New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-23
GREAT FIRE AT CHICAGO.
TWELVE STORES DEsrROYED-LOSSs7oo. 900.
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.


Cbcsgo.
A calamity most appalling in Is nature has burst
upon our city. Erempt as We ave been for years
past among our ster cities fro n conhagrstion OF
se rous character, Q fearful exemption TO what has
been tie rule h u.s. in this respect, has just visited
US aLd left lis sad traces 10 ruined blocks aud thou-
sopds Of dollars OF property 10 ashes; but more sadly
than all in the records scored on ariefsirickeu haman
hearts, The dc suction Of property n amount before
unparalleled, but far more the loss of probably not
LEES than twenty human lives, will be enrolled 10 our
annals agaiI st Oct. 49, 1857, aid make 1t ever mourn
fully memorable. "
in the business block Nos lU9 snd Ill S,uth Water
street. theDce spr aiding TO right and left, and extend
ing the valley to toe Lake street ffoIt OF the
block until twelve stores oe the mrs, Class. i)ur aud
five stories high, and FLED from CELLAR 10 roof with
valuable wares ana merchandise, were laid IN smoul-
der,rg beapstf ruins.
W,rse han all a fearful oas of human lie TO-
VOWED I'll. rumber who pc rshed be kpown only
by lapst Of time sufficient to neicate he missing OF
by clea aIpg the of catastrophe. 10 to csrk last
ev. nrg bodies had been recovered and six more
we,e known to be in The ruins Is not to be believed
VIC are ory to say that th zee gures account for the
lager sbaYe ~ the victims TO the calamity.
II is in cad. but too painfully strotg evidence that
the 6re which oTeoated in the five story building Nos
lO9 and Ill South Wa'er rect caused by care-
esspe or drui ken reckessness Of the participants in
drunken deb8uch of clerks aod abandoned females
they had made tbeI companions and associates in
Sabbaih nghts reve Early after the alarm was
u,
of dshsbille and of them, With other occupants
of the upper stories well mig n state of nudity max
ing their hurried escape from the hiding l. should
be ADDED that The same ph were witnessed 10
the Lake sire ct blocks.
The FIRE dee.royed flint the hardware s'o'o r which
1t origin ated, owned bv Messrs Cormek, Cross Il Co.,
and ready y-nede clothing stock in the sama budiog
Passing ct alorg South Water street 1t rsp1y con-
Gun ed No ll3 oc upiAd by Lewis Page. dealers 10
paints ard OLE and No. lis, the grocery store OF
Edward Hsmpstesd To the eastward of he point OF
origin bu,nd the wholesale grocery Of Messrs Clark
s. Dater the vacant store No lO5 and seriously d tu
sged No. 1903, occupied by Honore X Co., wholesale
druggists.
On Lake street Il attacked the sp,erdid five sto-y
marble block Of Messrs. Wright. Ms. ia aud lie
occupied by J. b. Shay. This was the "Ssewstt's' of
Chicago.
The fire from Mr. sbsy's extended to No: ll2, the
extensive boo kstore aud publishing house of Messre
ID B. Cox Il Co.. occupying share Of the same
uniform block with the preceding.
The ttore L. xt to this No ITO, was occupied bv the
Messrs Bsrpum an extensive variety store. w he
gagged in clearing it the wal Of No. ii2 fell upon IT,
crushing il in and causing the terrible loss Of lite OF
which we speak further The 0es Of property here
IVES total. No. lOS, occupied by Tsppan Broe.,
clobers was seriously damaged by water. Tae
other oeses Of property are comparatively small but
the aggregate we publish below shows many sufferer.
of Joint occupants of the buildings named.
The Press gives the following description Of the ter
rble accident, which has thrown into insigniicance
the sacrifice Of property:
From the great hight Of the block last named it tow
cred high above the less modern and humble block on
The east of the Oldest in the city The store No.
40 was occupied by the Messs. Bsrnum as an ex-
terive variety store. Having accommodated Itself to
the change f grade, the building was but three sto-
lies above the pIeseIt sdewalk.
1t was the ught advisable TO clear the store, and a
large force OF men, emen and others, were aiding IN
the remova Of the goods. Numbers OF hremen dod
pot less than two hundred persons were within and
upon the building. 1t was thought that the store Vas
comparatively safe doubtless those who so fearlessy
rushed in bad TO thought Of peril.
Suddenly fearful cTash announced new phsse OF
the calamity The heavy and towering wall OF the
sdjoirng store had fallen outward upon the root OF
BsrBSms establishment and had carried all before It
TO tie basement fremen aud citizens. wall, roof and
mf rcbandise with the burning ruins from the store
adjoining, "sll mir Cling" fell.
A fearful scere Of terror and dismsy eRsued. The
portion Of the wall left standing had fortunately pro-
served the front portion of the store which was denssy
thropged BY confused crowd. Many Of them were
pIO.t ated by the fyrg missiles many were trampled
ard bruised in the fight of their companions, bh
focn all was clear for spsce extending about thirty
feet from the 'front.' The store was very deep aod for
pearl, two thirds of its whole lsrgh the building was
a NOES of ruins nov b ginning t. burn brsky, as the
fan conveyed in the fall fastened t. feed on the
wooo work and the light and conbastibe portions OF
the wares.
The loss of The Messrs BnDum was total. amount
ing TO 81 COO Gen. II. S. Bradley Occspied por-
ton OF their premises as jobber CT Jswery. Hi'
loss We did not learn. The building was owned by
John High, esq
+. II. Barnum, the yourger Of the brothers, was
sc en- busy about midway Of the store when the crasn
came lie among the lost, though up to late hour
lat evenDg his remains were stl lying bene a'h the
confused heap Of masonry and charred tm6ers. He
lebves wife. He was about - years OF sge.
Mr.. Banum, the elder brother only week since,
10 the Stete.stIeet fe, suffered heavy loss 10 the
burning Of bis residence Tas seeord bio Y ha' taSen
fron his side brother ard laid their store u ruins
Yesterday was mournfdl day in our anrals. we
surrer de, our space this morning to an Perire;
* etch Of the calamity 10 the exclusion OF wen ngn M
other city news and it well Indicates nov o. - III ,bs
events in Chicago we're swallowed up aRd lo.t 10 Tvs
The great and appalling theme OF anIou. inquiry
Tbrout the hours Of daylight and far into tne b.at
the il lest Of our citizens attached Closely 70 the
smoking ruins. They clustered near them, hulng al
The streets adjacent They whispered with white llps
M sadd ed brows of the ost III es unused 70 tears
wept yesterday. Here sons, brothers, husbands,
fstter Ellow.ciiiz, ms, brother fremen, had met
borribe fate in a burning bGi!cing VINO we're tnsy
AID as one aer another az inter vals, rome backened
coIp.e woud be borns on to IN. Grand jury room, az
he Court. House, where Coroner Hansen Lad sum
mored BIZ Jury, and awaited nesh additions 10 the
bloe lls OF The oe' ehuider Nouio pass aonS 9uo
cruwCed street.
y,stercay was day OF rqlish, Of woe aad OF Ter.
ror Of cesse'ss apxiey ara to those ~h iaoorea IN
TIE of heavy toll and ct the hour OF rest when
sleep f. II Ike nsnile, oil eyes which ci not ~ske 70
wetp D, w.re CLOSED wearily upon day memorable 10
ihs hists ~ Of Chicago.
RfCAPITrLATI0S.
Los, OF Ibe-John Hsh. r aged - H. Bradley,
So Y r. CInke 81; T. B.rnuo Is; ID G. Wn,s y John
v Dek.y q; Timothy Buchey. B Henry b Russell 2ii
Anspss Wolfe, .a John Tsr zsi Jean Jsnser, 5ii
fe,s u Pyop,.p-Osner' } 4, Smith Go ss~' n
s,,tt ce an m e. Il H. Msgie 300 insprenee snpei D.
ehy ios 100 Insursuce $3.50; Edward Wright, sSop,
in,gra CO % GEO. A,her Hscbt Co. s5oo n,a1tSes o "a
Ipown. ID B. Cook Co, : l3) 60 insursnce SlVeVVi ~
Cro,e a. stc insurance not ss.ed Greene sIDe m
spr,nc~ MT stated Erben. 5000 in'urance Eo' sre'
Musesl Uuiop $40 uninsured; w. Stacy, IT, 90 49,
uLiu.ureo Wstef Wright e.oc co iasGf.as nOt nOt,iL qI
Nesss Banuu, COO nsurance not ..s,ed J,aa se
Oo0 insura CO not stated; II = Bradley % I'D Il
bet stsd; s-Drs Tspp-n SoOo0 insurance p,our.nce