New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-14
THE STORY OF THE CONFEDERATION.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE-HoRRoRs OF THE NIGHT
THE VICTIMS.

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBUNBl
CHICAGO, Oct. l3-Had the wind of Tuesday veered
to the eastward-as there was every reason to fear
that it would-we might have written as of Troy,
that "Chicago was" But, fortunately, the greater
babitable portion of the city remains-scathed
indeed, by the confagration, with many shoulder
ing ruin and blackened street yet capable of shelter
ing large population, and offering foOthold for
reviying commerce. Many of the churches are left ;
some of the banks railway depots and elevators are
shared: there are even hotels in operation. They
are not the great establishments of which Chicago
was 80 proud in the days of her gloy but now i'll the
hour of disaster they turned to excellent account
mere enumeration however, of the buildings
that have been taken and the buildings that are left
OF description of the waste places suddenly created
in the very center Of this busy metropolis would not
suffice to give you idea of the vast destruction &C
complshed during the three days of fire. On Tues
day, when the wind was supposed to be changing
the whole city given up for lost but the gale
blew steadily from the north till everything combus
tible in the pathway of the flames had persisted, and
the clouds of smoke drifted harmlessly the
tiers of Lake Michigan. Then came slight fall of
rain and the first ray Of hope beamed upon the sOrey
tried city, Until Wednesday morning the battle
with the fire had been 80 fierce and the encrOach-
ments of the confagation rapid that few had time
to realize what frightful losses they suffering
While splendid residences were crumbling to
ashes the owners gazed at the spectacle, calm and
apparently unmoved Sometimes the fire rushed
onward at such frghtful speed that life hung
upon the movement of the moment, and
the dazed crowds were suddenly aroused
to O personal interest in the situation. Often
the women were overtaken by the flames, and res
cued with difficulty by less bewildered spectators
Near the great public edifices supposed to be fire.
proof the people fingered longest; but tOttering
walls and blazing windows warned them in time
that in the midst of this awful heat there was abso
lutely no fre-proof building in the city. There
80 strong confidence in the splendid new structure
of The Chicago Tribune that several of the other jour-
nails placed their movable property in it. for safe
keeping. Even after the Court-Hous had fallen,
and all the neghboring buildings had gone down in
ruins The Tribune establishment seemed to stand
forth intact in the midst of the surrounding devas
tation Suddenly single tongue of fire shot out
from an upper window, and instantaneously the
whole structure burst into flame
From Sunday noon the uproar of wind and flame
was deafening No bells could be heard. Multtudes
of people swarmed toward the principal points of
the conflagration and gazed idly at the magnificent
devastation. Men whose whole fortunes had
perished in breath forgot for the moment their
calamities, and even now, in sort of dazed but
genuine enthusiasm, tell OF the superb spectacle pre-
sented when the fire caught the shipping in the river
suppose nearly everybody is familiar now with
the Geographical features of Chicago. The Chicago
River enters it from the Lake, and cleaving the
main part of the city in two for q mile or
more, separates into the North and South
Branches, at right angles with the main
stream. THUS the city is divided into the
North, South, and West Sides. The river and its
branches are navigable by lake craft to the very
doorsf the great warehouses and at the crossing OF
the chief thoroughfares there were large draw
bridges. On Sunday night cow-shed ON the eastern
verge of the West Division was set on fire by the
carelessness Of boy. Before the fremen, jaded by
hard work at the fire Of Saturday night came upon
the scene the adjacent buildings had caught
In ten minutes four blocks. were abla1e, and
the utmost exertiops Of the Fire Department
80. carrying the conasration steadily onward, and
n.S,a. AMI ana lest bot fss more than On seor no