New-York tribune., 1871-11-21
CHICAGO.

THE HOMELESS HUNDRED THOUsAND-wiiAT HAD
TO BE DONE FOR THEM-HOw TT WAS TO BE
DONE, AND WHO HAD TO DO 1.-THE CHI
CAGO "TAMMANY" AND THE RELIEF AND
AID SOCIETY
fFROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRfBVNEI
CHICAGO, Nov. 1l.-On Monday night, the
eth Of October just past 10000 OF the people OF ths c
who the night before had quietly 10 rest III hoe'
Of some Of their own had nowhere to lay their hcas
except a. they could find shelter with frends OF cou"
hudde into churches whose doors had been thrown open
to all who would enter. or could creep lhto '"p''
wagons lie down upon friendly doorsteps OF fop cA
haustcd upon the hard ground Of the prairie or the
beach whithe they had fled to escape death py h'.
There has been tual count OF these pcope' p"l i
01 ia not too large estimate On tue Nor'h ''uo, "
that Monday night. not half dozen houses "cfo o''
standing and the latest census Of that DIVISION oi 'no
town was in round numbers 5000. On the south Sic
and the wc, Side together in an area OF not e's 'h
mile snu,re one single Isolated warehouse near the river
was alone spared and much OF that space had
been flied with tenement houses tecming WIFE poP"'a
tion and .tl more was dcnsey packed with those small
wooden shantes which the poor were crowded 'he
better class cngs in another portion IA IN ""oas
and Miciganavcs., had come to be, almost cX' i''e!'
boarding houses with rarely loss than two persons !"
room and the upper portions Of most OF the large marble
and brick blocks the business section OF Tue low"
were filed with young mei--and III many Cases WIN
younp women-Who found it cheaper Or pleasanier W
thus lodge in one place and board IN another than u Two
in boarding-houses Twenty-Five thousand for this
densely packed population is moderate estimate ana
that added the actual count OF the North 5idc where
there was not houscoom enough left to cover hundred
people, will than make up the hundred thousand
who stood that day at sundOwn with only the SKY over
their heads Another estimate also helps us to the same
conclusion; il il reckODed that the fire burnt up SAS
miles of city streets In straight line it is good four
ii, pr.,f fll. fa .Inisn
burned.
But these hundred thOGsand people were not only
without homes During the 1s 20 hours Of that h"rce
cOnfa grafton the wind blew hurricane which ship at
could only have wcathcrHd under bar poles ana
storm stay-sa The fire the fire of blast furnace.
not merely of burning houses It's line was not continu
os Indeed after the first two hours II had no line but
worked its way sometimes to windward IN some lnrx'
rcctcd quarter while oil the time it swept away furi
Ously to Toward bursting continually In fresh spots
wherever one Of the huge brands blazing boards,
fragments of roofs that the hurricane hurled for miles.
made lodgmcnt and kindcd mp new starting place.
A wooden house would fash into blaze like huge pile
Of brushwood the bIrk or marble buildings wonld
glow for a few moments with the intense light OF
furnace the fierce flames haIinS ont across the wide
streets OF into the doors and windows OF those nest
them As if driven by gigantic compound hlowpI',
and wOuld then crumhlc and crash down into their
cellars great Of living fire. burning with the
intensity under that terrible blast Is the
mingled material OF wool, and stone. and iron,
and the varied contents Of shops and stores,
and warehouses; and dwellings were heaped
together The air filed with lvinS and blazing mis-
scs driven before the wind and hurled in every drec
ton; dense clouis OF smoke rolled down into the open
spaces Of the streets the more binding and confusing IN
the light and shadow which the red flames lent thom;
the light sand ana dust lifted and driven about Ike
driving snow storm or Il sirocco; and the sufocatnR
burnt up the atmosphere. that neither man nor
beast could breathe in 1t and live Even the rats marched
down ID dro>c like those that folio we'd the Pied PIP:
OF Iamlin tIoughc hot streets and crossed the beach
and took refuge IN tho Lake. Men, women. and children
fed literally for their lives thinking Of nothing and
caring for nothing but 10 gam il that were possible
place where the fire could not reach them Thousands
were only half clad; many in thin nightcothcs
only. They left their homes behind them, in all the
order and comfort and security which they had
about them when they went to bed Sun
day night. and snatcbed up they only
the garments II those that they had laid OH that
night for itrained down fire, and there time for
thought Of anything but Some who aroused
early and who had the prescence to foroscc th"
onu,;..~ good soos"n,
they thought. TO distant place Of safety the
fire followed with swiftcr foot than they could H. and
seized their household goods and gods from their
very hands and left them only heap of ashes. Thus
hundred thonssnd stricken people stood Monday
night at sundown, stripped. for the part. OF all
their worldly Possessions hungry naked. AMI with
nowhere to lay their heads SO much for the living
the dcad-Ihcy have been counted, and mover will
he. "What Won looking for 2" said gentleman TO "a
friend and ncighbcr whom he found digging among the
ruins OF his house tho North Side day or two after
the fire. " For my motlcr.' was the answer.
or ths 1000" people, 1000 probably let The city in
the course q few days Ihy Transportation Committee
alone has iSic passes to 1900 which the different rail
roads have duly honorcd; the railroad officers have
of thn nuJo ipryp
Der have gone Of tow in other waye than by
rail- to the towns aid country round about Then 5000
more, perhaps. found refuge with friends in thr city,
could command the to establish themselves in
sort Of abidingp place OF their But. making
thus all possible deductions, there would remain from
to 7OCOO persons 0lu ely destitute Of everything
to be fed and clothed and sheltered and, indeed
more than month after the fire. and when q large dc.
crease has beon made from various causes in the
Der Of those who cannot take care OF themselves
there stand recorded upon the hooks OF the Relief
Society 1900 families who need TO be supported
wholly in part Ii is not likely that they average
much less than five to family. ana that would give
about 60OoO the number who have to be looked after
daily by the Relief Committee is complicated busi
for army Of t00OO daily mustered and
in quarters its comma nj divided and subdiyidcd 80 that
each is under the immediate and personal supcryi
sion OF a superior officer, It's CunmssarY Department
fully provided for its whole machinery thoroughly sys
teatized and in perfect running order with all s ira
dti0ns and regulations and checks and balances acc
ratey adjusted in eghi-cylinder printing press
and 6rst-class engine. Given first this great and
perfected machinery and given haen the who
accustomed By long habit t0 run 1t, and your army Of
900 men goes smoothly enough provided every
is careful and gent in his special duty. provided no
screw gets loose anywhere. and hitch any
where from the Comis>ary General down to the drum.
merboy's rations. But conceive OF army
OF $1,000 tO be composed, not OF narshaed or
ganized, and trained men. where there Is Il place
for every man and every knows his place, but OF
men aud women and children without organization or