An eye-witness account
New York Times 1882, December 22
Purser Coffey, of the Alvo, said that the fire started on the 11th shortly after noon in Feurtardo’s lumber-yard on Port Royal street. It was not at first thought to be a very serious matter and had adequate means for extinguishing an ordinary fire been at hand the great fire would never have occurred. The high wind drove the sparks rapidly in the air and these struck the loose shingles on the roofs of the wooden buildings. This led to the springing up of flames in various directions at points blocks distant from where the fire had originated. The high wind from the sea continued until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The fire brigade, which had always been a small one, was powerless. There was some trouble about adjusting the hose to the hydrants, which were very poorly supplied with water. But with their poor equipments the firemen were unable to make any stand against the flames. Although the men worked gallantly for a time, the simultaneous breaking out of fires in all directions, owing to the spread of burning sparks, obliged them to give up the fight. Many of the persons whose homes had been burned hurried down toward the water’s edge with such of their valuables as they had saved. A large number of people took refuge in the car stables, which were to windward of the fire. When the wind lulled, late in the afternoon, the flames seemed for the moment checked, but when it began to blow strongly from the land the utmost terror and consternation prevailed. The people who had taken refuge in the car stables were obliged to abandon their possessions to the flames. The tide of refugees which had poured down toward the water all the afternoon now turned in other directions The whole town seemed to be covered with a sea of flames. Nearly all of the principal buildings were on fire, and but for the aid of the boats from vessels in the harbor hundreds of persons who had taken refuge on the wharves would have been burned to death. All of the wharves, with the exception of the Royal Mail and that owned by McDowell, Hankey & Co., were burned. The latter had a narrow escape and was partially damaged by fire. Along the waterfront alone the fire extended for one and a quarter miles. Among others the Ordnance dock was destroyed. Port Royal street was burned on both sides of the way from the starting-place at Feurtado’s lumber-yard to beyond Church-street. The latter was destroyed from the Self-Help Society Building to Water-lane. King-street was laid in ashes from Tower-street to the sea. Orange, Princess, West, Harbor, and other streets were almost entirely destroyed, although a building was saved here and there by the exertions of the inhabitants. Some small buildings were cut away in order to save the larger ones next to them. Among the buildings destroyed were those of the Postal Telegraph Company, the London Hotel, the Government Savings Bank, and the Victoria Market. After a severe struggle with the flames the Custom-house was saved, but the escape of this building was a very marrow one. The Colonial Bank also was saved. After burning all night the flames began to die out on the morning of the l2th. No attempt was made to clear up the ruins and there was no material for erecting temporary buildings for the homeless. It was estimated that about 600 buildings had been burned. The great fire of 1862 [the Fisher’s Fire] and even of 1843 [James the Founder’s or Matcham’s Fire] did not compare with the one of Dec. 11 and 12. The people who had taken refuge on the ships came ashore and joined the throngs of homeless ones which wandered about in search of food and covering The coal in the large bins on the docks was still burning fiercely on the 14th.
