A hard-working Manager--The Dramatic Lyceum--The Temperance
Hall--The Water-Works Building--A Hard Fight--Another Rush of
the Homeless--The Weary March of the Unfortunates--History of
the Water Supply--Early Struggles--Changes--The Old Way--The
St. John Water Company--Placed in Commission--The Company
To-day.
The cosy Dramatic Lyceum, endeared to old theatre-goers on account of
many pleasant memories, was reduced to ashes after the fire had
destroyed the marble establishments of Jas. and Robt. Milligan and S. P.
Osgood. Like Robertson's stable it was not long in the throes of
dissolution, for it parted company with the earth in a few brief
moments. It had been built a score of years and more, and for a long
time it was the chief place of amusement in the city. Its builder was
the father of theatricals in St. John, and no man ever did more for his
chosen profession than he. He worked with the vigour which only an
enthusiast feels, and now at the close of his long managerial career,
extending over a quarter of a century, he can look back with pride and
satisfaction on the work he has done. He has taught the people all they
know of dramatic affairs to-day. He has educated and elevated their
tastes, and by the production of the great masterpieces of Shakespeare,
Jonson, Massenger, Bulwer, Goldsmith and Sheridan, he has instilled into
the minds of the citizens a love of all that is admirable and beautiful
in our common literature. He it was, who at great pecuniary sacrifice
brought such an artist as Charles Mathews here, and it was under his
management that Charles Dillon, E. L. Davenport, Frederic Robinson,
Wyzeman Marshall and the famous comedian, Wm. J. Le Moyne,[L] played
short engagements in our city. When the plain, but comfortable Lyceum
was built, it was the first step towards a regular theatre that had been
made, and in his early days Mr. Lanergan had much to contend against and
many old prejudices to break down. A hundred arguments were brought to
bear against his enterprise. Many good people, unskilled in the
knowledge of the world, and who had never in their lives attended a
theatre, were the most open in their denunciation of it and its
teachings. Fathers were exhorted to keep their boys at home, and men and
women were enjoined not to attend the performances in this "devil's
house." But Mr. Lanergan showed his patrons that he could furnish a
species of amusement harmless in its character and respectable in its
quality. He selected from the wide range of plays only those which
taught good lessons, and the ladies and gentlemen he secured to give
utterance to the thoughts of the masters in literature, were persons of
irreproachable character and conduct. He saw his efforts rewarded at
length, and during the last ten years of his career his audiences
comprised the _elite_ of the city. The old Lyceum was ever a pleasant
place. It was cosy and easy and roomy, and one could always see an
acceptable performance on its little stage. The building was sold to
the Irish Friendly Society a few months ago and it was used by them for
concerts, entertainments, &c. On the night of the fire it was under
engagement to a minstrel party.[M]
After this temple of art was overthrown the fire burned along the square
till it struck the Hazen building, now owned by C. M. Bostwick, who had
but recently renovated it from top to bottom. But this corner house was
too much for the fire, the fiend was baffled in its object, and though
late through the night it made several inefficient attempts to raise its
head, when the morning dawned, the Hazen Building was still safe and
defiant, for the flames were at its feet helpless and weak. The fire
crept along the square and passed the burned district when it divided
itself into two wings. The right body went up Leinster Street, and the
left wing proceeded around by the square, attacked the Court House, was
repulsed, when it burned the buildings adjoining No. 2 Engine House, and
made a sortie in rear of the jail. It was well nigh successful in its
object, and indeed a portion of this edifice was burned. The prisoners
were made secure, and a grand exit took place under the immediate
supervision of Deputy Sheriff Rankine. Two or three of the culprits
managed to escape, but they returned next day, after wandering about the
city, and gave themselves up, fearing lest they would starve in the
desolate and destitute town. The jail successfully resisted the flames,
but not so the old Temperance Hall which stood beside it. This
antiquated and wholly unattractive meeting-house was put up about thirty
years ago, and was originally intended for a school in connection with
the poor-house, which stood on the corner of Carmarthen and East King
Streets. The Temperance Order was organized in St. John, May 12th, 1847,
and the leading men were Hon. S. L. Tilley, C.B., Lieut.-Governor of the
Province, Chas. A. Everett, the Smilers, John Rankine, W. H. A. Keans,
S. B. Paterson, O. D. Wetmore, and of late years, Samuel Tufts, Edw.
Willis, A. G. Blakslee, J. A. S. Mott, and Sheriff Harding. The
organization met in King Street till they were burned out, after which
they settled in the Temperance Hall near the jail, where they have
remained ever since. The interior of this block was burned, and only the
Court House, which was opened for the first time for Supreme Court uses
by Judge Botsford at the January Circuit of 1830, the Registry Office,
and the City Prison were left. It was only by dint of the most strenuous
exertions that these buildings were kept proof against the levelling
qualities of the left wing, which again and again reared its front till
it was firmly laid low at eleven in the evening of that terrible day.
The old poor-house in Carmarthen Street was hemmed in by the united
forces of left and right, and it easily succumbed without even a show of
resistance. The defence of the office of the Superintendent of Water
Supply[N] was one of the memorable events in connection with the history
of the fire. In the yard people from all quarters of the city had stored
their goods in the vain hope that the fire could never reach them. The
situation of the office seemed to promise safety. It was far away from
the business portion of the town, and no one dreamed of its being
attacked from the contingent which moved along Carmarthen Street. Here
at least many persons thought, was a place of safety. From four o'clock
in the afternoon, while the rich row of buildings in the Market Square
were struggling against overwhelming odds, load after load of furniture,
merchandise and general chattels poured into the spacious yard, and even
the office itself was for a time a vast warehouse. It was only when the
work of the incendiary showed itself in Leinster Street and old
Malachi's toppled over, that the destruction of the well-equipped office
was considered imminent. Then it was that heart-sick and weary men and
women, who had worked all day, and who had lost nearly all they
possessed, and had hoped what little they had taken to the water-office
yard would be saved, began to realize the situation. Where could they go
now? Where could they take the only remnants which reminded them of the
bright home they had had that morning. Twice had they gathered up the
fragments, and in each removal the little heap grew smaller than before.
But it was worse now. In the afternoon teams could be had for five
dollars a load, and now as high as thirty, and even fifty dollars were
refused by inhuman drivers. Calamities sometimes make barbarians of men,
and the nearer the flames got, and the hotter the breath of the fire
became, the more exorbitant was the price asked by owners of vehicles,
and the more inhumanity mankind exhibited. Women cried and groaned as
they fell on all that was left, and some begged piteously for help. But
when they got a dray or a sloven, where could they go? The wild behemoth
could overtake them where'er they went. But on came the fire, both sides
of the street, back again by Carmarthen Street, up by Carmarthen Street.
Here the force united, and crushing out all before it, drove with
tremendous energy and iron-like rigour into the very heart of the
building. In an instant it was on fire in ten places, and the huge pipes
alongside that looked so like an array of mounted cannon, were all that
remained in the yard the next day. The blacksmith shop, oil-house,
stable, and everything near showed scarcely a trace of what they had
been. The great bulk of the valuable records, papers and plans and
specifications of the office were saved through the untiring vigilance
of the superintendent, his valuable aids and the workmen in the employ
of the Company. Nothing, indeed, that could not be replaced in a little
time was lost.
In this connection, a brief sketch of the water supply of St. John will
not be without interest. It is only half a century ago that the
inhabitants of this city were dependent on wells for the water which
they drank and used. Even at later date than that it used to be sold
about the streets from tall casks, at a penny a bucketful. The chief
wells were in King's Square, Blockhouse Hill--the vantage ground of many
a well-contested fisticuff battle between the rising generation;
Princess Street, near Charlotte; Queen Square, the foot of Poor House
Hill, which in winter made such a splendid coasting road; and in
Portland close by the first public hydrant, now in Main Street. In
1820, agitation was made for a better system of water supply; but it was
not until 1825 that the question took definite shape, and an Act for the
incorporation of a water company, with a capital of L10,000 passed the
Legislature. Surveys were at once made, and estimates were laid before
the stockholders, but the capital subscribed was deemed insufficient to
enable them to go on with the work in hand. The money was accordingly
lent out on interest until the next year, when each stockholder received
back the sum he had paid in, with three per cent. added. A number of new
wells were sunk at once, and every effort made to secure for the people
a fuller supply. In 1832, Hon. William Black, Nehemiah Merritt, James
White, John Ward, George D. Robinson, Thomas Barlow, Hugh Johnston, John
M. Wilmot, James Hendricks, Thomas Millidge, Robert W. Crookshank,
Zalmon Wheeler, Robert Parker, William B. Kinnear, Richard Sands,
Lauchlan Donaldson, Charles Simonds, James T. Hanford, William Leavitt,
and Noah Disbrow had an Act passed for the Incorporation of the St. John
Water Company. It started with a subscribed capital of L20,000, five per
cent. of which was to be paid in a year from the date of the passing of
the Act. The shares were placed at L5 each. Directors were to be elected
every year, and consist of thirteen in number, and seven of the old
directors were to remain in office each year. In 1834, a new Act was
passed, amending the one which was sanctioned two years previously, but
the Company was not regularly organized until 1837. Colonel Baldwin,
C.E., during this year, made surveys, and on his advice the first
practical attempt at bringing the water into the city from Lily Lake was
made. An engineer was appointed, and, under his management, the first
City Water Works were built. The water was not brought, as in the
opinion of eminent engineers it should have been, directly from Lily
Lake to the city by its own gravitation, but was taken from the tail of
Gilbert's Mill, and conducted thence by a sluice to a reservoir or a
cistern, which was placed a few yards to the south-west of the
Marsh-bridge. An engine and pumping-house was erected over the cistern,
a steam-engine and gear were procured, and the water was sent through a
ten-inch main to the reservoir, which was on Block House Hill. The water
was first brought through the pipes to the city in October, 1838. The
supply passed through a very limited number of pipes, and the
inhabitants, up to 1850, could only get water two hours each morning.
The Company, from its first organization, suffered the pangs of
financial troubles. The stock had met with many takers, who subscribed
readily, but when called on for their payments failed to respond. A loan
of L5,000 was received from the Legislature, which relieved the company
somewhat for the nonce. In 1850, an appeal was made to the citizens on
public grounds, and they were earnestly solicited to take up the new
shares which were offered. The money from this source was to be applied
to the extending of the works to, and bringing the water from, Little
River at Scott's Mill, five miles away from the city. This course had
been recommended by Chas. W. Fairbanks, Esq., C.E., of Halifax, under
whose supervision the water had been introduced into that city. The city
took up 900 shares, and private individuals bought the balance. The site
at Scott's Mill was purchased, a small dam was built, and a twelve-inch
main, four and a half miles in length, was laid. This main the company
connected with the ten-inch main that was laid in 1837-8. The same main
is still perfect, and to-day works as well as ever. In 1852 an Act was
passed, authorizing a further increase in the capital to the amount of
L10,000, to be made preference stock. This was necessary to meet the
growing demand of consumers, and to enable the company to extend their
pipes through the streets. In April, 1855, an Act was passed to allow
the company to transfer their property and works to the City Corporation
and Sessions. This step was deemed prudential for many reasons, the
chief of which was the great difficulty the company experienced in
running the water and sewerage systems separately. The conveyance was
made. The Act authorized the Commissioners to issue debentures, bearing
six per cent. interest, payable half-yearly, and redeemable at periods
not exceeding forty years from their date. Two of the commissioners, one
of whom should be chairman, were to be appointed by the Common Council,
and another by the County Sessions. John Sears, Esq.--who lost in the
great fire all his private papers, historical recollections which he had
been collecting for forty years, and a number of rare oil paintings and
portraits, an irreparable loss--was the first chairman, with the late
John M. Walker, and John Owens, Esquires, as Commissioners. In 1864,
Edward E. Lockhart, Esq., the present chairman, was appointed to the
office, and the late Thomas King, and J. D. Woodworth, Esquires,
Commissioners. On Mr. King's death, Mr. Stephen K. Brundage was
appointed, and Mr. William Seely took Mr. Woodworth's place.
[Illustration: VIEW FROM QUEEN SQUARE.]
The first step taken by the commission was the improvement of the works.
The dam at Little River reservoir was built higher and stronger, and
during the progress of operations on it, it burst twice, and Gilbert
Murdoch, Esq., the chief engineer, narrowly escaped drowning on one of
these occasions. A twenty-four inch main was laid from the reservoir,
and almost at the same time, and for most of its length, beside the ten
inch main put down in 1850. This came across the Marsh bridge, and was
connected, along with the twelve inch main, with an iron chamber, from
which the water flowed into the original ten inch main, running up
Brussels Street to the reservoir; a twelve inch main up Waterloo Street;
a twelve inch main which went by the city road to Portland, and mains
which have been put down later. The reservoir in Leinster Street was
also thoroughly improved.
A new twelve inch main was laid up Erin Street, through St. Patrick and
Wentworth Streets, to Princess, in 1868. The twelve inch main that is
laid up Waterloo street, also goes along Sydney to Princess streets, and
the Portland twelve inch main is extended nearly to the spot where the
defunct street railway stables were, on Main Street, where an eight inch
pipe joins it, and carries the water as far as Rankin's mill, by way of
the steamboat wharves.
This brings the history of the water supply down to about nine years
ago. Since that time, the progress which has been made upon it has been
great and rapid. A vast amount of money and skill have been expended to
bring the works down to the splendid state of perfection in which they
are now. The water supply is excellent, and the system of sewerage is
unsurpassed anywhere. Under great natural difficulties the work has been
prosecuted, but the engineers and their workmen, by dint of
perseverance, have surmounted the many obstacles which beset them on
every side. Before leaving this subject, a remark or two may be made
about the source from which our people receive their supply of water.
The Victoria spring is situate on a hill-side, about a mile this side of
Loch Lomond. Its waters form the head of Little River. Lake Donaldson is
near the spring, and the Victoria is supposed to drain it. The stream
from the spring flows into Douglas Lake, a sheet of water on the south
side of the Loch Lomond road, eight miles from the Marsh Bridge. It is
three miles from Lake Douglas to the reservoir. Lake Latimer, one of the
feeders of Little River on the south side, is nearly as high as Loch
Lomond. Its waters are as clear as crystal. Lake Buck, which also flows
into Little River, lies about a quarter of a mile away from it. Long's
Lake which is on the right side of Little River as it flows towards
Courteney Bay, is about a mile to the north of Loch Lomond Road, and
empties itself into the reservoir. That a still further head may be had
when wanted, the Commissioners purchased land through which they can
bring a strong supply of water from Loch Lomond. There is an abundance
of water in Little River for the immediate requirements of the city, but
the supply can be doubled easily by tapping Loch Lomond.
The water in the Little River Reservoir is one hundred and sixty feet
above high tide level; and in the Leinster Street Reservoir it is one
hundred and thirty-two feet. A good deal of nonsense, during the
excitement of the present fire, was talked about an inadequate supply of
water to meet the wants of the exigency, but this was found to be
fallacious. There was plenty of water all the time, and while there was
much reckless and needless waste, there was sufficient of the element to
meet the demands of the firemen and hose-men. It is a popular cry to
raise at a fire which cannot be got under way, that there is no water.
On the best authority the writer is happy to be able to place it on
record that the supply of water was in every way adequate to the
requirements of the hour.
FOOTNOTES:
[L] Mr. Le Moyne's second appearance in St. John was at the
Academy of Music, in October, 1876, when he appeared in a round of
favourite characters from dramatizations of Dickens' novels, under the
management of Mr. Charles H. Thayer, of Boston.
[M] As many readers take interest in the programmes used on
first nights of theatres we give a copy of Mr. Lanergan's opening bill,
at the Lyceum. It runs as follows:
ST. JOHN DRAMATIC LYCEUM.
SOUTH SIDE KING'S SQUARE, ST. JOHN, N. B.
_Manager and Proprietor_ MR. J. W. LANERGAN.
_Stage Director_ FRANK REA.
_Scenic Artist_ D. A. STRONG.
_Machinist and Property Maker_ D. J. MORIARTY.
_Ticket Master_ T. A. ALLISON.
"Those who live to please,
Must please to live!"
GRAND OPENING NIGHT!
The above new and elegant place of amusement will open for the
first regular Dramatic Season, on Monday evening, June 15, 1857,
with a full, Efficient and Talented Dramatic Company,--comprising
the following well known Ladies and Gentlemen:
Mr. W. A. DONALDSON, }
" N. DAVENPORT, } From the Boston Theatre.
" N. C. FORRESTER, }
" FRANK REA From Wallack's Theatre, New York.
" F. S. BUXTON. From the Canadian Theatres.
G. F. TYRRELL; J. C. WALLACE; E. B. HOLMES; D. J. MORIARTY; P.
MORIARTY AND J. W. LANERGAN,
Mrs. J. W. LANERGAN, }
" FRANK REA, } From Wallack's Theatre, New York.
Miss E. HOMAN From the Boston Theatres.
Mrs. F. S. BUXTON " Canadian "
" J. C. WALLACE
" N. C. FORRESTER " Boston "
and " J. C. MORIARTY " " "
_The entertainment will commence as above with the National Anthem!_
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN,
By the Orchestra.--After which an Original opening Address written,
and to be delivered by
G. F. TYRRELL.
To be followed by Sir E. L. BULWER'S Chaste and Elegant Comedy in
5 acts, entitled
MONEY!
"'Tis a very good world that we live in,
To lend, or to spend, to give in,--
But to beg, or to borrow, or to get a man's own,
'Tis the very worst world that ever was known."
Alfred Evelyn Mr. J. W. LANERGAN.
Benjamin Stout, Esq. (first appearance) FRANK REA.
Sir John Vesey " " N. C. FORRESTER.
Lord Glossmore G. F. TYRRELL.
Mr. Graves (first appearance) Mr. F. S. BUXTON.
Sir Fredk. Blunt " " N. DAVENPORT.
Capt. Dudley Smooth " " W. A. DONALDSON.
Sharp J. C. WALLACE.
Toke (first appearance) D. J. MORIARTY.
Clara Douglas Mrs. J. W. LANERGAN.
Lady Franklyn (first appearance) Mrs. FRANK REA.
Georgina Mrs. J. C. WALLACE.
_The entertainments of the evening will conclude with the Amusing
farce, with_ NEW READING, of
MR. & MRS. PETER WHITE.
Mr. Peter White Mr. F. S. BUXTON.
Major Pepper " N. C. FORRESTER.
Frank Brown " E. B. HOLMES.
Widow White Mrs. J. W. LANERGAN.
Mrs. Peter White " FRANK REA.
Kitty Clover " J. C. WALLACE.
_PRICES OF ADMISSION._
Parquette 1s. 3d.--Dress Circle 2s. 6d.--Private and Family
Boxes $4, 5 & 6 each.
==> Private and Family boxes can be secured in advance by application
at the Box Office.
DOORS OPEN AT HALF PAST 7--COMMENCE AT 8.
_Ladies unaccompanied by gentlemen not admitted._
Good order is expected and will be rigidly enforced.
PRINTED AT DAY'S JOB OFFICE, 4 MARKET STREET.
[N] On these premises was situated the St. John Meteorological
Observatory. This was destroyed, but all the instruments belonging to
the Dominion were saved. Night and day observations have been made here
under the superintendence of Gilbert Murdoch Esq., C. E., during the
last 25 years.