Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-10-19
LOCAL NEWS.
The CHICAGO FIRE.-The following is an ex-

THE CHICAGO FIRE.-The following is an ex-
tract from letter ofa former Alexandrian now
resident of Chicago, to friend in this city {:
CHICAGO, Oct. IS, 1871.
The sky is as lurid, and the air as
dry and as hot as on Sunday and Monday
nights. l presume you have read telegraph
dispatches relative to our calamity-you can
form pretty good idea Of it from having been
here lately. The fire broke out on DeRover
street, west side-burning from that street to
Polk, northward at that point it crossed the
river to the south side, which it swept to Wells
street, destroying depots, dwellings, coal yards,
lumber yards, &C., to Harrison, and from the
north side of that street from the south branch
of the river to the lake, east and north to the
walls Of the Postofhce, Court House, Tribune
office, and the First National Bank-thcse were
considered fire proof. The fire then crossed
the river to the north side, and swept all clean
and BARE with the exception of about twenty
houses at the Kinzie street bridge, and Mr..
Ogden dwelling, in the centre OF a large plat
of ground, and from the river northward to
Fullerton Avenue, half mile beyond Lincoln
Park-bctween four and five miles IN length
and from the north branch Of the river to the
lake, east and west, from mile to mile and
three quarters in width the area OF ground
burnt over is estimated at about $500 acres,
10000 houses destroyed 100000 people made
homeless, and loss in money $250,000,000.
This was all accomplished between the hours
of 10 o'clock on Sunday night and 3 o'clock on
Monday afternoon On no page of history can
there be found such fearful record OF destruc-
ton by fire. We are yet without water and
gas-being without the former keeps US in con-
tin led alarm. Never before, we believe, were
there so many lips silently appealing to Heav
en- for rain, in any land, and calling on God to
withhold the fierce and drying winds that seem
Gas we can do without, the burning coal piles
making it as light as day, but water, water,
water for the fire plugs is what we most desire
then We would feel more safe, and our excited
and over taxed faculties would be, in q great
measure, relieved Every church above 18th
street. on the south, and all on the west side,
arc used as houses Of refuge for the burnt,
homeless and dcspairing. For two days every
vehicle was brought into reQulsltlOn to bring
in the thousands who were scattered about on
the prairics shelterless, without food and
clothes Food by every train, is coming from
all quarters, and hope is gaining ground slow
~. A long winter is coming upon US, and
though there is much that can be done, there
is nothing to pay the laborcr with-those that
were rich are now poor, and those that were
poor are poorer. Those that lived in luxury On
the rents of their stores and blocks have now
only the bare ground, and arc as much, in some
instances, the objects of charity as the man
who never owned cottage. The number of
lives lost is not yet known, but may reach in
the neighborhood Of five hundred. We have
had several incipent fires, but they were OK
tinguished by our watchful patrol.