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

CncAaa. October 9. I2:45 am-Eo-
night - the most awful in the annals OF
this cisv. Tbs IRE which commenced at
10 pm. has airssdy swept over space OF
81 least three times Rs large as that OF lSst
night, and is still rushing on with greater
fury than hss been marked 1t any stage
OF its pro 9ress. the engines proving al
most pOwsrless.
Fire msrshal Williams has Just tsle-
graphsd to Milwaukee for all the steam
srs they can possibly spare. The contis
grafton hiss already devastated st least
twenty blocks, mostly composed of the
smaller class Of dwellings, which are in
hsbited by poor people.
Not less than 500 buildings have been
G. 'tirsly destroyed and more than that
M .mbsr Of families rshdred homeless.
The wind Is blowing almost gale from
the $, nUtn. and . shower OF sparks and
brand sre sweeping over the city threat
ening a 'estruction on every hand. Since
this reA lort commenced two additional
slarms b Sve been struck, and tSs tower Of
the court house caught from a ying brands
but wss sX tinguished by = watchmsn in
the tossr. No description can give
su adequate idsa Of the terrible scene.
The IRE started IN = row of low
wooden tsnsmEnts on D5koweD street.
bstyssn Jefferson and Clinton, and, as
wss TIE case last night, spread with terri
bic rspidity. Before an engine could get
on the ground, half the block was in
Il ames, and burning furiously. The en-
tire department were soon On hand, and
A. work. For 3 time il seemed probable
that they would succeed in combining it to
r1ur OF I've blocks. The wind was blow
ing freshly when the IRE started, but il
increased 20 a gale, and suddenly the
danes seemed = sprssd in every dirsc-
lion, beooming beyond the control Of the
firs department..
I:I5 3 m.-Ths GEe i still raging, and
with Increased fury Il mas spread almost
with the velocity Of the wind, and has
now reachsd West Monroe, = distance Of
moro than 4 mile from where IL started,
and il covers e breadth of nearly half 4
mile. reaching from the river to Jefferson
street. The district already burned em-
braces an immense number Of lumber
yards, and the freight depOts OF the
Chicago and Su. Louis and the Pittsburg,
Fort Wayne and Chicago railroads. The
property alrss dy destroyed counts up
many millions OF dollars, and perhaps the
halt is not vet told. The hops srresting
at now seems dvs times more hopeless
ahan su hour ago, snd no cee dare ven
Iars the opinion as TO when OF where IL
will stop. Brands from the fire were
blown across 10 the east side or the river,
and set q wooden building on IRE directly
adjoining the Chicago gas house. The
hre spread in every direction, the adjoin-
ing buildings being al Of the finder box
description. The prospect is that the gas
hous8 will b9 destroyed, and the city
wrapped in darkness.
4 terrible panic is prevailing through
out the whole city, Almost every body,
men, women and children, ere in the
street, aud praying, weeping snd wsiling
Is heard in every direction. Il now looks
as II the whole city might be destroyed.
OF course q large number Of lives have
been sacrificed, but how many and who
cannot be known until the progress Of
Hhs d ames have been arrested.
The alarm bell has lust commenced
riuA -ing an unoessing peEi, which is in
tend, d to cali every sle5peT from bis bed.
The csnie Is Increasing. aud the people
sseIn almost crazy with sisTm. The yes
,sels in tbs river are catching g. fire in
every direction, and ali Ia the south river
will rrobsbly be destroyed.
A raging, roaring hsH OF FIRE envelopes
twenty blocks Of the city, it Is already
within q block Of the telegraph Office
where this disPEtch Is written, and sweep
1ng onward. A whirlwind of hsme,
against which human efforts are power
less, and &c Is impossible 70 tell where it
-wiH stop. The bridge across Van Buren
strssz. Is burned, The shipping in the
ana Alton and FJrt y syne railroads, with
Immense frsighIg zre swept away. No
language can describe the awful scsne.
The flames sweep through the blocks OF
wooden buildings with the rapidity of
- prairie FIRE. Thousands Of people fill
ths streets. People are rushing out Of the
dwellings, and in msny instance have
barely time TO ssvs th5ir lives.
block Immediately scross the street
from the telegraph cfics, some OF the i'm
est buildings 10 the city, are now among
1bs ruins.
CHICAGO, october 9.-The entire busi-
ness portion Of the city is destroyed. All
the banks, express snd telegraph offices;
all ths newspaper Offices, exesrt the Fri-
bune, six elevators and the wster works
srs gone. No water ia the city.
Not less than ten thousand buildings
have been destroyed. The Ore has burned
the distance of i've miles, and is still rag
ing, the wind blowing perfect gale.
4. rs s.m.
CHICAGO, October e.-One-third Of the
city Is in ruins, including all the banks
assurance Cfbces, warehouses snd elevst-
ors Fully Ten thousand buildings have
bssn burned, snd the fire is still raging.
Noon All reports say that the whole
bnsjpess Ss0rsiOR OF the city Is Ia ashes,
fnon Harrinqn street nth 70 Chicago
svsnne and east OF she river 70 Lake ave-
nue.. three miles in length snd IL in
width Every hotel, h2a5. express once,
thsatsr and newspaper ONCE, with most
OF the Wholesale houses, are totally Dc
stroyed, with thousands OF dwellings,
and the watsrworks we're destroyed early
this morning. The wind was blowing
perfect gale from the southwest, with
aky Of brass. No one can tell what the
end will be. The only salvation for the
remainder OF the city Is In the wind keep
ing its present direction.
Fifty thousand people are left homeless,
The most Of them being in q destitute
condition. The unburned streets for over
8 mile are lined with household goods.
No one dare think Whist the loss of life
may be. The tismes swept through the
streets with the rspidity OF prairie FIRE,
and many must have persisted. The
Western Union Telegraph Company has
snceseded in getting up = few wires.
A hastily imprOYissd once "a the
southern part Of tho city is establishing
communication In nearly all directions.
Muniicent offers of assistance are coming
from every quarter.
CHIcAoo, October g, 6 p.m.-The pro
crossing flames in the south division were
6nally arrested about one O'Clock . N.
sTeSs was accomplished by the blowing up
and demolishing OF several buildings on
Wsbssh avenue and Congress streets, by
lieutenant General Sheridan.
The district burned over In the south
division embraces everything from the
main branch Of the Chicago river to the
lske. being about one hundred blocks;
and this district contsined all the leading
businesg houses, the banks. insurance
ofices. hotels, and q large number Of
churches.
Az the newspaper establishments are
sotslIv Eiped out. The Tribune building
1resisted ths IRE for several hours. but
dnally yielded. McYieker's theatre,
adjoining, also withstood the raging ele-