Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-10-19
LAND AND CoURT RECORDS OF CHICAG,

LAND AND COURT RECORDS OF CHICAGO
Next to the fearful loss of life and the terrible
destruction of property, the questions which
most concern the people of Chicago are those
relating to the land and court records. On
these points the journal Of the llth, has the
following
Real Estate 1rHcs-All the records of deeds
and mortgages are destroyed. This includes all
the real estate, not only in Chicago but in
Cook county, with its numerous suburban
towns. Fortunately the abstracts of titles, IN
the office of Shortall & Hoar, conveyancers,
are known to be safe There is great hope
that when the vaults are opened at the other
abstract Offices, the record books which arc IN
tended to be perfect copies Of every real estate
transfer in the county arc safe There arc sew
cral Of them, and it would be strange II some
OF them, besides the one already examined, are
not safe. n leading membe OF the Chicago
bar gives it as his opinion that the title to all
the property in the county can DC rc-estabiiShed
by means Of these abstracts The Legislature
will probably pass some enabling act to cover
the case. As to the value Of real estate, it is
now entirely indctcrminate, because 1t Is nl-
possible to divine where the future business
center will be. The latter will depend upon
the location selected by the leading business
houses which are already III consultation.
Lumyrx Il specimen of what the legal
profession of this city has lost, we may state
that General II. n f.ldridge, Of the firm OF
Eldridgc e. TOurtclottc. the attorneys lor Field,
Letter d Co., lost all his papers, not u scrap
left after having practiced law for fourteen
wears in Chicago. There is not law Office nor
4 law library left in Chicago. except the few
small duplicate libraries at the residences Of the
leading lawyers. There is not 4 paper showing
that there is a suit pending in any Of the six
courts Of record in Cook county, including the
Federal Court. There is not an indictment III
existence in the county against any one, not a
iudgmcnt not Il petition in bankruptcy III the
Federal Courts Even the duplicate files that
the lawyers kept in their offices arc all gone.
\ few may have escaped by being taken to the
houses for Sunday or night work. We may
add that there are in Chicago about hyc hun
lrcd lawyers
Referring to the same subject the Post
SAYS The fire seized the upper portion OF
the central part Of the courthouse, and sent
the great bell crashing down through the
building TO the place where the records were
kept. and the mass of ruins thus created made
it impossible to preserve the county records,
upon which the establishment of proofs OF
ownership to real property depended
\ SCENE IN CHICAGo-One Of the most
dramatic and impressive scenes Of the fire not
vet recorded was the flight through the new
ln Salc-strect tunnel under the river during
Sunday night 1t was about = o'clock when
this strange hcgirl began, and in ten minutes
it became a furious rout. The bridges on both
sides were on fire, and the flames were wrth-
ing over the decks Of the brigs the RIVER;
and winding their fierce arms OF flame around
the masts and through the rigging like mon
strous, luminous devilG>h. The awful canopy
OF fire drew down and closed over Water, street
rs the shrlcking multitude rushed tor the tun-
mel, the only avenue ofescape. The gas works
had already blown up, and there was no light
in any house save the illumination, which
lighted up only to destroy: But into the dark
encd cave rushed pell-mcll, from all directions,
the frcnzied crowd-bapkcrs, thieves, dray
men, wives, chdrcn-in every stage of un-
dress, as they had .lcapcd from burning lodgg-
ings, a howling, implorng, curSing, praying,
waiting mob, making their desperate dive un-
der the river. 1t was as dark in the tunnel as
it is in the centre Of the earth, perhaps dark
or. Hundreds of the tugitives were laden
with furniture, household goods, utensils,
loavcs Of Bread and pieces Of meat, and their
rush through the almost sutt0catlns tunnel
was fearful in the extreme. They knocked
each other down, and the strong trod on the
HELPLESS Nothing was heard at the mouth of
the cavcrnous prison but mutflcd howl of
rage and anguish. Several came forth with
broken limbs and terrible bruises, as they scat
tered and resumed their flight under the baz-
ing sky to the northward. M ". I.
Wib1mc.
FIRE PROOF VAULTS. Considerable anxiety
is being felt in all commercial communities to
know how far the fire proof vaults and safes IN
the Chicago business houses and banks have
withstood the great heat to which they have
been subjected for the past few days. 1t Is
said that in many instances the heat was SO IN
tense that brick and stone seemed absolutely to
melt in the white heat. Scientific mechanics
contend that vault or safe erected inside OF a
building where they are certain to be surround
ed with flames and heat seldom preserve their
contents. aud that to render the coutents OF a
safe or vault perfectly secure the receptacle
should be placed under the sidewalk, where 1t
will be surrounded with dirt on the top, bottom
and three OF itssides, ,and protected onthe SIDE OF
the building by separate wall OF its own, out
side of the foundation wall Of the building, the
entrance to be guarded by double iron doors,
with an air space between them. Such vault
is really freproof In case Of fire it may be
stored full of valuable goods from the building
The falling walls and debris will only help to
nrutcct it whereas a vault within and under 4
fuilding may make destruction surtr by invi-
ting the deposit ot,bookS'and valuablcs, with a
false promise of security, onlyMto restore them
in the form Of ashes.
DEArI1 or AN AGED CoGpLE. Wm.
Bandcl and his wife, Mrs. Mary Bandel, 6oth
at the residence of their son. MIR. s. L.; Ban,
del, No. 3o7 North Broadway: Mr.; Bsndc' ,d'
and they had been married G. years The wife
had been quite active until within the past
lew days, and died at loa; m: Yesterday. rat leI
suddenly Mr.. Bandel had kept, hls usual
good health until Saturday night when nc was was
suddenly attacked with paralysis, and died at
five o'clock yesterday afternoon, seven hours
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