Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-15
The Great Fire IN Chicago.

Inc 6reaC f1f0 u CnICS6Vs
The quiet and peace which usually
prevails in the city on Sunday afternoons
was disturbed yesterday BY the nre-peA
striking No 10, which proved to be the
signal tor the most extensive ana oesruc-
tive confederation that has occurred In
this citv since the memorable Lake street
Are on the night of February 90, 1858.
At three minutes to 5 o'clock there was 9
shout of "Fire" along Madison street,
which was carried down LaSaIe and
Clark TO the Court House, and persons
began running towards Wabash avenue,
in the direction of the smoke. ~ Was
1o,,nd To Issue from th9 upper 90xy OF
TAfIin. Butler d Co.'S paper store, IN the
new snd magnificent block erected about
year ago, on the east side OF Wabash
avenue, between Washington and Madi-
son streets.
Gusts of smoke rose from the southeast
rear corner of the building, growing
thicker and larger every moment. The
engines arrived very quickly after the
alarm was sounded, and went to work to
get on their streams The attempt was a
miserable failure. and precious moments
were lost, not owing to lack of energy on
the part of the gallant fremen, but to
false economy on the part OF Officials over
whom they had no control. The suctlons
were attached to the hydrants, and the
engines began to work, but before water
could be thrown on the building. the hose
connected with three of the engines burst,
and was useless.
The fire gains rapidly, the smoke at the
corner turns into fame, and the work OF
destruction begins in earnest. The broken
hose is repaired or replaced as rapidly as
possible, but time that can never be
reclaimed, and opportunities that can never
be recalled are forever lost. There comes
q hosting apparatus in front of the build
ing. Three firemen get into . sort OF q
bucket, and others turn q windlass TO
raise them up so that they can pour the
water into the upper stories Of the build
ing, but the machinery will not work.
In the meantime the fire increases, the
flames spread rapidly from the rear to the
front, and at 5:25 the entire roofs mass
of fame and smoke. Downward into the
building the fire eats its way, and in a
few minutes the fame and smoke curl
upward, as if rising from a burning pie.
In ten minutes more, or at twenty min
utes to six, the whole Of Latin, Butler q
Co.'S building is on tre The scene even
ut this early stage is grand. Flame leaps
after flame, mounting skyward amid the
thick, dark smoke, making the most fan
tastic shapes and forms imaginable.
Around the cornices and windows the
fire dances like q demon at play. The
light of day is almost obscured by the inn
mense volume of smoke which drifts
southerly before q gentle wind, carrying
sparks which drop and burn holes in the
garments of the vast crowd that had al
ready assembled. There is hardly time
to notice minor events, for the fre is
travelling fast.
Already the paper store is doomed. Up
ward and onward surely, steadily, and
swiftly the destroyer marches. The roof
of the adjoining building, owned and &C.
cupied by John " Farwell & Co., the
great dry goods merch ants, has CAUGHT,
and smoke rushes out of the grand Man
sard roof. The heat grows intense. The
crowd retires before it, and it is growing
hotter and hotter every moment. The
second roof is covered with flame and
smoke. Matters look serious for the
building. Volunteers are called for from
the crowd TO assist in removing the
goods.
The volunteers are working like heroes
to save the goods. Some of them are
away up on the third and fourth stories.
Mr.. Ira P. Bowen is on the fifth floor,
with Bsbcock extinguisher, working for
dear life, with half a dozen other brave
fellows. The smoke gets thick and strong
up there, and they have to retreat, their
faces covered with wet hankerchiefst to pre-
vent sufocation. They are doubtful about
the stairway, and find an exit through the
upper story of Lyon & Healy's building,
two doors north. Still there are others
in the buildiDg--a great many-how many
God knows, and no one else. They are
on the first, second, third and fourth floors,
working as men will work when their i'm
pulses prompt them to grand and gallant
deeds. The engineer of the building
knows what il contains, and is anxious
about the lives of the men. He tells Of
ficer Wood to turn them out as the upI eY
floor contains hundreds of tons Of goods,
and il the walls give way they will fall,
carrying death to the men below. Wood
runs up and drives them from the third
and fourth floors A minute more and he
would have been too late. He again en-
tiers the store on the same mission. There
are large number inside-some say ten,
some say fifty, no one kHows-and they
are in imminent danger. Wood gets in
side the door, but, before he has time to
say ANYTHING, there is rumbling noise.
and a crash, which sends chill to the
heart, and, with roar like thunder clap,
the floors fall in from the roof to the eel
lar.
There is frantic rushs to the door by
those inside, and men and boys fall over
each other in their efforts to escape. Some
were caught in the timber and debris.
None can tell how many went in and how
many came out, or how MANY never came
out Officer Wood, Mr.. r. W. Pstten and
Mr.. G. F. Sterling, are the last to get out,
and they say there must have been a
dozen men inside. Mr.. Patten is wound
ed, his back being cut and bruised.
1.-THE flames roar and leap among the
rafters in mad delight. Upward they
shoot, the smoke lowering around and
over them, while sparks and bits of fame
are scattered all over, endangering sur
rounding property The fire creeps along
the roof of the next buildings, occupied
by Kirkland, Ordway 81 Co., and Lyon &
Healy, and at 5:45 they too are on fire.
Men are busy running goods from the
building. Those of Messrs. Farwell &