The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-10-19
A CITY IN RUINs-oNE-THIRD OF HER PEOPLE
HOMELESS.

of this apaaIIiLx calamity would be. idle
The simple facts that the once great city OF
Chicago IL destroyed, tina hundreds Of mill
lions of her active capital have vanished.
| and that nearly one-third of her inhabitants
! are homeless dependents are enough. ANY
attempt To etHbellish would be but a mock
cry.
A FRIGLTFUL PICTURE THE THOUSANDS
( HUNTING SHELTER.
As this awful day draws to a close. thou
| sands of anxious eyes watch the dense clouds
| OF smoke which still roll over the burned
district with the evident dread that a sud-
den change ia the wind may turn the flames
upon that portion of the city yet spared
There seems. however, little cause tor appre-
| hension, and achievements of firemen from
other cities are constantly arriving.
THE PROBABLE Loss.
As stated in my previous dispatch. it is
utterly impossible TO make any approx
mate of the entire loss, but it cannot fall
| below one hundred and fifty millions of
dollars and, of course, but fraction of this
amount can be realized from the insurance
oBEYING TEE PRESIDENTS ORDERS.
General Sheridan has to-day telegraphed
| to 81. Louis to the Missouri Department
there. TO send at once to Chicago 100000
| ratiOns. He has also tclegraphed to Omaha
| for two companies of soldiers and 100 tents.
They will all be here soon a. they can
other 100000 rations.
CHICAGO, October 10.-The fire continued
| to burn last night on the north side, but this
morning is under control.
It Is literally true TO say that there is
nothing remaining of that side, from the
river north to Lincoln Park, OH the north,
and from the north branch of the river, on
| the west, to the lake on the east. This por-
ton OF the city, except along the main river
where there were business blocks. was OccII-
MED nv DWELLINGS, and tKVn-fhirl- of fh.a
population are German and Scandinavian
These are now homeless. Some are in the
frame buildings on the northwest section,
and others on the prairie without shelter.
The vast plain is covered with people
wandering about, seeing the evidences of a
wealth that has completely vanished in
flame and smoke. \ few business men
with some nerve are seeking houses for bus
mess on the west side. Rooms that rented
last week for fifty dollars now readily
command five thousand. There are not
many of these, but enough to afford a nu-
eleus for business.
NEWSPAPERS TO BE STARTED AT ONCE.
The newspapers will be started again in
few days or weeks. Hon. Joseph MediIl of
the Tribune, who is one of the heaviest suf-
ferers, was successful yesterday irr leasing a
building on Washington street, at the tun-
mel. He has also purchased two single evil
inder presses, used in a job office on the
west side, and has telegraphed east for paper
and type, there being nothing left here.
Mr.. Story, of the Times, will erect a rough
one-story building, and begin the issue of
lis paper as soon as material can be pro-
cured. The journal is provided for on the
west side. The Post, Republican and Stats
Zeitung will also arrange for business as
soon as practicable, but everything must
come from elsewhere, as there is nothing
Lett from the business. Water for drinking
and household use is procured from the
lake and parks, and for the houses from the
river. A thousand people camped about
the artesian well, four miles out, and per-
haps as many more ut Lake Victor, and on
Fullerton avenue, near Prairie. The people
are being fed in the remaining churches,
school houses, sheds, and by the roadsides.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Last Sunday evening boy went into sta
BILE on DekOoen street, near the river ON the
west side, tie milk COW, carrying with him
a kerosene lamp; this was kicked over by
the cow and the burning fluid scattered
among the straw; this was the beginning
of the great fire. A single fire eXtinguisher
on the ground, or active work of the police |
in tearing down one or two shanties, would |
have prevented the spreading of the flames |
hut engines were waited for, and when they !
arrived the firemen were stupefied by their !
exertions at the fire on Saturday night, and |
worked slowly and clumsily. Their efforts |
were unavailing. The wind from the south |
west blew a gale, and rapidly the flames |
shot from house to house, and board-yard |
to boardyard, until the district burned the |
night before was reached. Meanwhile, !
flames crossed the river north of Twelfth |
street, on to the south side, and made for /
brick and stone business blocks, railroad /
and freight depots, and manufacturing es-
adjustments, when the full extent OF the !
danger was realized for the first time. The |
fire department, already tired out, worked |
like heroes.
CITIZENS UNcoN =CIoUs OF THE DEsTRuc- |
TIoN IN PROGRESS.
It being Sunday, proprietors and en-
plOyees were at home, utterly unconscious |
of what was transporting. Those who saw |
the flames supposed it was the remains of /
Saturday nights fire, and had perfect con-
fidence in the fire department, and were |
unconcerned; but between eleven and /
twelve o'clock rumor got abroad that the /
fire was in the business portion of the city, |
By this time the hall of the Board of Trade |
court house, Western Union Telegraph and /
Associated Press offices, and hundreds of |
other buildings, were all afiame. The air |
was filled with live Goals, which were hurled |
to north and south, bosom of destruction. |
One block in all this vast business section |
remained at daylight, the Tribune block, |
the Customhouse and Honore block on |
Dearbon street had burned, and those who |
had fought flames here thought at last this |
block could be saved. A patrol of men |
under Samuel Medill swept off live Goals, |
other lot of men under the direction of Hon. |
Joseph Medill watched the 20 0fs. At half |
past seven O'Clock this appeared safe, and |
most men went to get rest or food num-
Der went to sleep in the Tribune building, |
but there was a change afterwards. The /
flames reached Wabash avenue, State street \
and Michigan avenue. and soon McVicker's /
Theatre caught fire. In a few minutes the |
Tribune building was in flames, and at the /
last moment sleeping men were aroused and |
nad fha HamPG RU 0sclnok in
the forenoon, this remaining block was in |
ashes.
Now was to be seen the most remarkable |
sight ever beheld in this or any other eoun- |
try. There were from fifty to seventy |
thousand men, women and children fleeing |
by every available street and alley to the |
southwark and westward, attempting to |
save their clothing and their lives. Every |
available vehicle was brought into requisi- |
ton for use, for which enormous prices !
were paid, and the streets and sidewalks |
presented the sight of thousands of persons |
and horses inextricably commingled. Poor |
people, of all colOrs and shades, and every |
nationality from Europe, China, and Africa |
mad with excitement, struggled with each |
other, to get away; hundreds were tram
pied under foot.
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
1t ia fearful to think of the loss OF life. |
1t Is conjecrured, and with good cause, that |
near five hundred people have been burned |
TO death. We saw four men enter burning |
building, and in a moment they were over |
whelmed by falling wall There was
crowd of men around the corner of the
building, trying to save the property, when
the wall yielding, some of them were buried
beneath il. These were on the south side.
On the north side twelve or fifteen men.
women and children rushed into the build
ing of the Historical society, a fire-proof
building, for safety. In few minutes the
flares burst in upon them, and they were
burned to death. Among them was the
venerable Colonel Sam. Stone, long connec-
ted with the society. He was eighty years
] IL N