Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-11-04

building, and masses of iron are beng
collected to be cast anew into columns.
Chicago shall rise again!
Wonder of the world, the pride of
America, thou art rooted too deeply tor
everlasting destruction! Fiery tongues
may consume, thieves may despoll, but
man trusts and God reigns. Thy ashes
shall he blocks of granite and thy pill
lars of smoke shall become pillars of
marble, The last flame of thy latest
ember shall guide hither the highest
life and the deepest power of man, and
thy future shall always be radiant with
the glow of thy present purifying des-
truction!
| At CHICAGO AVENUE.
1t was 10 o'clock when the fire got to
Chicago avenue. The incredible rapidi-
ty of the flames passed all compreheu-
sion. They sprang from side to side of
the street, and, skipping extensive
tracts, returned to complete their work.
1t is reported, but not on the best
authority, that fifteen men We're lost at
a blacksmith's shop on Rush street. All
these fires, at whatever point t"ey
crossed the river, soon united, and
swept on unobstructedly northward.
The people living north of Chicago
avenue and west of La Sale street,
were exceedingly hopeful that they
would escape, but the flames. running
up Clark street, and catching Turner
Hall and the new building north of it,
worked west, and got into the brick
blocks on the east side of LaSalle, and
then jumped that street and got into
the blocks on the west side. At about
the same time it crossed Chicago
avenue and caught McEwen's planning
mill, on Wells, near Pearson, and then
rushed on northward among the wooden
buildings situated there, blowing them
down almost before they were on fire.
WHAT REMAINS.
From Kinzie street to Fullerton ave.
nue. is three miles. AT Chicago avenue,
the North Division is a little over mile
wide, and is still wider further north.
until at Fullerton avenue, it is nearly
two miles wide. This vast extent of
territory is nearly as desolate- and empty
as it was 80 years ago. The only houses
remaining are the old Iowa elevator,
which fronts on the basin at the juac-
ton of the branches. and some of the
low and insignificant frames on Kinzie,
down in that quarter. The width of
the river at thai point, and the direc-
ton of the wind saved them. The
tower at the Water Works remains, as
do the walls of the main building, but
ii is minus roof. A few houses were
also left on Division street, near the riv
er, and one block on Sophia street, near
the park. All the rest has disappeared.
The double engine at the Water
Works is not seriously injured in itself,
but the foundations are in such condi-
ton us to render running it dangerous.
The smaller single engine will require
extensive repairs. The larger single
engine is apparently unnjured. Wheth-
er any of the engines can run depends
upon the cylinders, which may have
been sufficiently heated to put them
out of true.
The only buildings in the South Di-
vision north of Harrison street are the
Avenue House. on Michigan avenue,
Randolph streets, and two or three
houses adjoining the Avenue House.
THE NEWSPAPERS.
1t is not generally known, though it
is a fact, that all Chicago newspapers
that have appeared since the calamity
in that city, have been printed on the
presses of the Chicago NEWSPAPER
UNION. No other steam presses were
left from the flames, ready for instant
operation. Besides doing the press
work for daily papers, the NEWSPAPER
UNION printed, without delay, the regu-
lar editions of POO weekly newspapers,
not disappointing a single one. The
first paper issued after the fire, and con-
tanning an account of it, was The News
PAPER UNION of Monday morning. Mr..
Aikens, President of the company, who
was in New York at the time of the
fire, upon learning of the news, pur-
chased a full newspaper outfit, in addi-
ton to The large one now used by the
| UNION, and five fast presses, which
Immediately put in operation, and
kept running night and Gay to their
full capacity. With view to increasing
business and assisting his unfortunate
neighbors, the manager of the UNION
secured ample room, while the great
fire was raging, and at the close of the
present week they will have their new
presses ready for operation, and be pre-
pared to fill all orders promptly, both
for papers and press work.
| THE WATER SUPPLY.
| From the Chicago Tribune Oct. I6.
Next to the supply OF food to the
starving, and shelter to the pershing,
the question OF water is the ALA bsorb-
ing one. A feverish uneasiness upon
this subject pervades the entire city, for
no one can tell at what moment the
contlagration may be resumed in the
West or the remaining portions of the
South Divisions, with no power to check
the progress of the flames. The steady
rain of Saturday afternoon and evening
was an inestimable blessing, as it filed
up cisterns emptied by the months of
dry weather, and enabled everybody to
collect small stock of water against
the need which might arise at any in
stant. Still, our condition in this re-
spect is one of almost absolute helpless.
ness, since, with the exception of the
districts Immediately adjacent to the
river, the fire engines would be practi-
cally useless in dealing with fire.
A force of nearly three hundred of
the best machinists in the city has been
collected and divided into day and
night sets, so that sthe work is not al
lowed to flag for an instant. A close
examination of affairs has revealed the
faci that the largest of the three engines
the one situated in the northern part