Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-10-25
Miscellany
The Chicago Calamity.
FACTS AND INCIDENTS.

We gather from various sources facts
and incidents connected with the great
fire at Chicago:
William Miller of Peoria, H., who was
in Chicago during the fire, says that the
most pitiable sights we're thesick children,
half dead, lying crouchcd on the side
walks, in many cases with barely any
covering on them. In clark Street one
Instance occurred where two little girls
were lying terror-stricken cheek-by-iowl
with their dead sister, whose remains
presented a narrowing spectacle. She
had been too late TO escape from under a
falling building, and had just been extri-
Gated and laid by the little lacerated forms
of her almost dead sisters. The whole
of the population appeared to have been
suffering from sore eyes-the dust, hot,
binding dust, having rendered many tenn
porariIy blind. Men, women and children
were TO he seen ruaulng about for any
gauze like material that would act as a
protection TO their eyes. Little children
were crying piteouslS rubbing their eyes,
which were swelling under the scorchng
influence Of the flying sparks and clnders.
Men were seen carrying their families out
of what they considered danger aud de-
posting their loads by the wayside. A
hurry and rush would succeed. and when
the disconsolate parents would return Tor
their offspring, having been burnt out OF
house and home, they were nowhere to be
seen. Instances such as these were to be
met with at every corner of the street
women running wildly about, shrieking
out the names of their lost children, fear
ing lest they had got crushed under some
falling building or been destroyed in the
scethipg fire.
Tuesday morning the greatest drunken
ness prevailed among the Irish and the
poorer portion Of the population. Having
tired themselves considerably out, and
seeing nothing to show for their labors
they had recourse to alcohol to drowr
their sorrows. 1t is computed in Chicago
that l75, 900 souls slept ont in the pralrle'
without a stitch to cover them save theIi
every day apparel, on that soaking Tues
day night. Mayor Mason reckons tha
fully 500 souls must have perished through
famine or fire, but the people of Chicago
estimates the number at close upon 20OO
There can be no doubt that the rain wal
by no means the staying agent asaIns
tha Gre. for had the wind changed to thu
cast, it is every ones belief that not
ycstigo of Chicago would have remained
Providcntialiy, the breeze shifted to tn
opposite direction, and ~ 50 dong oro'sn
three hours strong driving rain which a.
lowed the fire to burn itself out. In
popular notion regarding the rain is tn ere
fore incorrect, for it is stated that ha
tha wind continued in the same dlrectlo
The whole of the west side of the tow
would havo been sacrificed. The tw
most requisite articles at the time OF iea'
inc we're food and bed-clothlng, not SUI
Gle portion of either being apparent. I'M
narrator also mentions the fact OF the Iro
track being in undulatipg waves the whol
Of the line, SO intensely hot must hav
been the heat in passing from one side :
the street 10 the other, The Mayor mad
himself conspicuous fox bis unceaslng .
tempts to maintain sraei-