Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-10-20
THE CHICAGO FIRE.
Facts and Inci.lcutS.

ana heliei society. NhfcaSo, III.
Thirty thousand persons are We,
dependent upon charity for food
and clothing in Chicago, but the
number is daily decreasing. =.
The shipments of grain from
Chicago on Monday aggregated
33o,3s3 bushels, and application
was on Tuesday made to the trans
portation company for room to ship
$4,000 bushels more.
A reliable physician is the jour.
ndls authority for the statemen nj
that five hundred children were
born on the prairie and OF the
streets during Monday and Tuesday
nigh Of the contlagration.
A few days since commission
merchant of Chicago received the
following dispatch from one of his
customers residing in a section OF
country where the news of the late
fire had not reached: "What can
You do for me with six hundred
bushels of potatoes?" 10 which he
made the following reply: "Eat
EN-"
An experienced insurance agent
gives it as his opinion that by spool
ing" the assets of all the Chicago
insurance companies it is possible
that 10 per cent. might be paid on
their risks. The Journal says that
some of the companics-able to do
better-are engaged in buying their
policies at absurdly low rates, one
with a capital of 100000 Offering
Is cents on the dollar.
A number of orthodox clergymen
in New York gave great otlense to
their congregations last Sunday, by
declaring the Chicago fire judy
ment from God upon that city for
its sins. In one Of the up town
Presbyterian churches such ser
mon caused halt the congregation
to leave the pews, and several of
the offending clergymen have been
asked To resign.
Regarding the reports of hanging
and shooting thieves and inccn-
daries in Chicago during and since
the fire, Gen. Sheridan says in Il
communication to the Mayor, pub
lisE'ed on Tuesday: "The reports
in the public press Of violence and
disorder here are without the slight
est foundation. There has not been
a single case Of arson, hanging or
shootlng-not even i case OF riot or
a st!cct fight. | have seen no
reason for the circulation Of such
reports"
The Jo,unol says that careful
measurements and calculations of
the area of the burnt district OF the
city, place its starting point to the
place Of ending ut 4 ] miles, and its
average width at little over one
mile. The number Of acres laid
waste is about 1890. The number
of buildings destroyed is computed
at 1900, OF which 800 were sub
stantial business structures. The
actual total of the pecuniary losses
is estimated at $500. 200, 900, but the
J0uruM believes that two-thirds Of
that sum will cover all the losses.
The Tribune sums up the sitl,a-
ton rs follows: $500 acres in the
most central portion of the city
swept bare, 10000 buildings de-
stroyed, 100000 persons rendered
homeless, and total pecuniary loss
$500, 100000. Fifty thousand per-
sons have left the city, but 100000
remains. Five grain elevators
burned with 100000 bushels of
grain; leaving IL grain elevators
intact, containing 5000, 200 bushels.
One-half of the stocks of pork and
flour destroyed; so millions feet Of
lumber destroyed, but 24O millions
left. Eighty thousand tons of coal
burned, but Is, 900 left. Ninety-fve
thousand dollars worth of leather
burned, but three-fourths Of the
stock lett. The loss, the Tribune
thinks, aggregates not less than 20
nor more than 25 per cent. of the
total real and personal assets Of the
city.
Thomas 3. Bryant & Co.'s Fidel-
ity safe depository stood the fire
test admirably. 1t contained one
vault l7x43 feet, and four others
l2x2o in dimensions. The deposits
could only be counted by millions,
and embraced sums of all sizes,
from a few dollars to over one hun
drcd thousand dollars. On opening
the vaults there was not so muc h as.
the smell of fire on the inside. They
could not have been warmed by the
fiery furnace, for the paint and var
nish on the inside was as perfect as
when first laid on. One gentleman
yesterday took his deposit of $685.
900; another the round sum OF $780,
900; lucky editor, who was none
other than Charles Wilson, Of the
Ereni"g Jo"rnoi, called and got
his trifling deposit of $4,000 in
grcenbacks! Mr.. Walsh describes
the countcnanccs and speech of his
various customers who called and
received their valuablcs, as being
study for philosopher or artist.
Many were too full TO: uttcrance-
scarcely daring to hope their good
fortune was real; and not being con-
tented with one look or count of
their treasures, we It over them
again, with trembling fingers and
fearful eyes. Others were jolly,
jocular and noisy, but bctraying,
under all bravado, q joy that must
have expression in some form. This
money was the first paid out since
the fire from any source, and aggrc-
gated seven hundred thousand
dollars the first day.
W. ID. Kerfoot, real estate agent,
has the distinction of erecting the
first building in the burnt dirtrict
at 80 Washington St. 1t is of rough
boards, covers an area Of about
twenty square yards, and is one
story high. In addition to the sign
bearing the proprictor's name and
business, the following legend is