, 1863-12-30
FIRE STATISTICS.
Record for the Year 1868.
Number Of Fires-TotsI Loss,
Frcrrarrv <yovruxv nf.rr,-v
INSURANCE MONTHLY EESCaiE,


The render will find collected below q list Of the
principal fires which have Visited Chicago during
the year now drawing toa ciosa. In some In
stances property to large amount WAS destroyed,
ard f1our1.hfng portions Of our crest thorough
5ales laid waste. On one occasion only, that Of
the greet fire on State street, on the 5th OF Sep
tember, NEE there sny crest degree OF destitutiou
and suffering. On that occasion the wind Was
blowing freshly, which, with the scarcity of wa
tcr, prevented the Department gaining control of
the flames until TWENTY-FIVE dwellings were de-
Etroycd and ncar fifty families rendered housc1ess
On the morning Of the 9Th the water had been
turned OF the district, but although it was turned
on again before the flames acquired any considera-
b1e headway. tho pipes Werc Tar too small to &C.
cure the needed supply for the emergency. It
will crafty the public 10 know that tho Board Of
Public Works purpose laying larger mains both
in State street end Wabash avenue In the early
spring.
During the year our city has been visited with
two hundred fires and alarms, OF which twenty
three were the Inter. These were distributed
among tho Digisions Of the city as follows:
South DiVision, s. fres-Loss.. .SaO36t0
Meet Division, GO -1oss............ 37.115
Showing total loss in the three divisions Of
ta9e,1e0. Upon this sum insurance vas effected
amounting to $780, 700 leaving m absolute loss to
our citizens from this element alone of s1Q7.3a
A careful study ofthe facts and figures herewith
presented will dieclose some remarkable features
connected with tho fires Of Chicago. OF the two
hundred fires, twent5-1onr were the results OF
gross and criminal carelcssness-playinga among
combustihles with lighted matches, oycrturn1ns
candles In hay and straw, &C., &c.; fifteen were
fncendiary; three were occasioned By detective
fuee, and three by lightning.
duly Is responsible for the greater number Of
-tfvA+, fn-
February produced the least-fvc fires and four
almms., The heaviest loss was in the month OF
april. reaching SCI, ,0s5. The least was in the
month Of February-S950. Tie loss Of the burning
OF Turner s Mitchen's Packing House on the I'd
Of December, was i5000-the heaviest Of the
year. In the months Of August, September, octo-
ber, and December, there were no false alarms.
In the months Of March, May and October, thers
were no inccndiary fires. lightning was dessruc-
tive in August md September.
The following table exhibits the comparative
statement Of fires and Losses from 1850 to 1868:
lev. - nres-iose.. .$6Qa 49a
1SGo, 141 f1es-1oEs... H]:i( (55
1SG1. 40 1reE-1os5.. ....................,. 16I4l0
1869, 155 frce-loss... ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. a5s4l5
We notice IN increase In the number Of fires
from 1s59 but with general decrease Of tho
amount OF losses. In the former year one hundred
and twenty-five dres cntailed loss OF SG0s, 49a.
Willis In 1863 two hundred fires oceasioned loss
Of $ss9a,16o. In the former year the Steam Fire
Department was not get organized, and the re-
suits since that time hare been wc think emfnent-
" satisfactory.
Upon the whole the exhibit ia a very gratifying
one, and will be viewed by the public rs credita-
bic both to the Department and the management Of
ietEngineer Harris
4 1fet Of the principal fires during the gear Is
EubJoIned. Many OF the smaller fires are not no.
ted. hut they appear in the tabular statements ap
pended below:
JANUARY,
Jan. 7.-Ktng's Block, Nos. 3s1, 3ss, 353, Va
bach ayenne, wholly consumed Loss $500.
Covered by insurance.
Jan. 19.-Lcwie Page g. Co.'S Oh Works, Chicago
avenue, near Wells street. Loss $4,000. Covered
by insurance.