The New York herald., 1871-10-15
that n Is the most correct and faithful one that has
DETAILS OF TIE CALAMITY.

DETAILS OF TIE CALAMITY.
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CHICAGO, Oct. IA Is71.
former letter 10 the HERALD described, to the
best Of my ability Of the fearful scenes attend
ing the great calamity that has visited chicago.
VIII endeavor to Ill some Of the "breaks" in that
communication by relating some OF the most impor-
tant incidents that came under my observation IN
my race with the nre. As was passing by the burn
ing Post once I was chained to she spot by the
block, .
WELL xNowN RESORT OF rHs DEMr-MoNDH.
TnIs block ran from Madison street south to alley
between It and the Post once building and fronted
east on Dearborn street. Some TWO hundred prosti-
tntes Of the '1reet walking order" haa rooms here,
and when the Ore reached them . number Of them
were sleeping on the effects Of intoxication and de-
bauch. Crazy drunk and pesrtfed with fear, num-
Der Of them were trying get out through the alley
entrance. The names from the Post once building
drove many hack, and with horrible curses on their
ps they staggered back TO perish in the ruins. No
one could assist them from that side. but
. signai WAS made for them to 60
around 10 the Dearborn street side, ana here
lrelnen and citizens. About twenty -nve rushed out
through the Madison street door with nothing but
their night clothing on and dress hastily snatched
up In their hands. No trunks or iewelry, no ward
robes or toilet articles or albums containing pic
lures Of their lovers ~ could be looked after now
All were possessed with the one idea Of personal
safety. They ran wildly up and down the street, all
In the light OF q thousand fires, exposing their
nakcdncss 10 the eyes OF thousands but no one took
note OF such scene then, and to many
who saw the recollection thereof win
not fade for many day. How they
bewailed Their fate How some OF them cursed
their luck, their Maker and the day they came to
Chicago Said one to . companion "F0r Gods
sake, Jae, amt this fearful and was just getting
started, and making stamps hkc he'll" Just getting
started Horrible What can be the state of that
woman's mind who bewais the tate that relieves
her from a lite OF sname'
Others were making the air heavy with rDald
jests aud bacchanallan songs. The very spirit OF
hell seemed to have taken possession Oi the lot.
The same scenes were Transporting around IN clark
street, in block devoted to similar purposes.
Young girls OF rourteen-and Chicago was noted
FOR many OF that age pursuing life of shame-and
women OF forty, the lowest in the city. occupied
In Madison block, and their efforts 10 get out,
were 1t not Tor the horrible occasion that necessl-
lated them would have been laughablc. A girl
OF sixteen rushed out of the lower hall and into
the street, carrying bird cage IN one hand and q
pair or stockings in another She had on abso-
lufaI hurhp
was not put on In the most secure
manner Then q great big, burly, halfintoxicatcd
driver emerged bearing In his arms his mistress
for the hight. Three drunken bawd9 jumped nom
the first story window to the pavement beneath ana
escaped unin)ured. Their cries were interspersed
with horrible oaths, and, IKE their sisters OF Rey-
nod's block they frequently indulged IN songs af-
ter the manner OF the :. Poet or the PERIOD" vixen
they had once reached the Rrouud without injury.
Finally the wall fell in with q loud crash.
and some women are supposed TO have perisned.
could stay no longer. but mounting horse had
borrowed proceeded northward to the scene Of the
north side ire which was just beginning ana which
was TO render seventy thousand people homeless be-
fore nightail. How the flames rushed up the great
avenues ana hating at nothing not the grave,
buL N II possessed OF
THE ARCH FIENp OF HELL
swept relenessly on, destroying the houses OF the
living and the dead. IL burned across CLARK
street. destroyed the tence that bounded the
old German cemetery from the street, aud
swept across the grass and devastated the graves
great many family lots were enclosed by wooden
fence. In every instance these fences were burned
and where tie head boards were OF wood these also
were consumed. stone memorials were overturned,
and the fire lts utter fendishness actually burned
into the ground to the depth OF foot iu some in-
stances. Not satisfied with this Ii continued on It's
destructive career and burned AL the vaults and
their contents. One large receiving vault must
have contained al least twenty dead bodies. every
one OF which was destroyed utterlv. Grave after
grave Ii ralned beyond all hope OF recognition.
One wooden tomb Is burned In most fantastic man.
ner 1t appears now IKE nagstaG, with q nag on
its peak. Horrible idea 'rhe demon of tire waving
a Dag OF victory over death
THE WHOLE SURF ACE or THE cEMsrEBy
is scorcned black, and every tomb Is either over
turned or burned, and the graves devastated. Az
the flames swept across this cemetery, scourging
with relentless fury the living and the dead, num-
ber OF women, VINO were bearing bedding and other
lnf!anl,naUle articles, were oversaken and their
dresses and their burdens fred and 1t WAS 0nlT by
the presence OF mind exercised by the mcn, who
forced these women directly INTO the lake, thar
their lives were saved, and even now the shore IL
covered with half burned ticking. nearly buried by
the sand and action OF the waves.
MONDAY NIGHT IN LINCOLN PARK
win never be forgotten, The horrors Of the uay and
the blaze Of the st burning city would not allow Of
sleep, even had there been beds OF down provided
for that purpose. Rude shelters we're erected under
the trees ana sucn as mad any bedding spread it on
the groun, ana, alter general division OF the pro-
visions that saved. the children were sent to
bed twhat mOckery 1t seems 10 say the children
were pot TO oed) and the poor things were so COM
plcely out that the experiences Of the day had
not tue power 20 keep sleep from their eyeiids. I
doubt II snere man there that slept that night
All night long they sat and talked OF their losses
and what must be done ior the iuturc Some spccu-
lated on tnc influence Of the news abroad aud won
dered II the cities of our country would come to
their assistance III the hour o their necessity, Little
they knew that III less than ten hours from
that time Detroit would nave landed tram
load of provisions at twenty second street,
sonlh division, and that every City In tue
country wouId have responder 10 their wants be-
lore ncy were asked " the extent or $1,000 be-
fore twenty tour hours should have passed. " ls
the nature Of humanity to look on tile dark side
when rcverses are at the door, anu did not wonder
at the fears some few people VINO expressed
pIcion thaa other cities would fail to respond.