Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-16
General Halls Statement.

Gen. James A. Hall of Damariscotta, in
Chicago during the great fire furnishes some
graphic statements respecting the conhagra-
ton. The General says:
The wind was blowing perfect hurricane.
The narrator never faced a fiercer blast.
Hats were blown off, signs and awnings torn
from their fastenings by the fury of the gale
while the people thronging the streets were
half blinded by the flying dust, ashes, sand
and grit. AS the flames came on with in
credible swiftness, borne by the gale, the air
became heated, and this, with the glare of
the flames, and the force of the wind. forced
the people to turn their backs in that direc-
ton and to gaze upon the on-coming devasta-
ton over their shoulders. The General de-
scribes the rush of the flames before the
blast to an immense moving machine. They
would take a section and sweep onward
leaving blackened and smoking swarth be-
hind.
The roar of the flames was appalling. His
army experience in the noisest branch of the
service-the artillery-gave him no data for
comparison with which to convey Il correct
idea of the sound. 1t was, he said, like the
rolling and unroling of acres of sheet iron.
The constant falling of buildings and walls of
buildings added to the upr0ar and lent horror
to the spectacle.
Every vehicle in the city was brought into
requlsition for the removal of goods. As the
day and the fire advanced. thousands of We
hicles were loaded with goods of every de-
scripton and dubbed together on Michigan
avenue, which was believed to be place of
safety, awaiting place for storage, when,
however, in an incredibly short space of time,
the fire reached this vicinity. A stampede
occurred which the General AYERS beggars all
description. The famous stampede at the
Second Bull Run was as nothing in compar-
ison. Collisions were of constant occur
renee, the vehicles were upset, while confu-
sion worse confounded characterized the
whole panic-stricken and motley crowd.
Meantime the fire fend would brook no de-
lay. On he came, and furniture, vehicles,
horses, mules and all else had to be abandon
ed to the Unsuitable monster. The over
leaping flames licked up whole wagon loads
almost in twinkling and then hurried on in
search of new material upon which to feed
their cruel appetite.
The General confirms the reports of incen-
diarism, which for the sake of humanity, we
had hoped might prove untrue. While he
was yet in the vicinity of the Sherman House,
and the firemen were striving to preserve
that noble structure, he CHANGED to cast his
eyes up Clark street, when he noticed a sheet
OF flame burst through the windows of house
lar III ADVANCE OF tne line OF nre. 1T must
have been set on fire.
SO great was the velocity of the wind that
the awnings and signs on the stores, when
well on fire, would be caught mp and carried
forward, blazing mass, to ignite some tin
der-dried roof far ahead of the original line
OF flames. In this way many people were
literally caught between two fires, and doubt
less many persisted in consequence.
The General also confirms the report re-
counting the summary mode adopted by the
police and people when dealing with thieves.
lie saw one villain strung up to a lamp-pos
The fellow presented revolving sight, and
more villainous contenance never decorated
such place. He saw another thief beaten
to death. The fellow was caught in the act,
but came near making his escape by running
citizen threw brick at the scamp, which,
hitting him on the head, brought him to the
ground. The next instant the maddened
crowd, with terrible roar, were upon him,
and in a few moments the thief's body pre-
sented only the most distant resemblance to
the human form. He was literally beaten to
jelly.
The General bears enthusiastic testimony
to the fidelity and even heroism of the Chi
cago Fire department They fought the
flames with unexampled pertinacity through
out. If any fault could be found, it would be
with the direction of matters. which did not
appear always judicious, but the fremen
themselves never faltered. Many of them
persisted while at the post of duty while near
ly all were bruised and battered and made
half blind by the dust and smoke.