Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-11-24

tracts
have hai an opportunity Of looking 4; Chi
cago at the beginning Of the fourth week after
the FIRE. and, as you requested, will give you
feE notes Of NY observation.
Chicsgo had central quarter compActly
built, mostly Of brick, stone and iron, and dis
tiuguishei by numerous very large and tall
structures, comparable to, but often more osten-
tgtious than Stewart's store in New York They
we're mostly lined, to the fourth fifth or sixth
floor with pine wood shelyes, on which, or in
pine wood cases, fresh stock of-larger at the
moment than ever before-dry goods or other
infammsbe materials, was set mp, with plentiful
ar-spa.e for rspid combustion This central
quarter occupied a mile sud e half square Of
land. 90 one side Of it was the lake; on the
other three sides, for the distance Of 3 mile the
buildng, though Irregular was largely Of de-
tatched houses, some Of the villa c.ase, with
small planted grounds about them. and luXuri-
0usiy furnished, bat generally comfortable dwell
Iuqs, OF modern fire. set closely together. There
we're allo numerous churches and tall school
buildings. and some large facto.ies. At dis
tsuce OF Two miles from jhe centre, and beyond,
houses we're much scattered, and within a mile
OF lhe political boundary there was much open
priirie, sparssly dotted with cabins snl a few
larger buildings. i vii! be seen thar much
izrser part of tle town proper was burned than
q stranger would he lci 10 suppose hy the pub
] ii5hel msVs.
The ire started half mile Southwest which
vas directly 20 6iuigsrd, Of the central quar-
Ter, rapidly carried is heights, and swept down
from them upon tine comparatively subuuuran
Northern quarter, clearing 70 90 the outskirts,
waeret he few scattered houses remaining were
protected by dense grove OF trees. The field
gs ruin is . mile in width, bounded by the lake
a. q ~. -rr.
on the other, and four miles 10 length, thus he
Ing IS large as the half Of New York city from
the Battery 20 jle Cautr4l PARK. or as the whole
ot the leaiusuls oi Boston. The houses aurrei
set zen ieat apart would form ros over hun
dre1 mics iu length judge that more than
third Of the Ioof space sul fully half the a0o7
space 70. the city, the population ot which was
+ $3.50 900, Wls destroyed
ASTONISHING PazNoHESA OF 1uE EEE
Certainly the walls seem TO have c-gmblei in
fr,u top 90 bottom. nothing rcusi1.u- b-,
broad low hetp OF rubbish 10 tle CELLAR iow
as 90 De overlooked from the pavement. Gran
its, all ssuis,0ues and all limsst.ues, whenever
fully exposed o. ttc SouthWest. are generally
fl5el and scslei, sul blocks. s0metimts two
ani three feet thick, a1e cracked through Sni
through. Marble sul other lmestoues, where
especially exposed, as ia doors and window
dIessiugs, esreciaig If in thin slbs have often
fallen TO POW ier Wallsof the btumu0us lime
stone. Of which there wcie but few, instead Of
melting away ls was reported, seem TO have
stood rather better than others cannot tell
Why. lsou raiia.s aud iamp posts detached
from buildings, zge often dropping. and 10 thia-
| uer ragts seem tomeuurs to have been fused.
Iron colurUs and lfer beams Sre ofte1 bent t0R
lslf circle The wooden lNiclls5u) Asphalt and
tar concrete Tlveueuts remain essentially uu-