Produced by Robin Monks, Linda Hamilton, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [Illustration: The Burland Desbarats Lith. Co. Montreal RUINS OF THE GERMAIN ST. BAPTIST CHURCH BY MOONLIGHT. From a Sketch by John C. Miles, Artist.] THE STORY OF THE =Great Fire in St. John, N.B.= JUNE 20TH, 1877. BY GEORGE STEWART, JR., _OF ST. JOHN, N.B._ =Toronto:= BELFORD BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. ST. JOHN, N.B.: R. A. H. MORROW; MONTREAL, P. Q.: DAWSON BROS.; TORONTO, ONT.: JAS. CLARKE & CO.; DETROIT, MICH.: CRAIG & TAYLOR; BOSTON: LOCKWOOD, BROOKS & CO. [Illustration: PAPER MANUFACTURED BY CANADA PAPER COY MONTREAL] Entered according to the Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, by BELFORD BROTHERS, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture. HUNTER, ROSE, & CO, PRINTERS AND BINDERS. TORONTO. TO _GILBERT MURDOCH, C. E._, MY FIRST FRIEND, I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME. =The Author.= CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE The Great Fire--Its Extent--Its Terrible Rapidity--A Glance Backward--What the People Passed Through--The First Fire-- Protective Movements--The People who Lent the City Money-- Minor Fires--Fire of 1823--The Great Fire of 1837--The Calamity of 1839--The Trials of 1841--The King Street Fire 9 CHAPTER II. 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 19 CHAPTER III. The Fire in King Street--Recollections--The Old Coffee House Corner--The Stores in King Street--The Old Masonic Hall--The St. John Hotel--Its Early Days--The Bell Tower--King Square-- A Night of Horror--The Vultures at Work--Plundering the Destitute 27 CHAPTER IV. 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 36 CHAPTER V.