The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-10-21
L ATTEST N Z VS..
Terrible Fire at Chlcags!l
,ssasse WORTH Of PROPERTY DRsfssYgD
TWENTY LIVES LOST.

the occurrence OF q disastrous fire in Chics-
60; but full particulars were not obtained
I'LL last evening. As the Chicago papers are
flled with the particulars Of the terrible
calamity Tat has bcfallen their city, much
Of which would possess little interest to the
general reader, and all VI which canno, be
crowded into our columns, we select such
portions Is We think most important 60 our
reader. The Press SAYS:
calamity most appalling in is nature
Ass Inr-t up'n asr city. Exempt a. we
Lave t,sn ior ,-sr. past among our sister
cities ff"m confsgraticn- II serious charac.
tef. fearful exception Co what has been the
RUE with ", In this respect, has Just visited
VI, and let its sad traces in ruined blocks
AMI Thousand, of dollars of property in ash
g sut morr sadly than all in the r,cortls
scored ON grief stricken hearts. The des-
truction 81 property, In amount before un-
pAraiieied, hut TAR more the loss of probably
not less than twenty human lives, will bc
.nrolied In our annals against October 10th.
1885, and make u ever mournfully memora
About half past three O'Clock yesterday
seornsng tisr bruko out In the business
block, lO9 and Ill South Water street
thence spreading rieh, and left and extend.
ing across the alley o. the lake street front
~ the block, until twelve stores of the f,rst
class, iour aud live stories high, aud filled
from cellar "a root with salnabic wares and
inerchansilsc, were laid in srnoulder,ng heaps
Of rubbish
Worse than all, a fearful loss Of human
lie was involved. The numbsr who per
'shsd can be knawn only by a lapse vi time
sufficient to Indicate the missing, or by
clearing the scene of the catastrophe. In
10 dark last evsning, nine bodies had been
recovered, and ak more were dnown 10 be
IN the ruins. II is not "a be- believed, We
are sorry to say, that those tixures account
f"r the large, share of the victims 10 the
calamity
Il u not distinctly known how, nor Is Il
definitely stated here the Gre ORIGINATED.
The most careful inquiry and the summinr
up Of the best evidence in posssssion up 10
the hour IL going 60 press, tends to the con-
victlon that the firc lifts q veil which
shrc0ds the lie Of too many of our clerk.
and employees who fine their only home
and only social life in bachelor apartments
IA the upper stories VI cur business blocks.
dencc that the Tire, winch originsled in tie
tive story building Nos 100 and Ill South
Water street, Was caused BY carelcssncss or
drunkenness u the participsnt in drunken
dcbanch Ot clsrs and tue abandoned females
they had made their companions aud asso-
eiates IN sabbath nights r~vel. Early AZ
ter the alarm was given, those frat on the
ground ssw lsmale- in state of dcshabille,
nal nj e.st. A.
the upper stories, well night in a state u |
the building u should be sddsd that the |
.a'n@ phenoMcn~ were witnessed in the |
Lake street blocks
Nos. 100 aud III south Water street |
we're occupied on the main Aoor b. the ex.
teusise hardware establishment Of Messrs. |
Cormick, Grcs- a and Co., who had their |
dsuble store filled with large stock Of gen.
eral hardware.
Al one time II Wac thought that not les |
than two hundred men we're at work en-
Barnums building, q threc-story brick al
inining tall fivc.story on- occupied BY u.
b Cooke and other-. While man, were On
the ROOT and in this building, the Press says:
Su'idonly fearful crash announced new
phssc of the calamity. The heavy aud |
towering wall of tho adjoining store had |
hilen outward upon the rosf of Barnnm', |
establishment, and had carried all before Il |
10 the basement. rir~men and citizens.
wall, roof and snorchandlsc, with the burn. |
IN ruins from the store adjoining "all |
minglins, fell"
fearful scene VI tcrror and dislnay ci,.
sued. The portion or the wall left stand |
ing had fortunately preserved the front
portion " tho store which MAS iensely
thronged by = confessed crowd. Mans u
them were prostrnted b, the flying missiles,
man, were trasnplcd aud bruised in the |
flight Of their companions, bsit soon NIL vas |
clear Tor space extending about thirty feet /
from the front. The storc wus very deep, /
and for nearly two-third of It's whole length /
the building wa- q mas Of runs, now be- /
ginning 10 burn briskly, ~ the flames con-
vcyed IN the lali, ha~tcnrd 10 feed on the l
Woodwork and the light and combustible
portions Of the wares.
Where wesc they who were lately ~
busy, NJ unhecding VI danger Who were
beneath that burning pile ! Alas, tho ques
tion u MOT yct fully answered.
After narrot,ng . number of incidents
coanscesd with the tiro, our authority thus
recspitulstes:
Yesterday was day II snsuish, oi woe
and Of terror, u ceaaclesA anxiety, and te
those who lsbored in the ruins, II heavy |
toll; and 81 the hour of rest, when sleep |
fell like mantle, all eyes which did not |
wake ~ weep, were closed weArily upou . |
day memorable In tho history Of Chicago
lnaa ov lrvr