Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-10-17
Chicago in Ruins F!
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE
H0USEleSS AND HOMELESS II
Scores Of Lives Lost {!
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 5000, 900, ooOl


LOSS ESTIMATED AT 5000, 000, 900!
Az he Churches, Hotels, Theatres, Banks,
Rdilmay Depots, Telegraph Offices,
Newspaper Offices, Gas Works,
Public buildings. and Ship
ping, IN Ashes :
The announcement i'm our last issue.
that as we were going TO press a great
fire was raging in Chicago. but dimly
foretold the terrible conflaglation that en-.
sued. II proved to be the greatest fire
that ever occurred in this country, and
nearly takes rank with The great London
fire in 1866. which ragged four days, and
destroyed IS. 200 buildings. and rendered
800, 900 people homeless. Fol- two days,
while the fire was raging, il SO absorbed
the public attention, that everything else
in the Geographic dispatches, even poll
ties, gave way to it. This great city,
which sprang up rs it were in night,
and boosted n population of 500 900, with
elegant and costly public buildings. and
a valuation OF $500, 900. is almost
blottcd out The losses. said to DC equal
to the entire valuation of The State of
Maine, are not confined to that city. To
say nothing oil the losses of the lnsur.
ance Companies all over the country,
many capitalists of our large cities had
large investments there. and met with
losses. We shall append items of inter
est. connected with the great iiie, SO far
rs our limits will go.
II appears that early Saturday evening
the first fire broke out in planning mill
near Taylor street. in section composed
largely OF wooden buildings. lnhari.
mable in themselves. they were rendered
doubly so Nv the prevailing drought Of
the past few months, SO that the ilames,
famed into fury by breeze from the
southwest. laughed nj the most desperate
efforts oil the fire department 10 subdue
them, and by m hour or so after mid.
night had reduced the entire area TO
ashes. Almost every available foot OF
ground in this district, was covered with
stores. tenement houses. etc, which were
all swept clean. This fire was finally
subdued about Two O'Clock on Sunday
morning, and it was thought at length
that the city had escaped the terrible
danger that for a few hours threatened 1t.
On Sunday night however, about 10
O'Clock, n new fire was discovered few
squaies southweS, OF that Of the previous
evening, which proved 10 be the begin
ming OF the fearful catastrophe. The
flames increased in fury during the entire
night. until. still famed by tho disas-
trouS wind from the southwest, they gain
ed sufficient strength To sweep northward
TO Van Buren, street bridge, aud crossing
the river. to rush in ungovernable power
into the very heart of the city.
Along The line Of this fire, the buildings
were much Of tho same class as those
burned the previous night and they fell
before the flames with n rapidity that
hardly allowed the miserable inmates an
opportunity TO escape with their lives
On the The west branch, however. a very
different style OF architecture prevailed.
Along The banks weraivc or tx OF the
largest grain elevators in the world. and
commencing with Van Buren, street con-
tinuous lines Of handsome stone and brick
business blocks stretched away 10 the
north and east. On the corner OF this
street and La Selle stood the new pasSen.
GER depot OF the Michigan Southern
Railway, one OF the earliest extensive
ediices destroyed. This fire continued
to rage fierccly the latter part OF Sunday
night, and all day Monday, with Jury
which can hardly be imagined. Finally,
about p. NJ Monday, 10y the most
strenuous efforts the fire was checked by
blowing up buildings. An hour later,
however, it broke oul anew, and ragged
till half past midnight, when heavy
shower OF rain coming up, il was stop
ped finally, alter raging from 10 o'clock
Sunday night TO o'clock Tuesday morn
ing-2S hours.
Adiuster Ireton OF the PheniX lnsul'
ancc company. just from Chicago, csti-
mates the loss ut 5000, 100000 lie SAYS
the fire was extended by nccndiaries. He
also said the flames in one instance burst
from a house several blocks from the fire.
Mansard roofs and wooden pavement
contributed largely TO the spread Of the
flames. AZ fremont House several per
sons jumped from upper story windows,
and babies were tied up in beds and
thrown out. The party heard oil several
deaths. In one instance three families
were surrounded and burned 10 death.
No one at the hotel saved anything
Trunks were thrown into the street but
had to be lett there
All the banks will be able to resume.
A number OF vaults have been opened
and their contents are uniniured Every
bank claims that in time they will be able
to pay every dollar of their Indebtedness.
The Pacific Hotel is u be rebuilt at once.