<^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I l^|2 lis lU m ■ao IL25 i 1.4 125 2.0 m ■Ml ■ 1.6 Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WeST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) S72-4S03 ^ ^ \ •O' ^ <^ ''V ^^-4. ^^ V ^o^ ;4 ': k^ ^'4^' CIHM/ICMH CIHIVI/ICIVIH ^ Microfiche Collection de 1 Series. microfiches. \ Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductis>ns historiques '^•^^'ara, technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notas techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D □ D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^e et/ou pelliculAe I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReliA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge Intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear w;thin the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 4td filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a AtA poraible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mAthode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. r^ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es T P o fi D Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restauries et/ou pelliculAes r~V Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ tl 8 SI o Pages d*color6es, tacheties ou piqu^es Pages detached/ Pages ditachies Showthroughy Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inigale de I'impression includes supplementary materit Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire I I Pages detached/ pT] Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I includes supplementary material/ D D Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une peiure, etc., ont 6X6 filmies 6 nouveau de fapon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. T si di er b< ril re This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est i\\m6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X / 12X , > , 16X 20X 24X 28X '■■ -. > 32X ■ . -i - ■ m Th« copy filmtfd here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire fiimi fut reproduit grAce h la g6n4rosit6 de: BibliothAque nationale du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Las images suivantes ont AtA reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de l'exemplaire filmA, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de fllmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimis sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en termlnant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impresslon ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fllmfo en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impresslon ou d'illustration et en termlnant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fllm6s A des taux de rMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^^^^v ,>V%.* 'JiJ f if ^' I Twenty-one years ago two conflagrations, separated from each other by an interval of but thirty days, roduoed to ashes almost two-thirds of our city, and tnrew naked, on the smoking highway, upwards of 20,000 human beings. At sight of so much suffering the whole civilized world was moved to profound compassion, and abundant contributions flowed in from all sides to the succour of such heart-rending misfortune. Canada subscribed liberally ; the Mother-country was superabundant in her gifts ; and foreign nations were not behindhand in sympathy and generosity. Our agricultural population, though impoverished by adverse seasons, was moved to compassion, and contributed all that it could in money, but more especially in produce. Wf* were then at the beginning of summer, and at the sight of the brilliant sun over- head, promising opportunity and reward to industry and toil, and of such universally expressed sympathy, hope and courage took possession of the hearts of so manv thou- sands struck by misfortune. Soon the subscnptions poured in so abundantly tiiat the Belief Committee, appointed by the citizens, was enabled, to a certain degree, to aid them in rebuilding ; and this assistance was given on the condition that nothing but incombustible materials should be employed in the reconstruction of their homes. Thus it was that nearly 3,000 wooden houses were replaced by as many in^stone and brick, and saved from total destruction, ou Sunday last, the entire quarter destroyed by fire in 1845. But the high wind which prevailed blowing in a contrary direction, a consider- able portion of the St. Roch suburb, also buil^ of wood, had escaped the disaster of 1845. And since that period an entire town had been built in wood, beyond the Quebec city limits, and in a locality over which our municipal authorities could exer- cise no control. On Sunday last, at about half-post four o'clock ' in the morning, fire broke out on the west side of Crown street, at the limit of the quarter whence proceeded the conflagration of 1845, destroying all that la^ before it to the westward of the same street, for r " iih of over a mile, and covenng a width of about half a mile. The easterly wi 'Owing a furious hurricane, carried the fire in every direction with desolating i^ iity, and hurling to great distances the burning materials, rauluplied the centres of destruction to such a degree as ; to baffle every expedient, and render futile ail efiorts to stay the terrible ravage? of the destroying element. The military authorities, and the men of H. M. S. Aurora, lent, under the cir- cumstances, to the municipal body, all the assistance within their power, and many times even risked their lives in the efibrt to save property ; to them we owe, in a great measure, that we have not to deplore a still greater disaster. In a great number of localities blowing up with powder was had recourse to, in the hope, by creating wide breaches, to isolate and circumscribe the fire, but without success, for the flames did their work of ruin with the impetuosity of a torrent, bound- ing from place to place as if to avoid all obstacles and overleap distance. Almost 2,500 dwellings were thus reduced to ashes in a little less than twelve hours, and from Fifteen to Eighteen Thousand Persons, at the approach of a rigorous winter, left without food, without clothing, and without shelter. Many, even, perished in the flames, whose calcined skeletons were rescued from the smoking ruins after the day's destruction was over. / I I .»M.,'&;<4^Mife< ::-'^jAa)*>-^Hji-*--ft*- ^■' -^^■•:^.'"'. , :| The heart bleeds at the uight of bo much desolation, and of so many thousand unfortunates clamouring for bread, shelter and warmth. On the night following the disaster, the municipal authorities caused food to be distributed, and, .on the day following, the citizens met under the presidency of the Mayor, tu organize relief. Alxiut $30,000 have already been subscribed auioKS~our' citizens, and the subscription is still going on ; and even some distant localities have, with spontaneous generosity, already sent us their assistance. But how insufficient will this be to cover losses which do not fall far short of $2,000,000 ! The law which, within the city limits, compels these sufferers to rebuild with incombustible materials, will be for them equivalent to a forced expropriation, unless we can assist them, to a certain degree, in complying with its terms. To the generous hearted of all countries, then, we direct our appeal, and in the recollection of the compassion bestowed upon us in 1845, we place our hopes to be enabled to surmount the appalling misfortune of 1866. For the present the sufferers find refuge in the surrounding parishes, and in the public buildings, where food is distributed daily by the Relief Committee. If, as already narrated, some among them have perished in the conflagration, how many others must succumb to the rigours of the Canadian winter, or to those diseases which develope themselves and often propagate In a terrible manner in large and crowded agglomerations of human beings ? Some of the places in which they are sheltered are now ao overcrowded as to endanger alike morality and existence. In month hence our city will be covered with the snows of a long winter, and terrible as was the acoiirge of 1845, from that fact alone, it was less calamitous than the conflagration whicii, on Sunday last, threw over our city so much mourning and desolation. » - - . . .^ — For these reasons, then, we humbly crave permission to appeal to you in our distress, and to implore your sympathy and your generous contributions towards the relief of our unutterable misfortune. Quebec, 19th October, 1866. JOSEPH CAUCHON, Mi-yor of Quebec. + C. F. EVEQUE DE TLOA, Administrator of the Archdiocese. J. W, QUEBEC. J. DUVAL, Chief Justice Q. B. L. C. U. J. TESSIER, Speaker L. C, Canada. W. C. MEREDITH, Chief Justice S. C. L. C. C. F. CAZEAU, Vicaire Generate. JOHN COOK, D. D., Minister of St. Andrew's Church. GEORGE V. HOUSEMAN, M. A., Rector of Quebec. On behalf of the Executive Committee.