Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-10-18
The Chicago Eyre - Thrilling
Incidents,

nor pubic building, nor u newspaper
Office. III fact, hardly n business. house
Of any sort remains, Five hundred of
the largest business blocks in the city
are in ashes three to five square miles
arc burnt over, and arc now smoking
like baiilcd tophel, II is already
known that twenty or thirty persons
have pcrished in the ruins Of their
homes, -Four women were burned in
the Arcade block A thici was sutlo
Gated and burned while stealing from
jewclry store. Plundcring was pros.
eCuted with n lawlcssness never before
witnessed and when, pillcrers were
caught in the act the officers were
compelled to release them, for tho Jail
was burned. Tho streets remind one
of the streets of Fredericksburg after
the battle, presenting every phase OF
the bivouac. | saw strong man sit.
ting upon wayside box, weeping like
Il child, his wife, meanwhile, cheerily
boiling coffee with some bits of the
unlaid Nicholson pavement, and his
children playing hide and seek among
the castout wares,
Certainly there must have been great
loss OF life. One fireman declares that
three families were surrounded and
burnt to death in the block bounded
by Adams, Jackson, Canal and Water
streets. We saw groups OF all classes
of people in the streets, some hatlcss,
coatless, barefoot, and shivering -
They where shellerlcss, homeless and
poverty stricken and broken hearted.
Tho agony of mind in some cases,
where relatives were searching hope.
lcssly for missing ones, was pitablo to
witness. No one saved anything -
There was no chance. We threw
trunks in the street, but there we had
to leave them"
A gentleman who arrived in New
York, with others from Chicago, says:
"Our eyes seemed rivited so that we
could not withdraw them. There
were miles of fire mountains of
flames, waves of light, flashes, clouds,
brilliant scintillations. With the aid
of glasses we could sec the streets
thronged with people flying for their
lives. Children were carried scream.
ing with terror, women were Shrek
ing, men were shouting, and all run.
ming. We saw somo old and sick and
helpless carried on strotchers; some
apparently demonted or stupefed were
dragged along. Close TO their heels,
in hot pursuit, como the belching roar
ing and cracking flames. In some
places they actually advanced as fast
as man could run, The most awful
of all was the thUnderous roar that
seemed to roll upward and outward
from the centre Of the huge holocaust.
Now there would be report like the
boom of distant guns, again came a
swapping like the ratio Of musketry.
Horses rushed like maridoes through
thestreets. One splendid team, attach.
ed to II coach, ran over the Van Buren
bridge, which had been charred and
weakened Jus. as the mad horses
had passed the centre it gave way,
and they plunged down through the
luried glare into the scarlet river be.
low. There were all sorts of scenes
bappening-some horrible, others ri.
diculous. Here and there, when some
tall building became sheeten in flame
tho walls would weaken and waver
like India rubber. 1t was wonderful
how they sometimes swaycd-almosl
across the strcct-and then fell with u
loud crash then momentary dark.
ness, and aftcrward fresh glarcs oi
light from some newly kindled fire.
Even those streets that were paved
with wooden patents were masses Of
live Goals.
The massive granite slabs were
cracked into thousands of pieces All
this time the heat was very great
BY and by it grew so intense that nc
one could stand within blocks oi
the place. Over the roofs came
gusts of hot air, sometimes almost
strong enough TO throw one off his
feet. Our shoes were parchcd, the tin
roof was hot and we were forced down
below. The greatest sight was to no
tice how the flames seemed to engul
the larger and more lofty Mansard
roofs. They went like paper. Tho
hotel was crowded. All were excited
and fearful. Every moment the re
ports came that the fire was nearing
4 us, and finally we knew We could moi
remain longer. Escape was the only
thought AT midnight the flaming
host crossed the Adams street bridge
All the shipping that had not been re
moved was consumed The tar and
other inflnmmablo stuff made an in
tense light, and the heat can be i'm
agincd from the clouds Of steam that
came up from the river. The kcro
sene oil stores made an awful yet su
blime spectacle, as the flames seemed
to penetrate the very clouds. The
huge iron reservoir at the gas works
exploded with tremendous force and
sound, demolishing several adjacent
buildings.
Everybody seemed domoralzed- -
The very earth seemed gaping out fire
flame and smoke, as though the worlc
itself was to be swallowed up in thC
conhagration. The rush from the
fremont House when the word wai
given, was akin TO panic. The stair
ways were choked, and us the smoke
from tho approaching fire came il
puffs through the windows, the situa
tion seemed trightful.
In three cases persons jumped from
the windows and two children wore
tied up in beds and thrown from The
fourth story window, and landed OF
the pavement uninjurcd. A Mr.. Jarvis
had a broken leg from springing from
the second story window, aud other,
were bruised from the same cause
We secured stage aud drove towarC
the surburbs, hoping to get away OF
some extra train. Tho horses wer,
almost upgovornable from fright
Some Of the blocks were impassable
being filed with ruins. Finally W,
p reached train that was Just being
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