THE GREAT FIKE AT ST. JOHN'S, NEW BRUNSWICK.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 62, 31 August 1877, Page 2

THE GREAT FIXE AT ST. JOHN'S, NEW BRUNSWICK.

On'Juns 20 a fire broke out in the suburb' of Stt : Joha's, New Brunswick ; two thirds of the city is in ashes* All |he public buildings and business establishments are gone. The loss is estimated at 15.100,000d015. Thousands of persons are homeless nnd destitute. A !re« lief train has left Halifax with provisions. In reference to the above calamity the Consul telcgrabed to the Mayor "of Njew ! York, asking for assistance to be sent to the sufferers. He says ;— " 15,000 'in" habitants of St. John's have been rendered homeless. Thel'e is a great dread |of starvation, as not a grocery or provision store is left standing." The Mayor of New York consequently called a meet-* ing to provide, for the distressed. At (Maine) a large meeting was held at which a considerable sum was subscribed. A steamer started for the scene of destruction with heavy freights of food. A private telegram sayß that after a careful estimate it has been ascertained that fully half the oity has been destroyed. Women and children are! in the streets crying for bread and tha scene beggars description. By this sad calamity sixty lives are be* lieved to have been lost, and about thirty dead bodies have been recovered. The fire extended over six hundred acres; or about half the entire city. It raged ali. one day, and was not got under control ou the north and- east quarters till the next evening. Thousands of peopje had to escape from the southern portion of the city in boats, and took refuge in the voasels in the httrbor. Telegrams asking for aid were Wot with !i ready response. From Montreal the same evening a special train was des* patched with two wagon loads of bread, JOO barrels of flour, and 200 barrels of . pork and beef. ] The town of Halifax sent a special com* mifclee with a train of supplies and lO.OOOdois. Yarmouth. ]\ T ova Scotia, sent (be steamer Dominion, wilh proyis'on!!. The progress of the flames trns so rapid that f he engines' were useless. The amount of loss covered by inßurnuce :-, ■,-,->:• ' U Ml^nr^'l lit 5.0m.000 !ols.