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1 2 3

4 5 6

F 3S / 7/

THE BURNING OP THE ST. LOUIS THEATRE, QUEBEC.

A BF.COKD OF THE EMINENT SEHVICES OF THE MILITARY.
BY SIR J. E. ALEXANDER, KNT., K.L.S., 14TK REGT,

" Quos tleus vult i)ertlcre pi-ius demeutut.**

Is tlie nppor town of Quebec,— the qncen of North American cities.
and h)okin(>- down from its rocky site on the broad St. Lawrwce, whilst
extensive plains, scattered villages, and distant moinitaln ranges greeted
the eve on all sides,— stood the Castle of St. Louis, the residence of
the Governors-General of Canada; this interesting edifice was burned
to the ground in 1831 ; subsequently the Earl of Durham caused the
ruins to be levelled, and converted into a terrace, enclosed with a rail-
ing, and which from the charming prospect it commands up and down
the river (in summer a:ive with shipping), became the favourite pro-
menade of the inhabitants.

A wing of the old chateau still remained, also the castle guard-liouse
at the entrance ; adjoining it were the Governor's stables, which were
let to a livery stable keeper, and next to them the St. Louis Theatre,
formerly a riding-house built by Sir James Craig ; this was lately the
scene of a fearful calamity, with which it pleased Divine Providence
a<Tain to afflict Quebec, so severely chastened by the great fires of May
and June, 1845. These, it will be remembered, laid in ashes the
greater part of the suburbs, and deprived 20,000 of the inhabitants, or
two-thirds of the population, of their homes. The seas of fire raged
round the walls of the upper town on these fearful occasions, when the
exertions of the military, under General Sir James Hope, the lloyal
Artillery, the 14th, 43rd, and 89th llegts., were so very conspicuous,
and so eminently useful in saving the upper town from falling a prey to
the flames. The soldiers pulled down and blew up houses, drove
before them those who still uselessly clung to their property, and saved
the lives of many helpless women and children. The flames quite
overpowered the firemen and the engines.

The St. Louis Theatre was a stone buildh^g, 80 feet by 40, and the
walls about 30 feet high ; the roof was covered with sheets of iron ;
along the upper part of the walls, and close under the eaves, were ten
wind'ows on each side of the building ; there were no windows near the
ground. Riding-houses have not usually windows below. When the
officers of the garrison were allowed to fit up the building as a theatre,
they found only two doors, one in the north gable, and another in one
of the side walls. To gain access to the theatre, and also to prevent
danger in case of fire, and give a readier exit, they got leave to make a
third door in the side wall ; they also suggested to the Corporation the
expediency of having a fourth door in the opposite wall, but this was
never carried into eff'ect. However, over the two side doors the officers
placed strong porches, so that a person dropping on them from the
windows above could easily save his life on an emergency ; also below
the stage there was an easy exit for the musicians and for the pit

2 TIIR lilTRNINC* OF

midience, if necessary; so that, mt\i the stage door, the pass.ffe under
the stage, the pit aid box doors, aud the windows over them the
officers had arranged six outlets from the theatre, iii case of an alaim ;
and whil^^t thev found that, with the box or origuuil door only open, it
took mlf an hour to empty the house of a full audienee, or 300, yet. with
both pit and box doors open, three minutes sufficed to get every one

^'"no accident had ever occurred during any of the garrison perform-
ances ; the camphine lamps were then placed under the charge of a
man who knew well how to manage them ; there was always a tat^ e
party of strong artillerymen in attendance, and plenty of water ; and no

doors were locked. . , »» ^i i> it ,.,.;or.v.

On the 8th of June last, a Canadian artist, Mr. M. I. llarnson,
hired the St. Louis Theatre from the Corporation of Quebec, tor tl.e
exhibition of "iUuminated dioramas." For this P^^P^^^- t^'^' f ^ ^j;^
boarded over, and the floor sloped upwards from the orches ra to e
back part of the house; a centre passage was left as before between he
'eats.^and from the upper and back part of the house a steep wooden
stair, three and a half feet wide, led to the box door.

■

^5^

M2i. V/,

■x

I- !

T^''/-

£ll

ll; o Stage, Pit Door, c Box Door, d Stair, e. Stables.

To n'nminate his dioramas, M.-. Harrison unfortunately d'd not take

ft sve/vlght, floats on water, spreads rapidly all about >f sp . an.l

•vte. thrown on it only increases the danger without ext.ngu.slnng the

flame. xTe insurance companies in Quebec will not now grant polices

for huildinffs where camphine is used. j ,i 4.^ ♦ii«

On the evening of the 12th of June, the theatre was crowded to the

door -at least 3^00 people were present : the price of admission had

door,-at least ^^^^^ P H ^^i audience was very respect-

'':Z:t::it:ilJ^T^t vouhVhave hesitated to attend a theatrica
exll^^billon tookleir 'children to witness these interesting illnminate<l

•iiH: 81. I.OVH TIIKAIUK, Ul KHKO.

life under
them, the
ui alarm;
ly open, it
,*yet, with
every one

I perform-

liarire of a

a fatigue

ir ; and no

Harrison,
c, i'or the
10 pit was
fstra to the
("tsveen the
!ep wooden

— -;//

did not lake

of camphine

with 200 oil

usually pre-

\ to handle;

if spilt, and

iguishing the

grant policies

•owdcd to the
dmission had
very respect-
d a theatrical
ig illuminated

U ua. verv pronorlv o\)iectod by some that the awful scimu-
tm-tures. It vas \cry propiri> J , ./. , ^^^fii its accompi'.nvuu,'

l.ouse were calllug out, a, a joke, '"^; ^^"^ K^^^^^^^^^^ l„m,. Lad

be™ up^et by a boy, i-nd tl'^ «»" ! ( ,,f,t rotvsTaVfor a sbort tin,.-,

l.ai.e. Some of the a.ubence m he t'™ '>^^'^^^;,;" 14,1, Uegt.,

watching the progress of vhe A'™''- ^ '^- jtm bnt^notbiug could

U„„,t „„ the ^'°g« -'''^-J'^ fae> of r^mC^ Savageau,\ule,ly

ei!X th:;,:-,r.r; IrurutVf o^'l^., he retu^ea for H.

ami agai.i retired in safety ; but not so us son. .

Al',„t 2.0 people '•-;'';-\^";'; I*,,' tyd entered, .1^ box

left 01-' "■; '^'^■:;.Cr ;'J',S C niddne su.oL began to roll roun.l
door; and now, wnen iut- i ii«..n. ^ \ . , frnnt rows, now

M. Uupuib, a iiuKii ^. wvnon liP was enterinsr the house, he

'''':;i T't ';%Hrrp;;::e rtrierauiru;^;^^^

S the children, and said, " Stop ! we won't go there and be killed ,
vve'll ^^o out another way/' And they did so m safety.

Armstrong now ran round to the box door with some othe.s , it w.>s

mind he did not get up again, but crawled out of the F^ ^oor on m.
"is and knees Ld sllwlhe light cloud passing into he ^ody of he
hor.se ; lie next rr>H for a li^ht to the guard-room near, and got one .

* I'HB UtTUNlNO OF

wTieu talcrn inside the box door, dreadful scroams and cri..^ for IicTii
wero .ud.lenly ujtorc>d from a n.us, of Immnn Icings 8h.T'..Iin.rwr !i'
in?, and nitedocked on th,. p^rou.ul nnd ui» the sfoq> «ood;« «t';,ir.

li.o cause of thoir boiug i,i this .sifuation is as follows. A 'i.md.er
of pooide vvore clustorod ro.md the door at tLoVop of tlu> ^tair uaitln-
to iu.ar -Yanl<e. Doodle" played; ^^•lu.n tho fllann of finMva. •^ivn.":
Miss Brown, a ^^choolmistross. dashod past tl.ose people and fell head
fon.niost from the top to tho bottom of the „air. Wr frie.uls we ^
down immediately to her assistance and kept the crowd hack ; -"hiledohi-r
this, a rush of burnm- vapour and llame caused those m tJio r.-ar ta
crush upon those people stoopino- dcnvn over Miss Brown, pushed ao-ainst
mLd'oielt:;^^ '^'""'^ '"''''''' '''^ '^'' "^"^'-^ ^"^^''^'^ irretricrvahly
Tho money-takcT's table and the lamp af the door wrre overtnnnd.
Iwo or three stroiijr xnen at the top of the stair rolled donn over tho
taces of the mass and vsere dragged out. Mr. MaedoualJ, tdifor of
ine Lauacuen, a stout person, was squeezed out of the mass bv tho
pressure around him, and escaped; the rest, men, U(,u,en, nnd cliildren
were closely wedged together, and tlio.igh their hea<ls and a^ms were
mostly out, yet their lower extremities were firmly fixed.

There was no more screaming heard after the lir^t burst ; tlie ludple.s
sufferers saw that vigorous etForts were made for their reli^.f, and kept ( miet
An axe was got, and an attempt was n.ade to kno.k down a partiilon
vvhich sq):,rated the stair from the ladies' cloak-room below. Li.ut.
Upon, of the Jvoyal Artillery, who had been walking near tl:e th(«afro
when tne alarm was given, after several vain efforts, dragged .mU a Mrs.
fetausfield. Lieut. Leslie Skymier, 8Dtli llegt., was also on the spot and
assisted tl.e others. Mr. llardie, an oil and colour merchant, assisted
1 ^^'•- K^'I'l'-i' t'>^' I'^'litor of the Quebec Mercurv. an.l others, CMe^srs
hhea, Mac Donald, Todd. Lepper, Back, Bennet,'i5tewart, Captahi Von
Zu.le. Commander of the "Ocean Queen," &c.) released, by Powerful
exertions Mrs. Wheatly and Mrs. Uoy. M,. IJardie remarked amon-r
the crowd of sufferer., Lieut. Hati.ilton, of the 14th Kegt., who had
gone to the theatre with two daughters of Assistant Commissary General
Kea, to the elder of the two CJulia) he was about to be married in a few
days ; that mornmg she had been arranging her wedding clothes • the
younger sister was lying furthest out, and Lieut. Hamilton's arms belinr
tree, Mr. Ilardie said, "Assist me to get out this young ladv,"
Hamilton did so, and she was pulled out with difficulty. Mr. Hardie
then said, as he carried her out, "I'll come back and try to release the
other; Ilauidton said, •' For God's sake do so !" but it was too late.
Mr. btewart fecott, an advocate and clerk of the Court o^ Appeals and
father of a large family, was in the crnsli with a little dauohter • his
brother triech with others, in vain to free him and the child; o'lie of^Mr.
bcott s arms was actually pulled out of its socket ; he said, « Save tho
child I it is useless to try to save me ;'* it was a most heart-rendino-
scene; both were obliged to be abandoned. Mr. Hardie and Mr.
Kinilm were both seized by sufferers nnd nearly draogod amoixr them,
and were obliged to strike to release themselves. One in the lower tier
offered all his worldly wealth for release.

A little boy had previously made a singular escape: he had been f^cnt
to the tluatre with a maid who was accompanied by a young man who

THIS dr. Loviit thi:atui7, (iuldlc.

crif's for liclp
;^«Iiii,ir. writU-
U'u stair,
u A ♦iiini!)t»r
' stair U'aitlnij
r« was f^ivi'ii,
and fell head
• friends went
; ; ■"'liih'doiniy
n tli(» rear to
uslu'dap-ainst
irrt'trievaWy

e overfurm d.
i\vn over tlio
Id, Kditor of
mass by the
niid cliil drcn
d aviiis were

i tIi(» Iielplt'sa
idkcpt qiiiL't.
11 a partiuoii
low. Lieut,
the theafro
d out a Mrs.
the sj)ot and
lilt, assiyttMl
'rs, (.Messrs.
"aptalii Von
by powerful
iked aiuoiiif
t., wlio had
ary General
I'ied in a few
dothes ; the
arms belnsif
)ung" lady,"
Mr. Hardie
release the
as too late,
Ll)peals,aud
igliter ; his
one of Mr.
" 8ave the
art-rending
J and Mr.
ion_<r them,
2 lower tier

1 boon sent
r man who

was attndif d to hot ; the "l)oy felt idiTpy before the performance was
over, and said, "Cue <»f these'bifr lamps \vill fall down and burn us, I
want to go liotne." I'he youn;/ man took liim hmue, returned, and be
and the 3 omix womnii were now in the dead crush.

(\)niparatively few peoph* were j)ri>sent to :«ssist. The sentry owtside
and the policemen thought at fust that all had escaped, before the llaiiies
appeared at the doors and window-', but all this time tiiey were raoiii;^
romui the interior; the wooihrn linino- of the wall? (the*buildin;r''bad
once been used as r. racket court) quickly caught tn\>, uho the sIoj)in|r
floor and benelies ; black and stilling- snioke from the caupliine r(di(>d
down the fatal stair, and hid tlie victims for a moment and drove those
courageously assistiuir outside; then the smoke wculdroll back and dis-
close the agonized countenances of those doomed to dei^trnctioM ; then at
once a stream of llame ran down from the top to the bottom of tlie
btair, every head seemed on lire, and they were painfully and help-
lessly moved about, the swollen tongues preventing utterance: it was
an appallina; sight. Again, another cloud of smoke, the rouf fell in, and
forty. live human beings, lately in healtli, ceased to exist.

The Kev. Mr. O'lleilly, a Roman Catholic priest, in tho conscien-
tious discharge of his sacred office, stood in the doorway, and i)raved
over them to the last. To the last they were sen.-^ible. How feariu!
must have been their mental agonies I

Living at the time in St. Louis Street, I was soon at the scene of
the dreadful calamity; though I was not aware at tirst that any one had
been lelt iu the theatre. 1 saw the horses and carriages saved from
the livery stables, which the tire was approaciiiiij^. The bells bcjan
tolling and the bugdes blew loudly " The Assembly." I worked at lirst
witli the 89th Kegimout (which was quartered in town in the Jesuits'
barracks), to get water for the military engines. Colonel Walker,
H.A., the Commandant of the Garrison, was on the spot. Colonel
Thorpe, conmianding the SDth, wa . actively directing the energies of
his men, and was ably seconded by his Adjutant, Lient. Kuipe.

At first there was great delay in getting water. Tlie lire compcnie*
brought up their engiiu's, but tliey were useless for some time : at last
the neigliljouring wells were tapped, and water-carts brought up a
supply from the river. A good deal of struggling now took place
between the military and the civilians in their eagerness to get water,
each party for their own engines ; no blows were struck, there was only
an excess of zeal. Mr. Okill Steuart, the Mavor, was present and
busily engaged, as were Mr. Mc Cord and Mr. U'ussell with the police
force, and Mr. Wells, the Inspector of the Fire Department.

I met Lieut. Armstrong in the crowd after his escape ; he told me of
those burning inside. I ran round to the south gable where ladders were
being planted. Some British sailor had, with an axe, knocked out a hole
in the wall near the box door, but the opening was made too late to be
of use ; but those who made it are deserving of gverv praise. I saw
Mr. Alexander Bell, a merchant, and Mr. Jessop, a collector of customs,
carryiLg a young lady (Miss Ilea) down a ladder. I ascended another
and carried down a respectable-looking woman, who was scorched, yet
wdio in the midst of her agitation cried out for her bonnet I I saw a
poor man, near the door, wlio had been rescued, crying in despair for
a young woman with whom he had gone to the the'atre, and who was

TIIK itnuNtxn OF

no svhon; to l,o seen. The iMiiiainjr was white and red with flamef
msul... 1 ho cl.nnv.l virtnns .>r the tiro wore hi a heap inside, and the

sint'll of ro;istO(i tlcsli was sifkiMiin;.-. ^

A stroujr dcrachuiHit of the lirli Kc.irim.Mit came from thv citndrl
with the engmos, hooks, and huldc-rs. Unyn- Watson, commandinir the
n'gm.cnt, was prestMit with most of the otht^r oflicHT^. The men. in
conjunction with the Uoval Artillery and 8i;th Ucffiment. forim.i
streots to pass snpplu.s of wat««r. and l.y means of theirunitrd elTorts
with the hooks and ladders, they draopvd the roof off the stables, and
saved ttio p.ard-honse. Amon<r them worked vifr„rously Captain
Jngall the Deputy-Assistant Q.iartermaster-Gencral. Nothincr eould
exceed the devotion and enerrry of the .oldiers; tlu>y fearlessly exposed
themselves to danger from fallinn: timber and their clothes t<> in urv ;
and It is the opinion of those who lost relatives on this occasion, that if
he soldiers luul been present to assist those who so courageously tried
to save the sutlerers, that all mijrht have been got out.

1 he wmg of the old ehateau befran to smoke. I was interested about
It, to preserve. t as a relic of the palmy days of Qu.d.r. On the outer wall
18 a cross ot fet. John of Jerusalem, cut in stone, and with the (.ate 1G47.
1 ffot an axe, and hewed down part of a wooden spout at an an'>-le to
prevent the lire from nnminfr i,p to the roof, I was imnu«diatelv
snrroimded by three ot the corporation, wbo thouuht tlu-re was no
dan-er ; but dan-er there was, for a la-ld. r on the roof qtiJ.lJv can.-bt
hre from the sparks brouoht hy the fire-wind which be.rau'to rLe.
though before this the nJoht was fortunately calm and the moon sliininj?
brightly on the scene. 1 ran upstairs, wiih an active eorporal ((iabn,
Hth): we found that the fire was not ii.side. A bold llreman Tlu,mas
Andrews, climling on the roof, cut away the bnrnin- la.i.hT, and hurled
It over the eaves. Water thrown ou 'the windows prevenltd further
uanoer. *

The appearance of the fire and surrounding obferts was now awfully
grand. Under the black canopy of smoke, the flames rose hi-h in the
air, .'buninatmg the tin-covered roofs and sp'res rf the. clurrclies and
buil.hngs around, and shewing the large bo.ly of military at work, the
hemeted firemen and their bright painted engines, and a great multi-
tnde of anxious spectators in the Place D'Annes. Among them were
those who ran about, and who cried distractedly for their lost relatives
or tneuds—for those who were never again to cheer the domestic
iiearth.

The progress of the fire was most rapid, vet it was at last got under
vyhen thc>re was nothing left to burn. The gongs of the engines
signalled for more water ever and anon ; and, about t-vo in .he mornin./,
one by one they left off working, each comi.any, unnc.cessarily, givimr
three cheers : silence was best after such a scene of distress.

Ihe energetic magistrate, Mr. U. S^mes, had directed that the
bodies should not be touched till davlight. I went to bed for a few
Hours, and rose early tr search for inv brother officer. Tho bIack(«nod
remains of the sufferers were brought out, and laid on the grass of a
small terrace at tlie south gable of the theatre. Forty-three at first
vv-ere found m a heap, ten feet long, four broad, and four in height; two
others were afterwards found but mere trunks: forty -five victims
in all. -^

with damet
ide, and the

the cttrtdcl
inauding the
i'he ineiit in
i'iit» tbniU'd
iiitcd tftorts
srables, and
^\y C;)ptain
>thinf^ could
jsly exposed
I to injury ;
"»ion, that if
eously tried

•ested about
le outer wall
I' (.ate- 1C47.
a uTifrh*. to
iiniiu'diately

I'Kly caught
ail to rii«t»,
oon shhjing
•al (da-liii,
in, Tlioiuas
and hurliMl
lid further

iow awfully
liiili iu the
lurdics and
t work, the
rcat multi-
thorn were
st n-lalives
a domestic

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THE iT. Loi;i« TiiKAini?, {^rcnuo. . 7

Most of thefipudi, tho chor^f^, and the arms tvero consunu'd by the
fire; the lowest of nil were tolerably entire; the hirs were twisted and
distorted in vvery possible manner, sonu* drawn up to the eh(>st, others
■tretched out, the feet and lefjH in one line; in some the eh)tlu>s were
almost all burned off, in others the frowns and trowsers were rntiro,
IJy the dresses and shoes and boots the bodies were made out. One
I dy, that of a man, was covered with h)u<r browu hair, trunk and
limbs I It was two hours before I could iiieutif'y poor Iliuuilton. At
list, with the assistance of the Hospital Serjc'ant, Uadtord, Corporal
Unnd;jll, and some of tho men of tho regiment, we recognized tho
remains, and had them carefully removed; a ladv's black scarf was
under the left arm : the watch had stopped at twelve minutes to <'leven.
It was inost distressing to witness those who came in search of relatives
—-the intense grief which blinded them as tliey spread a sheet over the
iniserable remains of mortality, and removed them to their residences
for tho coroner's iucpiest.

Besides those already named, there perish(^d Mr. II. Carwell, a
merchant, and two of his children ; Mr. Sin«s, a druggist, with his eldest
daughter and a son ; the wife and daughter of the editor of the r.r a-
dieu;^ Mr. lloogs, book-keeper Montreal Hank, and two sons; Mr V,
Harrison, brother of the owner of the Diorama; Mrs. AFolt and two
sons ;Mrs. Atkins and her son; Mrs, (nbb tuul daiightcr ; Mr.Marcoux,
a bailiff; Mr. Devlin, a watchmaker; Mr. Wlieatley, a stationer; Sec.
The aged pair Tardif, formoJy mentioned, were found among the rest,
arm in arm.

()u the Sunday followinc the fire, the tolling of the bells was heard
from an early hour, and funeral processions traversed the streets all
day. Fifteen coffins were laid out at one time in the Uoman Catholic
catheurnl, and an air of melancholy reigned over tho city. For a
considerable time after the late distre'ssing event people could talk and
think of nothing else. Lieut. Hamilton and Miss Julia Ilea were
buried in one grave : " wedded in death."

Some useful lessons may be derived from this fire. That there
should always be very easy modes of egress from public buildings, and
doors opening outwards, according to tho laws of Holland, in which a
theatre was burnt sixty years ago, attended with loss of life. Iu
Richmond, in Vn-ginia, December 26, 1811, six hundred persons were
present at a theatre, of whom seventy-two perished by fire, among
whom^ were the Governor of the state and the Mayor of the city. Last
year, in Russia, three hundred are said to have perished under similar
circumstances. Again, fire companies should b^- freijuently drilled,
exercised, and directed to act without noise or confusion, and the
captains should have, and should use, speaking trumpets ; above all, the
supply of water should be ample. There are no water works at Quebec,
though they are proposed (as is also lighting the streets, which are
still in total darkness) ; the water at present is got from wells, by
introducing suckers, and in water-barrels or carts from the river.
This last is a very rough way; much is lost, and long delays arise.

In the West India Islands there is an excellent arrangement for
water, _ Large upright tank?, made of plates of cast iron, which stand
up against the public buildings, like immense octagonal sentry-boxes,
twelve or twenty feet high, and are supplied by rain-water from the

8 TltB UlTUNINa or tlifi «T« WrA» TnK4TAK> QVKII'O.

roor<. Til© pressure of llie water scndn a powerful stre.im tlironoli tlie
cofk he!r)vv wlien tlio key Is iH)i)lie(1, otkI tiio ^viUe^ in usefiil for lioiise.
!iol(l purposes— Jifter tilteriui,', for wateriii': tlir streets, or tor extm-
pui^liinj,' tire. In Ca»iii(l;u by rnsiiinr tlie tanks, tlio tVost nii;j;lit ho kept
©flf; bureveii if ihey were useless dnriiiff live niontlis of tliu year, they
mijiht bo of essential service dnrin? the other seven montbfl, and ther©
19 only a tritling txpcuse altomling their coub^ructiou.

Quebec, 27th June, 1846.

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