, 1865-10-17
DESTRUCTIVE CONFEDERATION.
The Pacific Mills Destroyed-..The
Flames Spread Along the
Whole Block.


One OF the most destructive fires Nhirh b.re
visited our city since the famous Lake street fire
1h5', occurred last evening, In the West Ut.t.fou
A few minutes after six O'Clock o. M, officer
Carpenter, OF the Second Precinct Police, eta1oned
a The Madison atreet bridge. observed light In
KS M o. " aRPss s,Sy Of he Pacific mills,
Randolph and Washington. Almost Immediately
thereafter The flames burst rom the roof OF the
building. %hieh Mss soon nsss Of fame. As quick
house ut the corner of Clinton md Test Wsshinc.
hEton streets, and gave the alarm. Although tie
afe acpas! me1t were promptly on the ground, tbs
siblc escn 10 check them. md lie dremcn dirrted
their attention to Swing the contiguous hu{dinEs
and Lumbar yards; IT. Pacific Nils were totally
and esnne Be- ,rSnt p sss .Ssa
s9,t0Q OF s1J.0N. 4 carpenter, Mr. Frank I PonJ. @
let IN ibis building chest Of tools worth about
bot as led mn!, whose iosa ID macbinery, engine
and boiler was about 81, 600, Of which S9 90 is
covered ~ insurance. Mr. - Armstrong hsd
ine-einctpany the former. The .recond 4tcry was
occupied By j. Norton. t:llo has been putting In
grain dryer, and bad In about bali his machinery.
His 1o5s con1d not be aeccrtatned.
Two CT three sessela were iytog near the burning
building when the fire was discovered, and their
destruction at one time seemed inevitable, bnt by
prompt and energetic effort they were removed
ftom danger md down the stream, without dam-
The famee quickly communicated 10 the in-fre1sht
depot Of the Chicago and St. Lonls Railroad Com
pany, on the opposite side Of the street which was
soon burned 70 the ground. This huildine-whicn
wHs W formerly 5he ,fe!Eht depot Of tho Cincinnati
about week By the hrst-named Company-was III.
orally rammed With freight, OF which only dyc
barrels Of -four ard two sacks Of oats were sared
building from &, 900 to $1,000,
AZ ilic flames burst nom the roof o. The railroad
freight aepot thc scene wns magnificent beyond
living hane, casting thesr reflection upon even ths he
isrthest parts Of the city. AT Grst VET densr
c!oNd o. While smoke arose IRON the depot
th19ush which shoue The. light from the burning
smoke e DIRK as night. 1heseeue quickly changed,
1he stFects 80 brlliantly shat one coad haze rad
ibis Nr1n therrad II been printed, like consres~
siona! speeches, IN advance Of delivery: Randolph
were The Lake, Randolph and Madison aar strcci ~
bEdses. An immense cloud of Sparks flled the
air and were driven BY fssh hrccze for more than
lumber about md the burning buildings we're ller-
ally dry t1ndez, and the wonder IT, not thai 50
mnth properly mas destroyed, but thst lie dest7uc-
tton Nss not much greater. -
One box md one platform car belonging to the
I1tisbpr.h + Fort wsyne Company. and standing
On the track between the above buIld1nss, were
ps,ls ncer and empty beer easks. Lots, abou,
| fEl00. 4 hoI car belonging to the Northwestern
Nai1rosd 0 sempans 6 1 was also destroyed Loss, nom
While. The freight depot was burning, the fire
extended TO the wood yard Of 3iess1s. Porter Rip.
ley & sher,stn, immediately north of the Pacific
yard amounted to abent t1,S1, on which these Was w
| no ipsurancc. While Messrs. r q i s. vere
remo,tpe their safe from their otce, adjoining the
%s fss asoe ss e hs e s ~.
upon The foot and ankle OF Nr. Wm. +. Porter, one
q the f5a, Who was 10 'front.' Of + a.si<in; in The
injury resulting 10 the fe,nt. though, fortunately
no bones we're hruken- Ills arn nas also slightly
Injured. MIR. Porter wns at once carried to the
xRe e. he na esa H. 30 afs
:, The sparks from the Burning building were borne
through the air to a great distance. AT one time
lying just North Of lhe Randolph street bridge
The bree7e, which was blowing al the time famed
the sparks into dame, and for hr1ef period scn-
c1eclic caorle Of the crew. the flames we.e extin,
gn1shed, wilh 10 damage eare TO the sails.
The t!ames nert attacked the lumber sara o.
It seemed as limo hu1nan efforts could prevent thf
destruction Of the entire amount OF laubet In The
yard-some &c, too woEth-so Intense was the beat
mtn, however, had "eu1istcd for the .yar, and t5
The most strenuous excrtions checked tie ttsnes
And saved large portion Of the lupbcr. Mr. Nor
probably Be about xiiooo to els ooo, Which Is fuil,
covered ~ insurance In the Lumbetnru's. Of Chi
c1go, and tn companies represented here By Nessrt
! Miller Il Wilr1ar1h.
d. F. Groves, lumber dealer. No. 80 South Cans
street, had about y000 feet Of lumber on the dock
which wns totally destroyed. Loss, 9sMO, whicl
l. fully covered by insurance IN the uome Mntua
and Mercantile Mutual, Of Chicago, Mv. Grovcs
los was confined - the stock On the dock.
At one time, building on West Raulolpt
ftseet, beyond West Wafer. was- threatened will
destruction BY drt. and the roof had even begun Il
smoke from the intense heat The occupants bea
q hasty retrcai. with such Of their goods ~ the.
could cns1y away. Fortunately, the bnildfn: va
and wster. -Gazrl1e, fruit dealer, lost abon
$Il0 from hesc causes. and F. Ftcke+ tailor, IL
ike manner sustained trit{ns loss. #. .
| The odCin Of the FIRE is entirely unactounted fol
Es no Ere had for rome time been used iu The nppe
story Of the bniIding.