The Late Fire—Its Origin—Bravery of the Firemen—The High Wind—The Fire's Career—Fighting the Flames—Almost Lost—The Escape from the Burning Building—Destruction of Dock Street—Smyth Street in Flames—The Wharves—Demolition of Market Square—Something about the Business Houses there—The Banks—Fire checked at North Street. The great fire, for we must distinguish it by that title, since in vastness it overpowers all other similar calamities which have befallen St. John, originated in the late Joseph

The fire in Germain Street—The first brick house in St. John—Old Trinity—The Loyalists—Curious ideas about insurance—The rectors of Trinity—The Clock—The Royal Arms. The fire along Germain Street was of great volume, and dealt out destruction in a thoroughly wholesale manner. A good many buildings of more than ordinary note were situate in this pleasant street, and to these may be added a large number of churches, some of them being of especial importance in an historical point of view. The fire

Burning of the Leinster Street Baptist Church—The Varley School—Centenary Chapel—The Gas Works—$17,000 worth of Coal burn in Ten Days—The Tall Sentinel—St. David's Church—The Reformed Presbyterian Church—The Victoria School—Gigantic Ruins—An Accident—Sketch of the School-house. After destroying the fence which enclosed the premises of the Water Company, the fire crossed the street, burned Mr. Wm. Murdoch, jr.'s, house, and turned its attention to the Leinster Street Baptist Church, which was soo

"Burnett," 46 tons, Captain Reed; "Linda," 26 tons; "President," 46 tons, Captain Orchard; and "Messenger," 33 tons. Four lime scows laden with lime, two owned by Mr. Raynes, of Fairville; two owned by Mr. Joseph Armstrong, of Greenhead. Schooner "Justice," Westport, hauled out of slip badly burned. Schooner "George Calhoun," lying in Walker's slip, mainmast burned, hauled out without further damage. On board the ferry-boat between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, the appearance of the c

A Thrilling Incident—The Burning House—The Tall Figure in the Hall—Escape cut off—The only Way Out—The Street of Fire—Walking on Coals—The Open Boat—The way to the Wharf—Terrible Suffering—The Awful Death in the Street—Worn Out—The Escape—Saved—The Firemen—How they Fought the Flames. In olden times men who had performed deeds of bravery on the battle-field were canonized as saints, and those who had shown daring in other ways were revered as gods. There is a fascination about the stories which c

"I went againe to the ruines, for it was no longer a Citty"—the Drive by Moonlight—Through the Ruins—After the Fire—A City of Ashes—The Buried Silver—The Sentinel Chimneys—The Home of Luxuriance—A Recollection—The Moon and the Church—Back Again. Shelley's white-orbed maiden sits in the sky, and already her pale torch is silvering the peaks of the ruins. Let us take a carriage, and drive round the desolate city, slowly and softly, and view the giant wreck which the fire has made. There is no bett

The Odd Fellows and the Fire—Relief Committee at Work—Searching out the Destitute Brethren—Helping the Sufferers—The Secret Distribution of Aid—List of Donations. The Society of Oddfellows is a Mutual Relief Association, one of the first duties of its members being to search out worthy and distressed brethren, and relieve their necessities. The member who neglects to carry out this noble principle, violates his obligation. The order has obtained a strong foothold in the city, and many benevolent

The following is a list of persons whose properties were destroyed. Where the number of houses owned by each is more than one, it is so stated:...

The losses of the Masonic Fraternity.—Great Destruction of Masonic Regalia and Paraphernalia.—Organization of the General Masonic Board of Relief.—Amount received in Aid of the Suffering Brethren. The losses of the Masonic fraternity have been computed, and found to be much greater than was at first supposed. The private lodges saved nothing, and all their warrants, banners, jewels, clothing, and other paraphernalia were lost. Some of them even did not rescue their seals; and Hibernia, Union Lod

The Destruction—The Loss—Estimates—The Acreage and Streetage—Has the Land Decreased in Value?—Incomes swept away—What is Left—Hope!—The Insurance—The Corporation Loss—The Dominion Loss—Additional Deaths—The Wounded—The Orange Body. In forming an estimate of the destruction which the fire has caused great care has been exercised. I have been careful to verify every statement I advance. Thoroughly competent engineers have, at my request, re-surveyed the area through which the fire raged, and I am

The Books we have Lost—"The Lost Arts"—The Libraries of St. John which were Burned—The Pictures which were Lost—The Few that were Saved—A Talk about Books and Pictures—The Future—What St. John men must Do—Acknowledgments—Conclusion of the Story of the Fire. It is only when we come to look around us that we can discover how much we have lost. In one's lifetime a thousand little things are gathered and put away, and we find ourselves turning to them every now and then. Money cannot supply these. M

From returns in detail, just furnished by the Oddfellows' Lodges, the results of the fire, in relation to its effects on individual members appears to have been as follows:— Many of the sufferers had no insurance. The supposed superiority of the fire department, and general efficiency of the water supply, having led to a false security—to a popular belief that it was impossible for St. John to be scourged by fire, as Boston and Chicago had been. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE IN THE TOWN OF PORTLAN

At eleven o'clock the Portland Town Council met to consider the best way in which relief for the sufferers could be administered. The Mayor of St. John, Dr. Earle, the High Sheriff, and Harris Allan, Esq., of the Relief and Aid Society, were present. On motion it was resolved that the council should attend to the wants of the homeless, and committees were immediately appointed to perform the various duties incumbent on them. These were Couns. Chesley and Munro, to look up school-houses; Couns. M

The Chairman, and Messrs. Chesley, Duff, Puddington and Cochran....

Messrs. Gilbert, Austin, Purdy and J. H. Parks....

Chairman, and Messrs. Holly and Maher....

Messrs. Puddington, Cochran, Maher and Holly. A very efficient ladies' committee was promptly organized, and through their noble efforts a vast deal of suffering was prevented, Mrs. Simon Baizley, Mrs. Barnhill, Mrs. D. B. Roberts, Mrs. Thomas Hilyard, Mrs. Teed, Mrs. Almon and others comprised this committee. Up to November 28th, 1877, the following donations have been received in aid of the people who were burnt out:—...

P. Nase & Son, twenty barrels potatoes, one chest tea. Vroom & Arnold, thirty barrels potatoes. James J. Follows, two barrels cabbages. Chas., Fawcett, (Sackville, N. B.) four stoves. Manchester, Robertson & Allison, goods to amount of one hundred dollars. Geo J. Fisher, thirty rolls roofing paper. Thomas Cusack, blankets to value of $75....