Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1882 — KINGSTON’S CALAMITY. [ARTICLE]

KINGSTON’S CALAMITY.

The Capital City of Jamaica in Ashes. Property Valued at *30,000,000 Wiped Out. I [London Tderam to Ghicatro Dally News.) Advices were received from Kingston, Jamaica, announcing that a terrible lire destroyed the entire business portion of the city. The aggregate loss is estimated at not less than 150,000,000 The origin of the fire is not known, but the Dames gained each headway that the efforts of the firemen to subdue them were without avail, and the fire only stopped when there was nothing more to bum. Beside business houses many dwellings were destroyed, and hundreds are homeless. All the wharves, warehouses, stores and banks burned, and all the provisions in the city have been destroyed. In consequence, food and supplies are sadly needed by the people, who will soon be in most destitute circumstances unless relief is sent to tiiem speedily. Immediately utter the fire a local Belief Association was organized, with W. K. Azbiil as Heeretary. He has sent out telegrams to this country and America appealing for aid. Among the buildings swept away by the flames are the large Victoria market and tb« public landing place at the foot of King street; the Court? House in Harbor street, which was a handsome building; the public hospital; the law library; the Chancery Keister’s office; the court of the Vice Admiralty, and the public library and museum, all in East street These were but two banks in the city, and both are destroyed—the Colonial Bank and the Government Havings Bonk. The city was built on a plan which rises with a gradual ascent to the foot of the Liguanea mountains, and the business portion was packed closely together along the shore. The wholesale houses were close together on Port Koyal street and the retail establishments on Jf arbor street The buildings were without any means of protection against fire, and burned like tinder. the cm. Kingston, the cupltal of Jamaica, is hnilt in the form of an amphitheater, with rude and irregular streets; the houses mostly at twtyttories, are solidly constructed of brick or wood and pointed green and white. The houses in the center of tse city formed blocks or squares and in the principal streets were furnished with verandas below and covered galleries above. Among the notable buildinga are the English church, a Scottish, several Methodist, and a few Boman churches, a penitentiary, theater, barracks and jail, but none of them possess much architectural beauty. The town wus founded in IWH, after the destruction by earthquake of Port Royal. It bus before suffered from conflagrations.. It was almost completely destroyed by fire In 1782, and was visited again by another disastrous fire in 1 BfS2. The population of the place is about .V’.' < . It la an important commercial point, ,<i.d Ha exports and imports are large.