The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-28 00:00:00

Our youlton Corrtsponbmt.
rw. deem IS litht to ',tote that we do not at all times
.dentJty ourselves a our eurrospundent• TilliOUß

With universal regret must it have been learned that,
though arrangements hal been made for the return of
the court to Windsor about the 3rd of next month, the
continued indisposition of her Majesty will probably
delay her departure from Balmoral for a fortnight, or
even more ; anti that the health of the Queen is in
such a condition that the pages have ceased for the
present their personal attendance, and her Majesty is
waited upon by the Royal dressers solely. Wherever
this news has been received throughout the United
Kingdom, it must have excited sorrow anti sympathy,
and cannot but have increased the loyal affection in
which the Queen is held
The long anti painful details of the vast conflagration
it Chicago, confirming as they do the startling news
which had previously been telegraphed to no, must
give an impetus to the work of benevolence that is
being carried on for the relief of the sufferers. Munifi-
cent as are the subscriptions which are being raised in
our own e, nntry and abroad, the distress is and around
time devastated city is so overwhelming that all the
money-- and much more- • will be required. Would it not
be well, therefore, to hand over to the Chicago fund a
portion of that sunilus rO,OOO which remains from
he BMW subseribed for the relief of distress in France
.nring the recent war? It is a delicate matter to
devote money subscribed for one purpose to another,
but it is not now wanted for the original object, and to
what better use could it be assigned than the alleviation
of the misery of the burnt-out po, of the ruined city?
Everything in connection with Chicago has in it the
element of rapidity. The growth of the city was pro•
bly rapid beyond all parallel, anti fire never before was
more rapidly destructive. With corresponding speed
did the people of the ruined town devote themselvui to
the work of resuscitation. While the embers were
still smoking rebuilding commenced ; before the
hurnt-oat inhabitants had scarcely time to realize
the dreadful position in which they were placed,
various American cities contributed help in kind,
and,a telegram now actually states that provi,ions
in sneh quantities had been forwarded that the
Relief Committee had to telegraph to several placcs to
stop the supplies. And never was British benevolence
more speedily manifested. Take as an example of
this the fact that out of £36,500 received at the Man-
sion House, upwards of £34,000 has been, by telegraph,
made available for the relief of the distress in Chicago.
We hear much of the curative power of electricity.
Surely never before were those beneficent powers more
strikingly manifested. Ever since the terrible disaster,
two well-known proverbs have been beautifully illus-
trated, "Help yourself and Heaven nill help you,'
and "lie gives twice who gives quickly."
The approaching meeting of Mr. Gladstone with his
constituents will be an event not only of local but of
general interest. In the country generally, and espe-
cially in the towns which he represents, opinions as
to his policy run very high, and when a monster meet-
ing is composed of men of various shades of politics, as
this great gathering will be, while a representative
delivers an address on many of the political topics of
the day, we may naturally expect some excitement.
Meanwhile the country is looking anxiously forward
to the speech of the Premier, who will probably deal
much with the past, a little with the present, and still
lees with the future.

There has been, as might have been expected, a
great deal of external opposition to the proposed amal-
gamations of the North-Western and Lancashire and
Yorkshire railways, but perhaps the best argument in
favour of the scheme is the fact that shareholders in
both concerns have agreed to it. The principal thing
that the public appear to have feared is that the amal.
garaation would leaol to a diminution of accommo-
dation, or to an increase in the rates ; but there seems
no ground for such a fear, while the shareholders at
least ought to profit by harmony of management at a
reduced expenditure. We shall most likely hear of
other schemes of railway amalgamation before long,
but it will be long indeed before we hear, if ever we
do hear, of the realization of Sir E. Watkins scheme
of amalgamating till the railways.
When Shakespeare makes Puck say he " could put
a girdle round the earth in forty minutes," the great
dramatist little ought hat the poetic idea would be
realised, as the girdle of electricity bids fair to realize
it in our own time. It seems that the only thing re-
quired to complete the telegraphic girdling of our globe
is a telegraph from the American coast to Japan. Ur.
Cyrus Field, whose name is so well known in con-
nection with the Atlantic cable, undertakes to supply
this missing link, his scheme being a line from Victoria,
in Vancouver's Island ,to flakodadi, in Japan, and thence
to a thr,ian naval station. on the coast of Asia, at
which telegralthicc iumuuicaG,nwith Etoope is already
established. There appears to be no insurmountable
difficulty in the way of this scheme. Telegraphic feats
are already sufficiently wonderful, and we not only
practically annihilate time and space, but in one sense
we frequently accomplish the presumably impossible
task of communicating in "less than no time," owing
to the differences of elock-time in various parts of the
glebe. When this scheme of telegraphic communica.
tionis completet t.he marvels of telegraphy will be more
marvellous still. But we have so many wonders now-
a-days that it is very difficult to excite us by anything
fresh.

At the animal demonstration which the vegetarians
have recently held in Manchester, Professor Newman,
who presided, elaborately argued in favour of vegetarian-
jam. I will not allude to his arguments, but in reading
them, it occurs to me that a vast proportion of the
population of our globe are vegetarians on principal—
the Hindoos for example— mud that great numbers of A special m espond No ont of the r York Ti,rot, say,
people are vegetarians from necessity. In our 11;111 that num erousrrout-lying blocks and many edifices of
country animal food is so dear that many poor families the better class in the more thinly occupied Wabash-
can scarcely ever taste meat. It is all very well for Avenue and Michigan-avenue, below 1 welfth-street,
the boll Britnn to sing that mighty roast beef is an tiet ht-arzr, vinizozor teeptlinly the noble
Englishman's food, and that it accounts for the freedom and the "Michigan Avenue" 'Hotel, at the cot-nor of
that runs in his blood; but the mighty roast beef Miehigan-avermeandCougress-street.—'fliesame writer
aforesaid is a very difficulty food for poor people to pros continues:—
cure just now ; indeed it has long been dear, and Seems " It will not do for the outside world to believe that
‘Cil,vicago is burnt over. It is far from being a howling wit-
likely to continue KO. Happily the importations of
a„riftrg,i,dprence
Australian meat is steadily on the increase, and this inlruneer7a7idymet,aTi'sdthlai'tingsurrif;lr iinel Jlgreaetnil
.10,.. The. dimennons of Chicago are 21 wmare miles, or
ra-
must tell on our Pad supplies in time. One great want
of the age is the development of our fisheries, cope-dolly yrsaVisretir7 reetael;;ig eollir little-n:11Z dine tit'.7;:toil7
those of Ireland, and our prospects too are bright in sides of the river, and irregularly extending from Sixteenth-
this respect. As to our grain supplies the calamity in lited'it.,%:.N::f.,tdi'a Jier4i,,t,l:,',,,TVloseV,Vl:Zigel'Zl,llh;
Chicago will have a depressing effect for a time, but lance of a little over three miles from Sisteentivs'treet.-
his, therefore, is three square miles, represented by your the energy of the Americans is so great that the de- 1
previous acivices as rely largely swept by tint detVouring
PreSSMII Will not long continue. element, leaving to square miles unvisited. Now, as to thy
area burnt and the sees that remaiiis. It literally cuts out Among the Americans, of late years, has springupa
practice of interviewing gseat men. Some enterpris- share of the Ilhoe.Z.,iti'ltn=l,lt,Zha'n,i'vg,ter j;!:
ing riTorter, anxious for the reputation of the journal sidences and manufactarhig sections, remain, and a vast
which he repreTents, and probably even more anxious arrear..elfilitystzt.attir4 zlztvitcolint:ess, as I. shall
about his on-n fame as a peculiarly snsart fellow, way- tat has fallen on the central portion .4.( Illiscifitcd, 1,-lag
east of Wellastrcet It orth of Jackson-street, to the
lays some eminent man, laitton-holes him in the saloon
.orearien gv,,eriwil: :„24f0.gLizio sLrnictreesmani,4llillittuiet;louzitth, art.
of some hotel, or if very fortunate, entraps him into a
conversation in his own drawing-roism. Forthwith front all over the world. Met them down as lost and their
there appears a presumably full, true, and particular i,:l"XvenTilt:;hrt—eal.Zehrast ;:if thee Le4"fj..),"VhitTindrrg77,t'
acne-satof the interview, the reporter or interviewer The devastation has wiped away Me bans of tilicago in.
11les
edel,t,ruiLtig,n ofr her oh buildings, atol these old buildings
modestly sinking his own personality, and only giving
ert
ber'n'itch„?`
just so ranch of questioning as will render intellhdble Chicago. For tMr{:osil :I:illylearVir ilasTen IL pe
trounce of Chicago to save its old-time wooden structures.
the f.tatements of the great man thus interviewed.
Something of the same kind seems coming into vogue en,,Liennd,i,i,z:nl3.,..siizetinivt:44:L is tertrirayrrviol:i...an,i
2, Lr aosi:
in England. It may fairly be corn Mered, however, The Cathie of the wide-sprcad havoc WAS the burning
that the opinions of the ex-Emperor of the French, 11;3,,f tlomm.s:iditlts,qtr2iees,;:it old flee-traps in the centre of
which The Times professes to give verbatim in French, magilftteent Pacific Hotel, wfmtwehektrs(grael;.lrwdirliel'etlithrTeh4
arisea f,.m Something of a higher charaeter tlan an raa a i.ioneer ot miprovoment in this region, where property
interview on the American modeL At any rate the :111;,,Trt'4',17 tVe'da;;V:itle„T„';'e't:t•rl,7,„r",',"•wlt e, '',.
owners, the solid citizens, lit Algol for them.. ;.;ot 'ow:at:l'k
alleged opinions of the exiled Emperor have been read
Is left standize norinalfl,,htottel, nor a publizi building, nor a
with great avidity, and, I believe, will exercise a
calming effect on European politics. Without attach- sort remains. oilier; In
hu.n..ll.eirir:llll;el laurg"ers'ettuls"l;4le%illlo.aZ
lug implicit credence to every word that the illustrious lathe city sects ashes ; three to liVe square INA. itig
at Ila Med Tophet.
speaker is sail to have uttered, thegeneral effect of the It rgl airt7Ly ';:nto:trieti'i'aTt!Te"nktyingd.PitT.
perished in the ruins of their home' I, 'Ur PX.NOU7e'sn wh!t`•l:ce•
document must be beneficial both as regards his slips
, irlirnrilt 47,iLiteaestagiTs.1;r01,11,ec,,k.. AI thlvf was suffocated anti porters and opponents, repressing the zeal of the one
and fairly intimating to the other that the rumours of Prosecuted with a lawle'ssnesiseneg. at
te I.wilincesil I:,i:,Y awn"i7
when pilferers were calczht in the act, tile Onteers 'won.
conspiracies on his part, sAr on that of his friends, are compelled to release them, for the gaol was burnt. The
void of foundation, streets remind one of the streets of Fredericksburg, present-
An announcement is made which most have con- in; every phase of a bivouac. I stsw a strong Man sitting
aiderable interest for the fair sex, and will be 'wlllll reacMilydentim"cenetpfier wllikeso'tbniel'irtit)s'l'ofstifee imr:l-
- pavement, . and his children Plaihlit 'tilde mitan'd
interesting too for that sex which may be, perhaps,
ealled " the paying sex." It is that a Gond of ladies rem.gke'tvilnat',"-g. zt,r, east oat
n, won-s.
The
panic Is
.144eIed
is being formed "to promote ngslesty of dress, to tin with courage. They think a l'a's'Pliastocrultit7:lkenteine liii7L'ltl'etugor°
with MiSley. It is estimated that some
away with extravagance, and substitute the neatness Itlali,l,l,lll'l here
and mbriety suitable to Christian women," and a lady Jmtter, tarter r,7l.'Zialgint'enid.,V7 thte" ta:gekw.aBs.t %%ea
5t Erie on Monday noon with other chicago gentlemen by
is mentioned as the organiser of the fluild. Un-
doubtedly there is conshlerable extravagance, and at fluelnir'elci‘nleZ, hill use single IfiVP3- h.';'s it t "..tt ' hu7m
times some little immo ie,ty tif dress on the part of trchlgto dole. per annum. lint he itistanti; despattli‘el,l tr.ieiniciihs
rlieniris. to elear away the ruins of
Li e ladies of our time, and in rippositii in to this it jt'acet li;th,'-'hl"'.ille.
would, of course, Ise very desirable to have the " neat- work 0/3 the Fr'c'f'ir4ViaCit.tlirtr'eTtlilii.irtiZt'af TrilcV:ii I-tlitt
ness and sobriety suitable to Christian women." But sl..latitzsTs'al.e7evheraidl amturmillall'Yn:ntwtakediit't3,7
that our age is peculiar in its extravagance i ' n lathes' party remained and provide for the hotels."
tperiMiCclewethiant"pro°!
dress, I take leave to doubt. In fact, within the last
year or two, there has been sonic little iinprove-
milt in this respect, and on the whole it may be clues-
kind whether ladies do not dress as well and as judi-
ciously as at any time within modern memory. Be this
as it may, the new Fruit I, I think, is not likely to exercise
much influence. Its members will he those who i, with.
out membership, would not have violated its principle,
while those who keep alisif from this new sisterhood
will do just what they do now—dress as they like, or,
in default of that, SS they can.

PARTICULARS OF THE DREADFUL
FIRE AT CHICAGO.
A .lespatch front l'hicae,o, dated the 10th of October,
thus narrates the disa,ter front Recounts given by
persona who wituesseil and fought the flames :
" Late on Sunday evening a boy went into a stable in
Ihloven-street, near the river on the west side, to milk a
now, carrying with hire a paraffin lamp. This was kicked
over by tile cow, and the terming limit scattered among the
straw. This was tine beginning of the great tire. A single
extinguisher in the ground, or active work of the ;notice inn
tearing down one or two shanties, weula have prevented the
spreading of the flames ; but the engines were waited for,
and when they arrived the firemen, stupefied my their exer.
tons at the first ere on Saturday night: worked slowly
and c enmity. Their ett..rts were ulnae:riling ; the wine!
' from the a nuth.west blew a tale. Rapidly, the flame.
[ shot from house to house, and I.ardyard ti, boardyaril,
until the district Innent on the night let me was reached.
Meanwhile tine flames had crossed tine river narth of T. elfth
, street on the south aide, and made for Mirk and stene and
business blocks railroad freights anal manufacturning estab-
lishments. The whole extent of danger was realised for
the first time the Fire Department, Cready tired out,
, worked like heroes. The Mayor and eitting itieeeninnent,
that had supinely rested, how beeee to exert themselves
; hint the opportunity had been lost. The tune when
thomugh organization could have blown up inuildings tnr
Plepared for the emergency ha.l been neglectril, awl it was
' now s tight fee life. the whet blow Mg in stiff gale had pins-
, session of the flamed, noel the beautiful Inuildiegs, Chicago's
glory lay befie e them. Harrison, Vann Burin, Mon-
' ree, and elatilson streets were soon reached, the
initervening block. from the river tin Dearborn-
Street, on the east, being consumed. Three.querters
of a mileof brick blocks were consumed as If by magic, it
being Sunday, proprietors and ea • pletWa were at h ttttt e, un-
conscious of what WAS transpiring. 'Larose who saw the Itanres
sunpoted they were the heillahhl id Saturday Illight's fire, and
having emilidence in the Fire Department sneer uneoncerniel.
Between elesen and twelve o'clock a rumour got abroad that
the fire was inn the Misfiless portion of the city. "Filen the
people commenced minviug. Homes were brought into requi-
sition to into the proprietors and others to the conflagration.
What a some met their gaze ! 'rho Board of Trade, Court
House, W este, n talon Telegnipla noel Associated Press f 'Mere,
until 1111Whedi of other Mailings were fill in flames. The air
was filled with live rinals. which were hurled to the north and
east, a beacon of destruction. The fireengines were power-
less for saving. All that nom could do wga to blow up
buildings, but this availed little. The Timex. Tribute., Peat,
ft,lnet,fican Journal, and other newspaper offices, the
Westerner.' Company Mock, Field arid Leitter's esteblish-
most, the Itnnke block recently built, Farwell anil Co.'s, all
were seell Mashes. It seemed Gant inn sooner had the ttames
reached swill than they went direetly through, and a very
few minutes sufficed to destroy the nrost elaborately built
structure the walls melted, and the very bricks were con-
sumed. The wooden pavement took fire, invite a eellthWIOUS
aheet of flame two miles long 11 a mile wide. No human being
could possibly survive neatly minetes. Block after block fell,
ail the red-hot coals shot hlgher and higher and spread
further and further. and the north side of Linke-street, It was
a vast mountain tnf Mune front the river to the lake. At one
time so hemmed in were the people that it was expected
thousands must perish. Sherman, Tremont, and other hotels
were emptied nit their guests, and a rmnarkable sight pre-
sented 51 self in the hurrying throngs, with trucka, sacks, or
'nags ter their shmelers, fleeing amid flames for their lives,
rhos° who could nnake for the remaining bridges, others got
next to the Into shore, and so swab. One block in all the
vast Mahican. lion remained at daylight—viz., the Tribune
block. The Cnetom-house and 'forme bloek, in Dearborn-
street, had burnt, and those who had fought the flames here
itoug/it at least this block could be saved. A patrol of men
miter Sam Yledill swept off live coals and put out flames in
7he side walks, Met another lot of men, under the direction
if Mr. Joseph Medill, watehed the roof.. At half past seven
o'clock these appeared safe, anal must of the uteri were to get
rest or food a number went to sleep in the Tribune
building. But there tvga a change of wind, the flames
reached Wabash-avemie. State-street, and Michigan-
avenue, and souri the Vickers Theatre taught fire. Is
a few momenta the Tribene was in flames, anti at the
last moment the sleeping men wore aroused and rescued
from the thunes, fly ten o'clock in the forenoon this re-
maining block was in ashes. N ow was to lie seen the must
remarkable sight ever beheld ill this or any other country.
There were from 50,000 to 75,000 men, women, and children
fleeing by every available street and alley bn the southward
and weetwana attempting tin save their clothing and their
lives, every available vehicle WAS brought into reimisition
for use, for which enormous prices were paha and the streets
Wed side walks presented an extraordinary sight. Tinouseuels
of persons and horses Inextricably commingled ; poor people
of all colours and shades and of every nationality, from
Europe, China, and Africa, In the excitement, struggled
with each ether to get away. Ilinetieds were trampled
under foot. Men and women were loadedi with bundles and
their household goods, tie whose skirts were clinging
tender infants, half dressed fled barefooted, all sucking a
place of safety Hours afterwards these might have brim
seen inn vacant lids, or in the streets far out in the suleirlr.s,
stretched in the dust. These are the suffering lambs whom
Christ now calls on the rich world tin feed until clothe. One
of the most pitiful sights was that of a middle age woman
on State-street, loaded with bundles, strugeling through a
crowd, singing the aliither Goose nnehely, Chiekery,' ,
chiekery, emery crow, I went to tine well to wash my toe.'
The-re were fennel roils of I'thee likes ise dist eaeted, anti many
made desperate by whisky or beer—wither, from excess of
thirst, they drank, ha absence of water. ii, mend err:entities,
who spread themselves In every nlirection, a terror to all
they rnet. It is fearful to think of the loss of line, it is
cebjectured. with good cause, that nearly 500 have been
burnt tin death.
" We saw lour men enter a Miming building, soil In a
moment they were overwhehned by a falling wall. There
was a crowd of flies around the corner eta buildine tryieg to
Sate property, whim, the wall yielding, amine of them were
buried lweeath it. Abend 17 er 15 men. wennen,
dren rinehed into the buthling of the Horticultural Society, a
fire-proof Imitable in a tett taittatt a thin Murree Must up,
met they were burnt t, Anneng those eh, took
refuge in thia building was the veineralde Colonel Samuel
stone. SO years of age. for A 1011 Z tinny coitilert.,l with the
sodety, also .1. li, Gerard and is ife, and Mine. de Pelnrone,
the noted teacher of music.
" It Is feared that Dr. Freer and family were also burnt, as
they wen e in the building. anil have not been seen since.
Mrs. Edmutil. whose leuslmiel was nnirderea last week, :eel
who was sulferiing from illness, wet carried away for protec-
tion ton building which was afterwards consumed, and it is
feared sine also perished.
I All the hooks slot Perim, of the Historical society, in-
: eluding the ..tiginal copy of the foments emancipetion pm-
elannation President Lincelies), for which the society paid
25,01/0 dots , were di:Eh...ea:l.
• It is ft...red that a large monher of children, benetes nit
the Catholic Orphan Seriet, , Stele steel., eery ml II 1,111.1 t,
AA wary of them are nmhiiug. nit l'irra;r..-rtr,i.ii, .1 father
meted opetaire ti yen; three children away, elli it he was
overtaken by the themes met le fished e itli theen. The
mother was aftersends seen on the north-west sb'e.
" In the same neighbourhoel a family of five persons
perished. The list of such fatalities is very long, and can
only be fully verified after tine smoke *hall have cleared
' an l'here are hundreds ef families on that side who
saved no clothing, lint lmrely their live s. Among those is
'thee family id Perry Smith, formerly President of the North•
Western ftaltroael Comeany. A careful survey of the insur-
ances shows that there snore written on the property de-
stroyed over ifo;) Milli:n:3 of di,ltar.s; add another ISO mil.
lions to this loan, Red s lair estimete can be reached of this
loss. All the leading einercliantg who have been seen express
their determination I. reunion Meanie at once. Thia in-
cludes heavy houses, allele as John V. Farwell, Field, Leiter
and t'o , and epragne, Warner and Co. Farwell and Co.
'and rtel.l. Leiter and Co. saved from 300,000 ten a half
million donate worth of goods. Both firms have already
established head-queriers on the west side. The energy and
spirit of the American character are ifinstrated by the
promptitude with which they have set about repairing the
city, and the courage with which they face the difficulties."

AMERICAN SCHOOL STATISTICS. —An American
paper states that the population of Brooklyn, New
York, between the ages of 5 years and 21, is 136,769 ;
1,572 coloured children, Bii,S42 whites between 5 and 14,
and 4;1,355 between 14 and 21. The whole number of
pupils on the rolls last year was 98,355, but the average
attendance was only :COOS, or little more than a third
of the number registered. The public schools were
taught by 823 teachers, of whom 759 are females ; and
the stipends of the teachers In the dayschoola amounted
Ii 480,547 dole. The total expense of maintaining the
eehools (exclusive of new buildings) was 655.228 dole.
above 18 dole. for each pupil in average daily atti ie -
enc.

The Great Fire of Sunday was preceded by one
which would in ordinary times hrve been considered
Feat. From the Clinwoo ?ribose, the last number
issued, the following graphic description of this previous
conflagration is taken :
" The sounding of the fire alarm from Box 21S, at alout II
O'clock last "Saturday, night, was the solemn prelude to 0110
of the nest disastrous and imposing conflagrations whirl.
ever visited a city which haw already enrolled in her annals
numbers of such visitations, serving sal eras in her history ;
but the comparatively trilling lowaes have familiarized Us to
the pealing of the i 'ourthouse hell, and we 11.2 d forgotten
that the abgenee of rain for three weeks had left eve:it:ling
in so thy anal Liflaintnable a condition that a spark might
start a fire which would sweep from end to end of the city.
°lily a few minutes elem.' after the striking of the alarm
before the names were seen sweeping to the sky, and the lurid
light that illuminated the horizon grew more anal niece power-
ful, iksting its brilliant rays in every direction, bringing out as
bold relief the fronts of the buildings which faced it front all
quarters. The wind, seeming to rise as the flames hal, get from
thesouth west, carrying with it in its onward rush streams of
sparks, cinders, and partially-I.unit pieces of wood, which
covered the sky with dazzling spangles sweeping north-east-
ward like a flight of thanigands of meteors, hut falling
steadily In a fiery shower of rain over that Woad area
emlaracvl between the river, the south branch, Wells-street,
anal Jackson-street, the lighter annex going far over the north
divihion, stile the heavier anti more danger... (Me. fell

*engem and the scaring of horses, out showered upon the
roofs of buildings, inspiring constant fears that other confla-
grations would break out, awl that a terribly broad area
would be covered by the flames, and put it out of the power
of the engines to combat them.
" Late as It was, the splendour of the dames and the won-
derful brilliancy of the sky were such as to attract enormous
crowds from every quarter Dear. The tire would of itself
have been soltivient to choke up the surrounding streets
with a dense and impassable crowd, but as the lire showed
no signs of abating they came from greater and greater
distances, forcing their way down Clinton street, in the
centre of which, near Adams', were half-a-dozen isolated
street ran, utterly unable for some time to come to
get back to their stables and getting over or around
the obstructions caused isy policemen or engines, Waal,
their way i 1.111.11 to Jackson-street, near which the lire
began. and stopped there, caring nothing for the smoulder.
log ruins whirls lay beyond that point. They crowded
Quiney. *Minis. and Jackson streets 011 the tine site of the
river while others, far more anxious, were fearful that the
blaze might at any moment leap AelllBB to the south branch,
and sweep towards the tilled streets leading ti, and 011 the
east side of the south branch. At that the concourse was
all from the west shit, bat US time passed ins they began to
come from across the water, and as the blazing viaduct and
the pale., made Aibuni-street IMO I:ridge-street impassible,
the bridge and the apprimels 011 Madison-9treet were covered
with men and women, who found there a lavourable point
for watching the names, while they were generally out of
the reach of the falling cinders.

• 'the viaduct at Adams street, with its blarinw end work,
stood out in bold relief, and beyond anti untlenteath it was
nothing but a whirlwind of 11.illica, nibs,ured hir a moment by
bursts if smoke, but reappearing the next with added bril-
liance The lire, burning yin, down to the river, soil impelled
eastwatil by the wind, seemed to one looking from the bridge
to have almost reached Iteritss the water, AIM to have
partially 101180111.111 that Eta well as the more combustihle
material Oh which it was really feeding. Above the 80111111
of the conflagration occasionally rose the scream of the
engines or the thunder of falling beams anti tnunbling houses.
The sharp smell of smoke tilled the air with its oppressive
odour. Ihl the west side of Clinton-street, from Jackson-
street to Adains-street, were the relies of the household
goods et the people who hail been living tint the east side of
the street, sometimes piled ill] drays or waggons, but generally
piled upon the side walk, after the adjoining houses had
proved too small tin contain them ; their frayed anti dilapi-
dated condition testifying to the haste with which they had
been carried away. tin, around, and among them were their
unfortuunte possessors, wlo) had been awakened from a
sound sleep, inn which they were refreshing themselves for
the religious services of the morrow, anti who, instead of
getting up to dress for church, found themselvoi compelled
to snatch what they could and fly for their lives.
From the wrecks of burning laiildings, from rapidly con-
suming lumber piles, and more slowly but more steadily
building coal heaps rose thousands of jots of ilamnne. whirling
up with them pillars of smoke, through which loomed up the
taller buildings along the river, 11r the slender masts fund
blazing rigging of some vessels it) the river. So grand and
so novel was the spectacle that those peer men and
winds,n stun Ktool.l Shatt Ares by night, did stint wail and
moan and long their half-clad babies tighter to their bosoms,
as is the custom on such occaaions, but stood gating straight-
fordwardly
. .

The Fire Department was poweriesa to check the pro-
gress of the fire, which was carried bodily across the inter-
vening streets and swept to the north. ant On Jackson-
street, between Clinton-street and Canal-street, there was a
continuous Hue of wooden buildings, mostly two-story frame
dwellings, and at the back of these were various carpenters'
shops, allots, wood piles, Ac., all of which became au rapidly
surrounded by fire as to render the saving of the contents au
impossibility. In many cases there was barely time to
arouse the occupants and get them In safety from the pre-
mises. One after another the buildings were enveloped in
flanes between Jackson, Adams, anti Clinton streets, and
the river was all ablaze. On the east side of Canal street,
and between it and the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne railroad
tracks, Wend north and south by Adams anti Jackson
streets, were several coal and lumber Mikes, all of which
disappeared like tinder. tinge piles of real, hundreds of tons
if anthrteit., lay at the back of these buildings, amt the
hoot and flames at last be,aine so intense as to cononunieate
with the coal and set it no tire. Up to this time the passage
across Adams-street-luidgc had been nmentrieted, save by
the colonies of smoke sod eindem lii-iron ill that direction,
but at last the dames reached the Attains-street Viaduct, awl
soon await of lire drove across the passage way and Inured
it ettectardly. Under the bridge the devouring element was
sucked with an awful velocity, told before any steps could be
taken to prevent it the side walk and railings of the iron via-
duct were lapped up, and a long low shed on the north-east
corner of Adams and Canalstreeta. used as a freight depository
by the United states and Atlanta Express Commodes, was
doomed to destruction. As rapidly as pOSPlbie the contents
were removed, but there wasnot thin enough Waive onequar-
ter of the goods itt store 'tryout' this shed to the eastward
stood a large number of passenger coaches belonging to the
Pittsburg and Fort Mayne Railway Company, to save which it
was necessary to tear down the shed. which was success-
fully accomplished. Had It been others ise, and had these
ears taken fire, nothing would have checked the flames,
which would have continued with the Pittsburg and Fort
Wayne freight delta, consuming another train, the passen-
ger buildings, ears, etc., and never stopping until Madison-
street-bridge was reached. All this was hatunately pre-
vented by the strenuous endeavours of the citizens, the
Fire Dep. tment being unable to operate to advantage in
Hos locality, but, appreciating the terrible danger of a
further spread to the cast and north-east, they laboured
roost heroically in the midst of a horrible shower of livid
cinders and a fierce, hot-driving smoke.

" While the citizens were tattling so successfully between
Canal-street awl the river north of Adams-sticet the firemen
were having a furious contest on the south line of Adams-
street west of Canal-street, and extending tiearly to Clinton-
street. The buildings were of wooden structures, mainly
occupied as residences. and it had borne' perfectly clear to
everbody that the great tight must occur at this point. Once
let the dames cross to the north line of wo sten structures,
in Alarm-street, and the COHlSCiilltlleeS were awful to con-
template. A doz,n leads of hose—all that could be worked to
advantage—were brought into the stri et, and as many
streams if water were directed on the burning buildings, the
rear mt-tions of which were I dazing furiotedy. Inch by inch
th,,se firenum (might bean advantage, fighting in a perfect hell
of heat and smoke. Their courage and endurance were some-
thing magnificent. While tic' spectators hundreds of feet
further away, cowed before the terrible heat and blinding
drift d glowing cinders, the 'Apemen stood their ground,
often Pr flee minutes at a stretch, within a dozen feet of the
wall of tire, now and then withdrawing a few paces in order
to get breath, only to return to the charge as manfully as
before. They could tot hope to extinguish, but they did
succeed in subduing the names, no as to save the opposite
buildings and prevent any further spread of the conflagra-
tion:.

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