The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-10-12

CHICAGO, October 8, 1910 A. M
The most terrible confagration that ever
occurred within this city, broke out about
an hour and half ago, and having al
ready swept over six entire blocks, is still
raging with unabated fury. The fire
started IN large planning mill, situated
between Clinton and Canal and Van Bu-
rem and Jackson streets, in about the cen
tire of block formed by these streets.
The wind was blowing very fresh, and the
flames spread with almost Incredible rap
idity, and in a few minutes the entire
structure was a mass of fire. The imme-
diate vicinity is built up mainly with
small wooden tenement houses and two
story frame dwellings, occupied as gro
ceries, saloons, etc. The inmates of many
of these houses, startled from their slum-
Der, had barely time to rush from their
houses IN the scanty attire of the night.
In several instances children were hastily
wrapped in blankets and quilts, to
break the force of their fall, and
thrown from second story windows to the
ground.
When the alarm sounded for this fire,
another fire of considerable magnitude
was burning on Wells street, near Adams,
and several engines were necessarily kept
at work upon this fire. The rest of the en-
gines were soon on the ground, but before
they arrived the fire had spread over SO
large an area, aud was so rapidly spread
ing, that their efforts seemed of little
avail. Between Canal and the river,
were several lumber yards, which are en-
tirely destroyed. At this hour the fire
had made clean sweep from Van Buren
street north two blocks to Adams, and
west to Clinton, three blocks from the
river. The wharves between Van Buren
and Jackson streets are burning, and the
wood work of the western approach to
Adams street bridge Is destroyed. A
large coal yard, containing thousands of
tons o soft coal, and situated between the
tracks of the Chicago d Alton and Pitts
burgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad
tracks and the river is on fire and burning
furiously' The immense grain elevator
of Vincent, Nelson & Co., one of the finest
in the city, is Immediately adjoining, and,
though intended to be fire proof, there
seems to be little doubt but that it will be
destroyed, as the intense heat to which 1t
is subjected will crack the slate with which
1t Is covered both on the roof and sides.
1t contains many thousands of bushels of
grain of all kinds The depot of the
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Chicago, Alton & St. Louis railroads, sit
uated north of Adams street, and be-
tween Canal street and the river-one
of the buildings being light wooden
structure occupied as an express Office
was in flames al midnight, and is undoubt-
edly destroyed.
The scenes in the vicinity of the con-
aagration are indescribable Half of the
population of the city seemed gathered
there. The tugs of the river are engaged
in towing to places of safety the vessels
moored IN the neighborhood while loco
motives are hastily pulling out the great
number of cars standing on the track in
the pain of the flames. At this writing
it is impossible to give an estimate of the
losses, but they are already very large,
and the fire appears scarcely checked. So
far as could be ascertained, when the re-
porter left the scene of the fire, no lives
are known to be lost. Yet it will be mi
raculous should such prove to be the case.