White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1871-10-12

but more terrible than al this i the awful Ger
tainty thst many human bsthss have found hery
graves. How many no ees,ean teaA, psrnaPs no
Sessssa. Ses sss 'sss .ad sssrs y & that
the victims Of tho frey utR ~ b eocnfed
b. scores Hundrsds ~ hcEtss ead cows have
becu burned in their stib1ss, and - the nortn
side numbers though released fum confnensnt
rounded then thss fhSy rushed willy 70 and fro
uttering cries of fright and pm snfa soorchsd
"A Xny attempt Il asseiptiea q the sesne of
this appalling eal1nity wonM = idie ne am
pie fact tha. the eses s.s az = y Cs,es~ = @s
tai have yanishqi, and that nearly onethird Of
her inhsbitante g homeless, ars enough. An at
tempt to embellish would be but mockery. As
this awful day: dravs 70 close thsusaods of anI-
ious eyes watch the dense eassas Of smoke which
stiii fuil over tSe barns district with evident
dread that sudden change Of the wind may turn
the IaInes upon fst portion OF the city yet spar
ed. Thcze sesms, however, but little cause Tor
their apprehension, and reinforcements of nremen
from other cities are constantly Arriving
Col. J. J. g. Wilson, Superintendent Of Tele-
graph, is in receipt Of dispatches from the leading
citizens an;,uuncing that aid is being provided
for the sufferers. Mayor Brown, Of st. Louis tel
egraphs that $4,000 have been subscribed by the
merchants. Cincinnati promises $lOO,O0. and
and . great deal plGre will be needed to relieve
the immediate pressing wants.
About three-fourths of tho United States mail
was saved and taken possession Of by Col. Wood,
Of the post Office service.
M-The progressing flames in the south di-
vision were finally arrested about ono o'clock this
afternoon. This was accomplished by the blow
ing up and desnolishing Of several buildings on
Wabash avsnae and Congress streets by Lieuten-
ant General Sheridan. The district burned over
in the South Division embraces everything from
the main branch of the Chicago river to the Lake,
embracing alsat one hundred blocks. This dis
trict contained all Of the leading business houses,
the banks insurance Offices, hotels, etc.; large
number Of chufches, including St. Mary's (Catho-
lic) st. Trinity, First Presbyterian, Second Pres
Methodist church on the corner Of Wabash ave-
nne and Congress street is saved. The Michigan
Avenue Hotel, on the corner Of Michigan avenue
and Congress street, and Congress Hall, directly
adjoining on Congress street are saved. Nichi-
gan Terrace, ON Michigan avenue, embracing the
residences Of Lieut.. Gov. Bross, Hon. J. Young
Scammon, 9. C. Griggs and other leading citizens,
| is completely destroyed, with the furniture and
nearly all the other cOntentS. All the 'newspa-
| per establishments totally wiped out. The
| T,ibaae building resisted for several hours but
| finally yielded, when Mcvicker's Theatre, imme-
diately adjoining, which had also withst0od the
raging elements, finally succumbed; in fact all
| the buildings in the District which were claimed
| could make no sneh claims. The great central
depot, at the footof Lake street, became heap
| Of ruins abOut o'clock. Most of the passenger
ears of the Michigan Central, Burlington and
Quincy and Illinois Central Railroad, were moved
| on the breakwatef and saved. West of Clark
street, in the South Division, the fire extended
south as far as Polk street, sweeping everything
before it. The distance burned over here is some
three blocks wide and over half mile in length,
numbering about twenty blocks. The buildings
,Ixvn,
ing Saloons smallshops, poor residences, etc. The
| district burned over ON the west side commences
| at Taylor street, running from DekOven street
to Jefferson. 1t run thence four or five blocks
north, and then moved diagonally towards the
river; and finally the west line was established
on Clinton street, and reaching thence to the riv
| er. It moved in this line northward until it
reached the Northwestern west side depots, where
| it stopped-a distance of nearly two miles from
where it started. The Pittsburg, Fl. Wayne and
Chicago and Chicago and st. Louis depots were
in this territory. Both the passenger and freight
depets are wiped ont.
| Almost the entire Northern Division, from the
main branch and Chicago river to Lincoln Park,
| nearly two miles in length and one mile wide, is
completely destroyed, including the Water Works,
a large number Of elegant churches, etc. This
statement embraces the districts devastated, and
combines almost the entire business portion of
the city south of Harrison street in the South
Division and reaching out many miles, and COW
cred almost entirely with dwellings composed
largely Of the more elegant class, is untouched,
and may now be regarded as safe from injury.
For miles and miles in every direction, the side
walks, lawns, yadant lots and front yards of dwell
lings are filled with people who have escaped
from their burning dwellings, taking with them
only scanty amount of their furniture and cloth
ing. The sight is truly pitiful. They must re-
ccivc relief, or many will perish from exposure
and starvation, as stated in my previous des-
patch.
1t is utterly impossible to make an Approximate
estimate of the entire loss but it can scarcely fall
below one hundred aud fffy millions of dollars.
OF course hut frncfion of this amount can be
realized from insurance.
Gen. Sheridan has to-day telesraphed to St.
Louis to the military department there to send at
| once to Chicago one hundred thousand rations.
He has also telegrsphed 70 Omaha for two COM
panies of Regulars and one hundred tents. They
will be all here ~ seOn as they can come by rail.
He will also order another hundred thousand ra-
tions. Mayor Mason has issued q proclamation
calling meeting tonight in West Division to
what the citizens do for the relief If the
sufferers. There are at least 100 QUO people in the
streets who know not where they can get enough
provision to satisfy the appeals of hunger.
A later rumor from the North Division says
the devastation is less wide spread than hitherto
reported. There are no deaths reported by the
disaster yet, but undoubtedly many have perished.