The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-10-09
BY TELEG GRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
Exclusively to the IntClligencer'
(By the Western Union Line.
Oaice Northwest cor. Of Main and Monroe sts)
Terrible Fire in Chicago.
MILES OF The CITY IN ASHES.
The Fire Beyond Control
Millions of Property Destroyed
Millions of Property Destroyed
PANIC AMONG THE PEOPLE
Great Many Lives Lost
THE FIRE STILL RAGING.
CnICAoo, October z.

CHICAGO, 0ctober7.
l9.30P. M-The most terrible cOntlag.
ration that ever occurred In this city broke
out ono hour and y half ago. II has al.
ready swept six entire blocks and is still
raging with undated fury. The fire
started in q large planning mill between
Clinton and Canal and Vanburen and
jackson streets. Centre block formed these
streets The wind was blowing very
fresh and the flames spread with incredible
rapidty. In few minutes the entire
structure WINS mass of fire. The i'm.
mediate vicinity was built up OF
small wooden tenement houses and two
story frame buildings, groceries, saloons
&c, The inmates Of many OF these houses
was startled from their slumber and bare.
ly had time to rush from the houses
sCanlily attred in night clothes, leaving
household goods to destruction. Several
children were hastily wrapped in blan.
kCls and quilts to break the force OF the fall
and thrown from the second story to the
ground. When the alarm sounded for this
fire another ofconsiderable magnitude was
burning on Wells street, near Adams
Several engines were necessarily Mt work
upon this. The rest Of the engines Of the
city were soon on the ground, but before
they arrived, the fire had spread over II
arge area, and was rapidly spreading,
md all efforts seemed OF no avail. Be.
tween Canal street and the river, the lum.
bCryards were destroyed. At this hour
the fire had made clean sweep of Van
Buren street, north two blocks to Adams,
and west toIClinton. Three blocks from
therivCr whOrves between Van Bnren and
Jackson, are burning, The woodwork Of
the western approach to the Adams street
bridge, was destroyed, also the coal yard
and thousands Of tons of coal, and he.
tween the tracks oTth Chicago a. Alton
and =. Il FtlW. II. X. tracks, and the river,
are on fire and burning luriOnsly The
immense grain elevator Of Vincent, Mel.
son & Co, one OF the finest in the city and
Immediately adjoining, though intended
to be hre-prOof, there seems to he little
doubt but that It will be destroyed The
intense heat will crack the slate which
covers the roof, and the sides, which con.
tains thousands Of bushels OF grain. The
depot OF the Pittsburgh. TT. Wayne a. Chi
CagO and the Alton & st. Louis Railroads,
situated on North Adams street, between
Canal street and the river, one building
being wooden and occupied rs an Express
office, were in flames ut midnight and are
undoubtedly destroyed. rhesCenes in the
vicinity of the COnnagration are indescrib.
able. Half Of tic population Of the city
have gathered. Tugs intlie river are en-.
gagged in towing to places of safety the
he vessels moored in the neighborhood.
Locomotives are pulling out n great mum.
ber Of cars standing on the track in the
path Of the flames. AT this writing It Ia
impossible to estimate the loss already
very large, The fire was scarcely check.
ed when the reporter left. No lives are
known to be lost, and 1t will bo mi.
raculOus If such should prove to be the
case.
LATER.
1850 A. M.-The fire is raging rs iierCely
as ever. The block of buildings on the
north side Of Van Buren, street, which was
thought an hour ago could be saved, are
now In ilames The elevator Is safe so
lar, and the fire i3 spreading south and
west, notwithstanding the wind is directly
from the south, blowing hard. The glare
otthe blazing buildings lights the streets
Tor hall q mile away, so that one mny see
to read. The entire fire department are
now on the ground making almost super.
human efforts to stay the flames. The
losses already will probably run millions,
and the end is not yet
CHICAGO, October s.
About one o'clock this morning, shortly
after sending the last dispatch detailing
ihe progress OF the fire in the western di.
vision, the flames were arrested and lin.
der the complete control of the fire de.
partment and we are now enabled to give
more intelligent and greatly modified
estimate OF their devastating effects. Tie
space burned over embraces four blocks,
bounded on the north by Adams street,
west by Clinton, south by Van Buren, and
east by the Chicago river. Some four or
hve buildings within the limits named
remain uninlured, among them Vincent,
Nelson y Cos grain warehouse, one Of
The largest in the city, which escaped any
serious damage This was due to tile
TACT that piles of anthracite coal lay be.
tween the burning buildings and the Gle.
vator, and by the continued application OF
large quantities Of water to tho coal piles
they were prevented from burning. The
space burned over was covered with Inn.
Der yards, coal yards, wood yards, planning
mill, box factory, vinegar factory, Sc5
and a large number Of dwellings and a..
looms Of the poorer classes. A close es,i.
mate Of the entire loss places II Al from
$e50,000 to 100000, with probably one.
half Of that insured. The fire had its
origin in Lull Il Holmes planning mill or
Canal street, near Van Buren, and as The
wind was fresh from the south, tho flame,
spread north with great rapidity, and
thence east, and within a space Of half an
hour the whole district named was al
abla2e, and by one o'clock, or within tw,
hours aller the fire commenced, the worl
was ended The following are the lead
ing sufferers by the fire ON Canal street
AS stated, the fire originated In L,1l {