The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
At approximately five o'clock in the afternoon on July 8, 1892, a pipe in Timothy Brine's stable began what would become the worst fire in St. John's history. Initially the fire did not cause any widespread panic, however a series of catastrophic coincidences caused the fire to spread and devour virtually all of the east end of the city, including much of its major commercial area before being extinguished. A high wind from the northwest was blowing, hurling the sparks far and wide on the roofs of the clusters of wooden houses. For months previous hardly any rain had fallen, and the shingled roofs were like tinder. The situation was exacerbated because of work completed earlier in the day on the water mains. Although water was re-stored two hours before the fire began, water pressure was insufficient to force water up to the higher section of the city. Flames therefore made headway before water was procurable, and the very high westerly winds was furiously fanning the fire. The fire continued to burn into the night and at daybreak on the morning of July 9, 1892 the full extent of the fire's devastation was revealed. At least 12,000 people were burnt out. Something to Ponder Arguing with a fool proves there are two.
