THE FIRE AT ST. JOHN'S.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 44, 20 August 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FIRE AT ST. JOHN'S.

An extensive and disastrous fire broke out iv St. John's, Newfoundland, on July 8, in a house in Long Streejt, and was only gof under control the following '.evening. In its course it 'rendered }§,000 people homeless, and wiped out the following streets: — Military road, Buckworth - stieeth, Prescott - street, Queen's road, Cochrane - 6treet, Gower-street, King's road, Cathedral Hjll, and Long's Hill. The Government House was not burned. A strong gale from the west prevailed at the time, and this drove the flames very rapidly across the town, sweeping everything before them. The fire stopped at Water-street west, at Browning's. From this point west, once thickly studded with dwellings, there remains only a forest of chimneys. The insurance on the buildings destroyed and on the stock will amount to 4,000,000 dollars, which sum will cover about half the loss. One man and six children perished. Among the prominent buildings now in ashes are the Masonic Temple, Orange Hall, Homan Catholic Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, St. Patrick's Hall, English Cathedral, Athenaeum, the Kirk, New Methodist College, Commercial Bank, Union Bank, Atlantic Hotel and Linesberg s brewery. The Executive Committee assigned D. riljtshed, Parade Rink, Browning's bakery, and Clouston's factory, as retreats, where the ljurned out people procured food and shelter. Sn,e,ds w ( ere also erected in the park. A place called .Gat's Cove, seven miles from Brigus, New Foundland, was burnt on the 9th. Twenty-six houses caught from wood set on fire by ashes on the railway. The fires in the forests swept with terrible speed and effect along the country, and villages in the path of the flames could not be saved. The condition of affairs was thus made terrible. Nowhere was there anything like order. Passing vessels anchored on the coast, and sent their crews on shore to assist the people, who were so thoroughly demoralised and exhausted that they could not help themselves; and the men of Bf. Jphu's who had abandoned their 1 own homes to the flames, were called ¦ upon to assist their fellow islanders ' in the surrounding villagesSeveral persons hare died since the St. John's fire in consequence of fright and exposure, and several have been sent to the lunatic asylum,

their minds having become unbalanced owing to losses. . * The insurance agents held a..meeting on July 12th, and reporte showed that the losses covered by insurance placed in St. John's agencies amounted to 4,250,000 dollars. The estimated total losses are about 15,000,000 dollars. General Ross was ordered from London to send a company of Royal Engineers from Halifax to St. John's, N.F., to blow down the walls found either dangerous or difficult to remove by ordinary means. The number of families burnt out is 1874, making 9000 homeless people.