Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-10-28
THE CHICAGO FIRE.
Over One.hnIf the City in Ashes-The Bu II
ness Portion Utterly Ruined.


Chicago seems doomed by the fire
fiend On Saturday afternoon, Sept.
3Oth, a confagration destroyed a bonded
warehouse and other property to the
amount of about $4,000. During the
week following several minor fires took
Diace in the city, the engines and fire
men remaining in their houses scarcely
three hours at n time without n call,
and on Saturday evening, October Tth.
about II o'clock, while engaged in ex-
tinguishing fire on Wells street, South
Side. an alarm was sounded from box
No. 24S. West Division. This alarm. it
was ascertained, was occasioned by the
discovery of fire in the boiler room Of
the planning mill of Lull ~ Holmes, sit
uated on Canal street, between jackson
and Van Buren. All the engines not
engaged al the Wells street fire mime
diatelv repaired to the scene of destruc
ton in the West Division, but before
they got into operation, the building in
which the fire originated was enveloped
in flames.
The absence of rain for the past three
weeks has rendered verything here SO
inhammable, as well as elsewhere
throughout the West, that a spark will
start fire-will sweep for miles with
out interruption. Only few minutes
after the striking of the alan . flames
We're seen sweeping to the sky, and the
lurid light that Illuminated the horizon
grew more and more powerful, casting
its brilliant rays in every direction, and
bringing out in bold relief the fronts of
the buildings which faced the burning
element. The wind; which was blowing
very strong from the southwest, carried
with it sparks, cinders and partially
burned pieces of wood, which covered
the sky in dazzling spangles, and fell
in fiery showers upon the buildings ly-
ing north and northeast of the burning
mill. These soon ignited, and at one
o'clock were one mass OF flame or
'charred ruins BY this time every en-
gine in the city, and those belonging at
Bridgeport and Blue Island, We're at
work trying to arrest the progress of
the devouring element. This, however,
was not done until fifth block was de,
stroyed.
The boundaries of the contlagration
were as follows: Between Clinton and
Canal streets, about three-fourths of the
area south toward Van Buren, street.
Between Canal street and the river,
about ninet tenths of the area south to-
ward Van Buren, street. Between Ca
nal street and the river, and Adams and
jackson streets, the entire area. Be
tween Canal and Clinton streets, and
r. Adams and jackson streets, about seven
eighths the entire area. On the east
side of Canal, north Of Adams, about
one hundred feet frontage, this being
the freight sheds of the Adams and
United States Express Companies. AS
nearly as can be estimated, the total
area burned covers about twenty acres,
which is by far the largest district ever
devastated by fire in Chicago, even
eclipsing the famous contlagration of
1857.
On jackson street, aside from the
planning mill above mentioned, and the
lumber yard connected with it, the
property consumed consisted of dwell
ings, barns and outE ouses, which were
all old and dry as tinder. Clinton street
north of jackson was also covered with
dwellings, and few small carpenter
shops. On Canal street, in the rear of
the planning mill, was a box factory of a
Mr.. Foster, which was also destroyed.
Among the most prominent sufferers on
the east side of Canal street, next the
river were the Union Wagon Works
Chaplin & Foss, manufacturers of lath
and shingles; John Sheriffs d. Son,
lumber dealers; B. Iolbrook, coal deal
er; w. Z. Johnson, coal dealer; and
the blacksmith shops of the Pittsburg
and Fort Wayne Railway Company.
The majority Of the sufferers on Adams
street, between Canal and Clinton, were
families, who lost nearly all they had.
The Adams street viaduct was wrapped
in flames and damaged to the amount
of about 81 900. The losses in the
above fire cannot be less than million
dollars.
THE WEST SIDE.
Last night about nine o'clock Il fire
broke out in barn on the corner of
Twelfth and Dekoven streets, occa-
stoned by cow kicking over IA lamp.
An alarm YVES quickly sounded, but the
high WAND prevailing at the time caused
the building to burn and the fire to
spread rapidly, and before the engines
reached the ground several buildings
were in flames and the Oremen were
forced to give way to the devouring ele-
ment.
IT'S COURSE.
The fire spread rapidly in an easterly
and northeasterly direction, deyouring
everything in its track, and soon the
two blocks from Jefferson to Clinton
and from Clinton to Canal, were enyel.
oped in one sheet of flame. Crossing
Canal street, the fire crept steadily
along the river, forcing everything of an
inhammable nature to succumb Yes.
sells and canal boats were forced TO cut
loose, and float away as fast as tbev
could, to prevent being burned. Stead.
ily forcing the tiremen to retreat the
fire made its way northward between
Jefferson and Clinton streets to Van
B,len street, where ii ceased, between
those streets, but kept on burnino he.
tween Clinton and Canal streets and
from Canal street TO the river. Al Van
Buren, street the fire crossed and burned
what was left in that vicinity bv the fire
of Saturday night. Everything on the
river front. from Taylor street to Adams
street. was burned. Among the most
prominent buildings along that side Of
the river were the Chicago Dock Com.
pany, the st. Louis and Alton frei~ht
depot, large planning mill and sash
factory. The National Elevator, which
stood test of fire all night, finally eaupht
from the intense heat, and about three