Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-10-21
The Old Family Journal.
Chicago in Ruins.


The great fire in Chicago HIS, Is the theme
Of comment in every newspaper in the land,
.rl m, details Of the sad particulars and incl
lent, thereof. have thrown gloom over all
hearts More than balfof that vast aud pOpu-
Ions CITY. one Of the greatest business marts in
the country. is now a mass Of blackenei ruins.
As is well known TO our readers Chicago is
situated at the southeastern extremity Of Lake
Michigan, in the State of Illinois, on both
sides of streaa called the Chicago river. No
city in the country has improved in business
wealth and population SO rapidly as 1t has
In 1860, its population was lO9,26O' and IN
1870. Dos. 9sS. making & the fifth in the O'n-
ted States. A glance at the map VIII Sho"
what an immense extent Of country ands It's
trade ccutr, there. Yet, in two short days,
more than one half Of this vast city Is COM
ple,sly DESTROYED by the dcvOuTius element
Anthemost impQrtau. business streets, wharves
Warehouses. Grain Elevators, Banks, Hotels
aud Railroad Depots, &c, were entirely con-
sumsd Notwithstanding many Of them were
deemed 6re-proof. It is estimated that ten
thousand houses were burned.
Chicago was originally built on marsh and
its drainage was very defective, till in 1850,
the authorities raised the entire city, houses and
.u from three to eight feet, aud in some IN
stances TO fifteen feet, above its level at that
time. Aud as many of the buildings were OF
wood. and quite a breeze blowing at the time
the fire originated on Sunday evening, 1t
spread with alarming and unchecked rapidity.
soon tie water-works and gas-works were
burned down. aud the unfortunate people LETT
without water to arrest the deyourins element.
Atone time. Tor hours, there were from nifty to
seveutv-fiye thousand men, women and chill
dren Of all ages and nationalitics, fleeing by
every available street OF alley, to the south
and westward, attempting to save their cloth
inc and their lives. In one Instance, twelve or
ff,een men. women and children rushed into
tho Historical Society Building, tfre-proofl
for safety. Alas the lurid flames followed them
with such rapility, that they were all burned
20 death
Two miserable wretchcs were caught IN the
very act Of setting FIRE to frame houses. They
were Immediately seized 10y the niaddeued
crowd and hung to the nearest lamp-Post.
This is altogether the greatest eoutagra''on
known in the history Of the world. The srea;
fire of New York was not near 50 destructive
Of property or life as this. Their were more
buildings burned than in Moscow, when IL
Russians fred it to prevent Napoleon from
entering.
Dut the prcyeitiul libcraliiy Of the Ameri-
can people has spoken out in gush Of national
symra,hy. on a grau6or sca'e than ever before
oxlLitcd. Cities, towns and villages are vie
inc with each other in raising funds to alleyi-
ate tie misery and want Of starving, homeless
thousands that are now bivouacked in the
streets and suburjs Of the doomed city.
Ia many cities business was almost entirely
snspended. while an classes assembled to devise
means TO raise funds at once to be sent to CHI
caro-. Thousands Of dollars were raised in all
tbe Departments a, Washington, the President
down % the huruJlcst employee freely contribu-
tine TO the noble charity. Ere another sab
baths sun ris upon that once beautiful city,
thousands Of its desola,c and poverty stricken
rco,.l, Viu have their hearts gladdened and
tLcir pressing wants relieved 10y the millions
Of money. sent tl5ther as a grateful expression
Of THEN couutrymen's sympathy, from one
ond q tins broad land % the other