The Republican journal., 1871-10-19
General Halls Statement.


Gen. James A. Hall of Damariscotta, in Chi
cago during the great fire. furnishes some
graphic statements respecting the contagration
| The General says:
The wind was blowing perfect hurricane
The narrator never f'lced tiercer blast. Hats
We're blown of. signs and awnings torn from
their fastenngs by the fury of the gale, while
the people thronging the streets were half
blinded by the flying dust, ashes, sand and grit
A the flames came on with incredible swift
ness, borne by the gale, the air became heated
and this with the glare of the flames, and the
! force of the wind. forced the people to turn
! their backs in that direction and to gaze
upon the on-coming devastation over their
| shoulders. The General describes the rush Of
| the flames before the blast to an immense NOW
ing machine. They would take a section and
sweep onward leaving 10 the right and left
| buildings still intact. Then suddenly, another
section would be swept by the devouring elc-
ment, leaving Il blackened and smoking sWartl
behind.
The roar of the flames was appalling. His
army experience i'll the noisiest branch of the
Service-the artillery-gave him no data for a
comparison with which to convey. "A correct
idea of the sound. 1t was, he said, like the
rolling and unrollng of acres of sheet iron
The constant falling of buildings and walls OF
! buildings added to the uproar and lent horror
to the spectacle.
Every vehicle in the city was brought into
day and the fire advanced, thousands OF
vehicles We're loaded with goods OF every de-
seription and huddled together on Michigan
avenue, which was believed TO he the place OF
| safety. awaiting place of storage, when, how
ever. in incredibly short space Of time. the
fire reached this vicinity. A stampede occurred
which the General AYERS beggars all description.
The famous stampede at the Second Bull Run
was as nothing in comparison. Collisions were
of constant occurrence, the vehicles were upset,
,ln.l
ed the whole panic-strcken and motley crowd.
Meanwhile the fire fiend would brook no delay
On he came. and furniture, vehicles. horses,
mules and all else had to be abandoned to the
Unsuitable monster The overlapping flames
licked up whole wagon loads almost i'll twink
ling and then hurried on in search Of new ma
terial upon which to feed their cruel appetite.
The General confirms the reports of incen-
dlarsm. which for humanity, we had hoped
might prove untrue. While he was yet in the
vicinity of the Sherman House, and the iremen
We're striving TO preserve that noble structure,
he CHANGED to cast his eyes up Clark street,
when he noticed a sheet Of flame burst through
the windows of q house far in advance of fire.
Ii must have been set on fire.
So great was the velocity OF the wind that
the awnings and signs on the stores, when well
on fire. would be caught up and carried forward
a blazing mass, to ignite some tinder-drel roof
far ahead of the original line of flame. In this
way many peoples We're caught between two
fires, and doubtless many persisted in conse-
quence.
The General also confirms the report recount
ing the summary mode adopted by the police
and people when dealing with thieves. He saw
one villain strung up to a lamp-post. The fell
low presented revolving sight. and a more
yiianous countenance never decorated such a
place. He saw another thief beaten to death
The fellow was caught in the act, but came
near making his escape by running. A citizen
n 1t