Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-10
RAZED BY TINE FIRE
St. Johns. NJ. F., Swept Of the
Earth
BY A GREAT CONFEDERATION
Fourteen Lives and Millions Worth OF
Property Destroyed IN the Eager.
Cruel Flames

HALIFAX. y. s., July s.-Over SIX
hundred buildings including the bis
toric parliament houses, have been de-
stFoyed and about twenty thousand
people rendered homeless by the con-
ragrahon that swept over ~. Johns.
~ r., last night. The great fire swept
everything before IL and ragged until 10
O'Clock TINS Inorning, when IL found no
additional material 10 work upon.
seven lives are known 10 have eeen
lost. and u Is supposed that many
others have been burned alive ~ their
homes or crushed TO death N the fall
ing runs.
The telegraph and cable Offices were
burned out as 10 O'Clock this morning,
and after that it wss next To impossible
get Information from the scene OF the
great disaster. A summary OF II ali
would De that ST. Johns is practically
wiped OF ne face OF the earth. The
ire burned everything IN ia path from
ia point OF OrigIn down TO the docks
AMI the very waters edge. All the
vessels IN the harbor were compelled 10
pat out 10 sea-
The DuFned-out inhabitants are suf-
ferng Intensely for want of food and
from the furious heat. Before tne
telegraph wires were burned ont the
mayor made appeals to other cities for
aid, which mas not yet begun to arrive.
Path OF tn. Flame.
The IRE originated ia a small wooden
building on Longo Hill, near the top of
the mountain The insufficient water
supply at that point gave the flames
full play and their furious progress was
practically unlmpeded. The high wind
earned live embers ia all directions and
soon a score of e3nfagranons were
spreading destruction. Threatening
flames swept toward the harbor, lick
ing up everything IN It's wide
swsth. The Masonic temple. the
Methodist college, the Cover
Street Methodist church, the msjsssic
cathedrAls of the English and Roman
Catholic churches. the two finest places
OF worship in the city, built at . cost OF
over $500, ,O0o; Orange hail, the palace
OF Bishop Jones. st. Pstrick's hall, the
Christian Brothers school, Presents-
ton convent, suprems court building
and police headquarters. government
offices, government savings bank, Pres
byterisn church, everything IN the path
OF thefame we're consumed. The whole
csnter Of the city Is one snioldering
mass OF RUNS.
Not . Building Escaped
Not building IN the path of the de-
vourng element was left standing
down 10 Water street. where the great
stoFehous-s, fish warehouses and
wnarves soon yielded to the flames
As II was. sparks were carried and
fresh flames broke out among the
fiInsy structures on the nil, all IN line
for the fiery march toward the heart of
the city. The new Methodist college
buildings to 90, was valued at $4,000.
On the Cover Street Methodist church,
the splendid and still uncompleted
cathedral OF the EnglIsh church,
s250,O00 bad already been spent.
The Masonic temple was valued AZ $50
600. The Union bank was 40 instItu-
too that had paid nearly 20 per cent
% It's stockholders for several years.
The Catholic cathedral was one OF the
mo st superb houses of worship IN the
new world. IL vas construcsd of lime
stone aud granite aud covered a space
80 feet ong BY $50 BROAD. The cathe-
drsi was erected N 1850 and was the
pride Of the Catholics of the commun-
ity. Toe palace occupied by Bishop
Power went with the cathedral, with
al - valuable treasures Of art.
sfs thiIdrea ssa One Nan Deas
Tns latest information from 81.
Johns that seven hyss we're lost IN
the FIRE which burned the town. They
we're slx children and one map. over
two-thirds of the buildings Of the city
have been destroyed completely and
nearly twenty thousand people are
camped out IN the fields and on the
steamer Tlanda. which vii transport I
supplies 20 -. jonas, vas 10 have
sailed tnis noon. but was held over tll
tonight.