Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-10-12
O,OOO,O 900 Worth of Property
Swept Away.
One Hundred Thousand Persons With

One Hundred Thousand Persons with
Out Homes
CHICAGO, Oct 9.
The whole business portion of the
city is in ashes, from Harrison street
north to Chicago avenue, ana east of
the river 10 Lake street-three miles
in length, and a mile to mile AMI a
half in width. Every hotel, bank, ex-
press Office, telegla aph Office, theater
and newspaper office, with all the large
wholesale houses in the city are total
ly destroyed Many thou-a1d dwell
lings are burned.
The wind is blowing a perfect gale
from the southwest, with brazen sky.
No one can tell what the end will be.
The only hope for the rest of the city
is in the wind keeping its present di
rection. Fifty thousand people are in
homeless condition. most of them in
a destitute condition. Unburned streets
are lined with household goods. No
one dare think what the loss of life
may be, but it will doubtless be in the
neighborhood of five hundred. The
flames swept through the city with the
rapidity of prairie fire. The Western
Union Telegraph has succeeded in get
ting up few wires from a hastily i'm
provised Office in the southern part of
the city, establishing communications
| in nearly all directions. MunIficent of
| fers of assistance are coming from all
| quarters.
The work of destruction contin
ues. More than one half of the city
is already destroyed, and the flames
| continue their ravages almost unop-
posed. At about one o'clock this
morning the fire crossed the river at
Adams street bridge, and soon de
s:royed the Gas Works, and then
spread itself in every direction, and al
this hour almost every building from
Harrison street north to Chicago river
is destroyed, including all the insur
ance offices, banks, hotels, telegraph
offices, and newspaper establishments
with the single exception of the Fri
bune Office, which is fire proof. The
Court House, Sherman House, Ire
mont House, Palmer House, new Pa
cific Hotel, new Bigelow House, il
fact every hotel, and everything elst
is swept clean. This district embra
ces all the heavy business houses il
. the city. The rain Of fire and brim
stone on Sodom and Gomorrah cal
hardly be compared to the devastatin.
reign of the fire fend in Chicago
More than one half the population ar
, now rushing through the streets in We
hicles which are obtained at enormou
prices, on foot, and in every othe
way, with The choicest household treas
! ures in their arms and on their backs
in utter confusion, not knowing whitt
er to go. Fearful suffering must fo
; low, and almost Immediately. Full
one hundred and fifty thousand pee
pie are at this moment homeless an
houseless, not knowing where to la
their heads or get anything to satisf
the cravings of hunger.
. The Fire stopped in South Division
f CAICAGo, Oct. 9.-The progressin
o flames in the South Division wei
! finally arrested about l p. m. Th
: was accomplished by the blowing u
u and demolishing of several building
8 on Wabash avenue and Congre!
q streets by Lieut.. General Sheridan
The district burned over was the Sou
!, Division, and embraces everyth1n
-" from the main branch of the Chicag
% river to the lake, embracing about OF
T, hundred blocks, and this district col
20 tanned all the leading business house
D. the banks, insurance offices, hotel
Il etc, large number of churches. il
= Guiding st. Mary's (Catholic), Trinit
= the First Presbyterian, Second Pre-
T. byterian, St. Paul, Swedenborgia
e etc. The Methodist church on IL
le corner of Wabash avenue and Co
70 gress street is saved. The Michig;
Avenue Hotel, on the corner of Mic
- igan avenue and Congress Hall, direc
ly adjoining on Congress street, a
saved. The Michigan Terrace, {
~ Michigan avenue, embracing the res
dences of Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, Go
ernor Bross, Hon. John Scammon,
G. Griggs, Peter L. Ross, and 9th
g leading citizens, is completely DESTROY
= ed, with furniture and nearly all Il
. other contents. All the newspap
establishments are totally wiped OF
The Tribune building resisted the fl
e % for several hours, but finally yielde
- when McVicker's Theater, immediate
~ adjoining, which had also withsto,
- the raging element finally succumbe
= In fact, all the buildings in the distri
- which claimed to be fire proof shar
80 :" the fate of those which could ma
~ ~ no such claim.
The great Central Depot, at foot
: Lake street, became heap of ruins
About 9 o'clock most Of the passene
u y cars of the Michigan Central, Burlin
y ton & Quincy and Illinois Cent
=, Railroad were moved ON the bres
III water and saved.
:. West of Clark street, in the Sol
= Division, the fire extended south as
= = as Polk street, sweeping everythi
an - before it. The distance burned o1
r. here is some three blocks wider a
- over half a mile in length, numbGri
~ about twenty blocks. The buildir
Ss' were generally of the cheaper ch
ro acter, embracing saloons, small sho
;th poor residences, &c.
"a CHICAGO, Oct. 10.-A careful sur,
~ of the insurance to-day shows t
H. there were written on the property
~ stroyed over two hundred million 4
H., lars Add another hundred mill
~ to this sum, and fair estimate can
ao4 - made of the loss.
80 80 All the leading merchants who Ii
80 been seen express the determinat
e to resume business at once. This
tbo cludes the heavy houses of Jno.
asa Farwell, Field, Letter & Co, Sprag
~ Warner & Co., Farwell & Co. FIJI
Letter Il Co. saved from three hund
thousand to half million doll