Year: 1877

MILLIONS WORTH OF PROPERTY DE-


STROYED AND TWENTY THOUSAND


PEOPLE HOMELESS.


The fire of Wednesday night, at St.
John, n. B., (of which we gave tele-
gram in postscript last week,) proves to
have been one of the greatest in the
history of this continent. Nearly half
the area of the city was burned over,
$4,000, 900 worth of property was prob
ably destroyed, and about &c, 900 people
are without home. There was, too,
Il considerable loss of life.


ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.


The FIRE was discovered in a building
owned by Mr.. Fairweather, on the south
of York Point slip, next to McLaughlin's
boiler shop, and to the latter building
the flames had spread before the fire.
men reached the scene. All efforts to
check the flames were in vain. They
spread to various buildings on HAYES
wharf, which was also quickly consum-
ed, and the fire broke into Smith street,
carrying everything before it. From
there the flames spread into Drury lane
and Mill street, following that into Dock
street, taking both sides. Before this.
however, the rear of the London house
and adjacent buildings had been attack
ed, when it was seen that the first fire
would inevitably sweep along either
Dock or Mill street.


Aid came from Portland in the shape
of the town engine and firemen A
strong wind among the highly inflam-
mable buildings carried the flames for
ward with a rapidity that appalled, the
stOutest hearts. The Carleton engine
came in, too, and lent its aid. One
engine had been stationed at the corner
of Mill and Union street, and Drury
lane. The buildings were a mass of
flames at the end of Smith Street and
Durry lane, and while the workers
were vainly endeavOring to fix an end
of the contiagration there, a momen-
tary gale took the flames across Union
street to the e'Opposite houses, and then
receded, but their touch had been fatal,
and in less than five minutes both sides
of the street were ablaze, and the men
were obliged to drop their branch
pipes and run up the street, dragging
the hose after them. Another lot of
men were working at the foot of Union
street, and by placing boards in front
of their faces, managed to battle with
the flames until their clothing became
singed


Moving along Smith street in a south
erly direction, the fire soon reached
Nelson street and then Robertson place
then extended to RObertson's wharf, and
then up the South wharf As it gained
Nelson street, on the south, it met
flames coming up that street, and the
combination made terrific heat that
could not be borne, allied, as it was,
with strong wind from the northwest.
1t did not take long for the entire wharf
to be in blaze. Half dozen wood
boats were at the head of Market slip,
and at the end of the wharves about
the same number of schOOners. Before
the fire had assumed a formidable shape
on the North wharf, the men on the
vessels began to pour pals of water on
| the decks.


The water was low and something
like this was necessary to extinguish
the sparks continually showered down
on them. Those at the head of the slip
were in a quarter of an hour on fire in
so many places that it was impossible
for each outbreak to receive attention.
Before the vessels were well on fire,
the flames passed above their masts to
the shops on South wharf, and, all
being of wood, they went down as if
| felled by hurricanes. The schOoners in
front having been hauled out to place
of safety, many of the occupants of the
stores were off helping unfortunate
brother merchants, and some arrived
just in time to save their books. Others
were just able to witness the destruc-
tion of all their stock. Some of the
embers lodged in the steeple of Trinity
church, Germain street, and, with moth
ing to prevent it, the fire was left to
pursue its own way.


Some wooden houses in HOrsefeld
street and Duke street, near the Vic
toria hotel, were soon ablaze, and the
fire was spreading north, south, east
and west to Germain, Charlotte, Duke
and Horsefield streets, with not an en-
giDe to be had and everything going
down before the unrelenting fire. One
building on Charlotte street had hardly
become prey to the flames, when 9th
ers on either side followed suit. In half
an hour, all but the German street side