
embers. A terrific fire swept Water
street, the buildings in which were built
OF stone.and bricks, but those buildings
fell almost as QUICKLY as the wooden
structures in other streets. The At
lantic hotel and the custom house, more
than half mile from the stable
on the head of Longs Hill. fell
at l o'clock. The Galloway wharfs
the tobacco factory OH Brookin,
premises, the Terra Nova foundry
works, Mackay's stores and wharf,
John Woods premises, Harvey's eX-
tensive establishment, consisting of
bread factory, the COstal company's
stores and wharves, were speedily
things of the past. Signal Hill for a time
caused luil i'll the storm, but the resi-
dences OF the American consul. stu
ated well upon the hill, was doomed,
also the large brewery and costly dwell
ing expended its fury TO the eastward,
where there was nothing more to de-
stroy, the fire began to edge northWard
up the slope on which the. town is
built. COchrane street, leading from
the government house to the harbur,
the towns handsomeSt thoroughfare,
fell victim, only a few dwellings at
the top escaping. The Methodist
church on this street also escaped. st.
Patrick'S hall, owing to the brave eff
forts of the Christian Brothers. whose
schools were established therein, was
for long time considered safe, but
such proved to be in vain.
supreme Efforts
were made, and successfully, to prevent
the fire from creeping across TO the
Mercy convent, which, If attacked,
would have been the cause of the de-
struction OF MakstoWn and OF the
fashionable quarters, composed of
ings. The Congregational church in this
neighbOrhOOd could not he saved. An
other gallant stand was successfully
made at RaWling cross aud the head Of
Kings road. The poor office, a large
wooden structure, west of the range OF
Military road, was guarded, and il this
should be saved that fashionable bOule-
ward was safe. The fremen by this
time were pretty we'll exhausted.
but the intelligent action on theli
part and that OF scores of spirited young
fellows manning the roofs and lighting
the bre, proved victorious. TWo-tEifds
or the business part or the town and
0ne-half OF the entire town, and three
fourths of the value of the town
has been obliterated. Some 49,
600 people are sheltered in ths
parliament house and under sheds and
tents in BannermSn's park and other
open places. Today Sunday the town
is enveloped in a dense smoke from the
surrounding wooded country. which
seems. to be all on fire. The Kilb:ide
Catholic church, three miles out toward
Bay Bulls, was destroyed today.
The wind continued westerly, and
there is no appearance OF rain,
which is badly needed. The therm0m.
eter is high up in the seventies. Ii. III
s. Blake is due here at daylight Mon
day with tents, lumber and other neees-
stiles.
HALF AK, n. s., July 10.-Concerning
the fire in st. Johns, n. F., tie latest
advices are that the Roman Catholic
church is uninjured. This is one of the
finest churches OH the island. The
Union bank is also safe.
For Fire Sufferers.
CHICAGO, July 1G.--Arrangements
have been made for meeting, to he
held at the Sherman house tomorrow, at
which will be discussed the proposition
to give theatrical performan for the
benefit of the st. Johns sufferers. Sey-
eral actors at present in the city have
already consented to appear.