The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-05
THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE.

\. Interesting Details OF the Disaster.
The following account Of the great Chicago
fire of Tuesday and Wednesday last, is made
I'D from the reports published in the Chica-
90 Tribune, Republican and Times:
THE OUTBREAK.
The city was visited by two destructive con-
fsQrstions on Wednesday evening, 30 nearly
together that they were by many mistaken tor
the same Sre, or rather one as the result OF the
other. H.
The first fire broke out about o'clock In the
y evening in one OF the upper stories OF Buren, 8
iron block, on the southwest corner OF Lake.
street and Wabash avenue. 1t was at trst
Thought that the destructive element would DC
confined to comparatively narrow limits, put
almost before the engines had been put in po-
sition, the broad sheets OF flame shot out vo-
luminously from windows and ROOT, and ere
another quarter OF an hour had elapsed the
whole building seemed to be wrapped IN one
huge pyramid seeming to reach to the SKIES,
and to kill off the stars with its overweening
glare.
THE CITY ILLUMINATED.
The whole city was lighted up by the glare,
the light being 80 great that one could see to
Rad orJlinsry print ON Lake and Randolph
street bridges OF course this self-announce-
nnert brought thousands to the spot. The jam
was terri6c-greater than at any nre IN Inns
city for many years past The strests IN the
vicinity ware literally packed with human be,
ings, and 30 closely were they wedged In that
the fremen were seriously impeded In their
efforts to move round ct their work, while there
was no avoiding the fast falling fakes OF ire
It is great wonder that we are not called on
to roy,orf nnrneroua accidents as q consequence
Of the crush.
A TERRIFIC SCENE.
The scene was terrific, grand, awful. The
hinge iron columns on the front were twisted
into fantastic shapes by the heat from the fire
=, that ragged within, and the walls were bent here
and there by the same agent. In the rear the
iron shutters were bent as If some giant had
ourled them round his fingers, while the IRON
work on both front and rear was heated red hot,
and shone out in brilliant contrast to the pure
white OF the marble in front, or the dull bricks
behind, which enclosed apertures through which
glared hercely the vivid fame.
THE FIRST CRASH.
At about twenty minutes past eight o'clock
!; the first crash was heard. The roof had fallen
in, and even while the spectators were gazing
In blank wonder at the increased volume OF
flame which suddenly shot upward, the Wabash
Avenue Eont came down with heavy sound,
which furnished the emphasized thunder tone
to the sullen roar OF the burning pile. The
fireman ran, and fortunately none we're injured:
Ten minutes thereafter the Laks-street mont
followed In the grsyitusi descent the high PIE
along the perpendicular, and folding down like
a nsny-jointed rule. Still the flames roared
on, and once again the sound Of falling mate
rfnl was heard, the inside wallis were following |
suit, and the st,h blazing interior was revealed
to the gaze Of the bystandors. Shortly after
that tie rear wall Of the next building to the |
west, which had been for some time danger
ously bulging, fell inward and presently the |
.last wall Of the BuSch structure was leyelled
almost to the ground. This was the virtual
end Of that conhegration, though long there
after the flames danced high in air, and the
hremen were Obliged to keep their hose point |
ed toward the spot to save surrounding prop |
ersy.
The fire was observed in the fifth story Of
Nos. SO and Al, occupied with other numbers
by McDougal, Nichols, & Co., as boot and
shoe msnufactory. This was directly y G over . the
caught fire it is impossible to tell; it was as
serted that there was no legitimate light on
that floor at the time, but it could not be as
certained last night that no one was there
unauthorizedly. So quickly was the whole
building wrapped in flames that no time was |
given to verify in this particular.
THE SECOND FIRE.
While the above fire was still at its height |
tongues Of flame were seen to shoot up almost |
simultaneously from the rear, near the roof
and from the basement in front Of Carson,
Pir1e & Co.'s wholesale dry goods establish
ment, No. 20 Lake-street, almost Immediately
opposite. This was about twenty minutes to
nine o'clock, and about the same time that the
first walls fell in on the other side OF Lake.
street. Amid the smoke and confusion the
TACT was not at once noticed by the depart
ment, whose energies were only too severely
taxed already, and whose efforts on another
subject could be i'll spared. Hence it was
come time before that was attended to, and
the second conhagration had soon gained q
fearful hsadway, promising soon to be even
more disastrous than the first. How it COM
menced was mystery. It was thought that
burning pieces had fallen on the premises, but
there vas little time for speculation. The fire
had gained firm foothold and was swinging
. on to newer conquests. a general u ucoptagra-
of the situstion, it WAS terribly cold, and the
moor firemen began to feel exhausted with
their ar1uous lsbors. The cold, too, worked
mischief in q very detrimental way-the water
ftoze in the pipes, diminishing the stream
seriously, and fell to the ground in icy spray
ere it, had reached the blazing pile. Still
further several lengths Of hose had burst 30
extensively that they were almost useless.
Taken altogether, the situation was one pecu-
liarly disheartening, and might we'll make to
Ainoh heart OF steel.
THE ORIGIN OF THE SECOND FIRE.
The origin OF the second fire is question:
the buildings being somewhat removed from
the first scene, and the flames appearing to
some looking on to leap up suddenly from the
basement. Two gentlemen who were standing
on the grating Of Carson, Pirie Co., saw
large live cinders flying about them, and look
ing down through the grating saw that it was
eli on FIRE beIow.
Il was rumored that this firm had said a few
days before that they would soon have to fail
and 20 into bankruptcy.
TIaHTNa THE FIRE.
The second fire was not got under till nearly
half-past IL o'clock, and then rather ceased by
lack Of material to feed on than because the |
buildings once seized we're saved. The struc- |
lures burned away far into the night, but the
falling OF the walls of the saloon and boarding
house on Michigan avenue was the last event |
in the history OF the fire. Several times the |
Adams House caught on the exterior, but was |
saved by persistent throwing Of water from
within and without. There was no lack of en-
ergy displayed. and indeed all. was needed for |
the work Of saving the property from the i'm
pending doom.
TIE SCENE.
Such another fire ne have not had in the his
tory Of Chicago-great ones though there have
been. Il was triumph Of wild mad fury on
A. claimant Qn0