Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-13

gloomier prospects. Toward evening some
train loads of provisions had arrived, and
an effort was made to supply tho immedi-
ate demsnds of the most neoessitous. The
psngs of hunger were in many csses ap-
peased.
But the smouldering ruins still fitfully
blszsd here aad there, with a strange wild
; light, marking out distinctly the devastat-
ing track OF the tornado of fire that had
swept through it.
Further away loomed up the grand and
glowing light of tbs fire cloud as it rolled
away beyond the river to the northwsrd.
The clsttsr. the noise, the buzz, hum, and
confusion which had prevailed during the
previous night had sobered down some.
what. The exhiserating effects of the first
| great storm of excitement hsd passed
i away Exhaustion had succeeded: the
1.-the moveme nj, ,hsd cssi ed. Men moned
around; women sobbed themselves into
uneasy slumbers whereverthey could find
/ place under The broad canopy of heaven
The wsiling of distressed and homeless
children came borne in subdued murmurs
on the night wind. Policemen wearied
] by constant eXertion, lost their watchful-
mass and moved about with vacant, list
less airs, while the ghouls that hsunted
/ the scene of disaster plundered at will
| Devils wearing the form Of men, went
about TobbinR the helpless and insulting
the feeble and defenseless. The sick, car
ried from homes of comfort and laid un-
der the trees in the parks ard on the
beach, expired unattended by groups of
sorrowing friends-died alone, with the
/ earth for couch and the sky for canopy.
Il was now midnight. The heavens
were lighted up with lurid glare, the
vast surging multitude swsyed to and fro,
while sbOve the rosr of the wind, and the
cracking of the flames, rose the confused
n chpnttnC al nm
men. Merchants were gathering up their
most valuable articles, such as books and
papers; landlords were arousiDg their
guests, and advising hasty departures;
men, loaded with the most precious arti-
cles of the household, followed by awe
stricken women and frantic children,
were rushing away from the fire-demon as
rapidly as the thronged condition of the
streets would admit; women, separated
from their families, gave utterance TO
shTieks that rang OUT clear aud shrill
above the horrible roar of the devouring
dsmes and the Wild moan of the wind as
It swept the fiery deluge along in its
march of ruin. Vast smoke clouds how
cd over all the central and northern part
of ths city. The fire light, retisotS1 back
from the dense smoke, sh0ne with bale
fal red glare that was truly ews-inspiring
Strong men grew pOwerless, and became
frantic in face of the appalling calamity.
Beart-Rending Suffering.
The intense heat Of the fire in the city
had forced the vast multitude collected
along Michigan avenue back in the fur
thest verge Of the beach, and southwark
into Lske psrk, and even down to Cottage
grove. The day dawn found not fewer
than seventy-fvs thousand people sx-
posed to the wind and mist of the lake,
who had been but q few short hours be-
fore surrounded by the comforts of home
1t is impossible to describe the scene pre-
sented by those now hOuseleSs, homeless
and, in many csses, penniless people, |
Hither had been brought the old. the in
firm, and the sick, rescued from burning |
homes. It was indeed a pitiable sight to |
see the pale, emRciated and suffering men,
women and children. removed from COM |
Portable couches, and laid out in the opsn |
cir with perhaps only blanket under |
them, and only the Emoke-hszsd sky for a |
covering above them. The amount of |
suffering thus ent2iled upon the helpless |
sick cannot be estimated.
Men, women and children, $1,000 of |
them, are Euddled together Ike so many |
wild animals, and in another place II, 900 /
Germans and Irish are praying for relief. /
Helpless Nildren, asking for breed heart
broken parents, who know not which way |
to turn or what to say, nothing to do but |
await the distribution of supplies, which |
at most will be a slow preceding, as
there are parts of the burnt districts over /
which it is almost impossible to travel.
Women in The pains of childbirth, and |
patients who hsYe been moved from beds /
of sickness TO save lives that at best were |
nearly spent, we're exposed to the rain /
last night snd the cold winds of to-day. |
Several deaths have occurred in Lincoln |
Park, and three women have brought /
children into the world only to die
There are psooie who, in the bitterness i
of their souls, sscribe the calamity to /
Gods Judgment. A German said to me.
"this Is q second Sodom and GOmorrah,
and the curse Is on it."
Women tainted, and in some instances
fell dead on the sidewalk, and children |
screamed and were trampied under foot.
Strong. healthy men cried like children L
when they reiOined their families, from /
whom they bad been temporarily seps-
rated amid the terrific din, alarm and con-
fusion. To add to the frightful scene,
men would yell like demons when the
flames burated out from the large struc-
lures, ss If edited by the spectacle. The
faces of every one we're blackened by the
smoks and dust. Ladies with diamonds
on their fingers had dirty faces, with eyes
and ears filed wife dust. To add to the
distress, there was 3 great deal of suffer-
ing from hunger and thirst. With the
lake in full view, It was impossible to OBJ
tain a drink of water to slske thirst.
A man from the third story of a house
on Madison street tumhled back into the
flames, while engaged In putting wet
blankets on the roof. In ton minutes az
ter the blankets were put on the roof the
building was in flames. People were |
drunk and noisy. The police were utter
ly demorslizsd, and some of them would
Wslk into stores and help themselves to
hats and coats The people all along the
and 4 !
the panic was fearful. All who had prop
erty tried TO get vehicles. to transport
their goods to some safe place. AT first
ten dollars was asked by the scalpers.
then they asked almost any price Some |
of the merchants told the people to walk
into their stores and take what goods they
wanted. Some went in and emerged from
the burning stores with their eye-lashes
and hair scJrched of. The bridges and
the vessels in the river were DESTROYED
by the flames, The two tunnels on Wash
iDgton and Dearborn became so hot that
they became impossible, and passengers
we're forbidden to go through.
InhumaBffy Of the wealthy.
Reports Of inbumanity on the part of
the wealthy people whose houses happen-
ed TO be in the unburned district are fire.
qusnt. Il is said they barricaded their
residences, barred and locked their doors.
ed in their court yards and refused to al
low them even the scant shelter they
sought in that hour of their great extrem-
ity. Some OF the scenes were extremely
pitrsble. Mothers with starving babes
perishing from want ard cold, besought |
with hesrtrending supplicstionsa little of
the kindness which might have been eK- |
tended apparently without danger of pill
lsge by the rabble. Butit Was every one
for himself, and there was no charity |
The fear of plunder deadened mems hearis
and wOmen's sympathies, and the harsh
treatment returned in q way entirely un-
expected and with q venRenee which was
horrible. Ruffisns set fire 10 mansions
and burned down houses over the inmates'
heads. Imagination cannot picture the
horrible scenes.
The Thieves and scaIpers.
All the prisoners in Jail, numbering I75,
were turned loose except three, Whe were
in for capital offences.
Michigan and Wabash avenues were
perfect bedlsms. The fire marched two
miles down those avenues Many who
had removed some of their light baggage,
by paying In some cases as high as slOO
for q vehicle, saw them burn up, because
they could not subsequently procure ve-
hioles at any prics.
l. was a common thing to pay from $40
to s2Q0 for transporting children and bag
gage 20 place of safety. The expressmen
seemed perfectly hesrtless.
Thisyes we're lively, and the police lost
all authority. Three rufisns tried to rob
a gantlemsn OF q cash box containing
$50. .Oe0, while trying 10 get away with il,
ana be flung It into the flames, saying,
There goes $50, ,000," he preferring TO see
it thus destroyed than 10 come in posses
sion OF the thieves. A prominent merch-
ant blew out bis brains, exclsiming in the
presence of large crowd, "All is lost"
Men we're knocked down boldly and rob.
bed on the street. Curses and blAsphe-