Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-10-19
CHICAGO---WHAT WE SAW
THERE


THERE.
Taking the s :55 train Friday evening,
We arrived at Chicago at about z 20 i'm
the morning. It was raining in good
earnest. Breakfast disposed OF we start
ed for the scene of desolation. Having
been at Chicago but Il few months ago,
anu in the heart of the city too, the con-
trast with The present condition is aw-
ful. In place of those magnificent st-uc-
lures, the product of years of industry.
of genius and brain, we found chaos and
destruction. In the heart OF the city.
for n. lies around, nothing but crumbled
walls and the still issuing smoke from
the smouldering ruins can be seen. The
iron of the street railways is warped into
every conceivable shape, and the heat
was so intense as to cause even stone in
the middle of the ftreet to crack in nun
berless pieces. 1t was with great diff
Guilty that we found gentleman with
whom we had business. On inquiry, one
gentleman replied that lie scarcely
knew where he was himself, although he
had been doing business in the city for
eighteen years. Another gentleman was
carrying a part of n belStead. and in
formed us tnat in the great confusion Cf
the fire lie got part of neighbor's bed
stead by mistake, which he was return
ing to exchange for his own. Another
gentleman informed us that he had not
seen part of his family since the fire, but
had Just heard of their whereabouts and
was on his way in hopes of finding them
An extensive business gentlemar.
pointing to u small book, remarked to ms.
THAT is all we saved But we are now
in the vicinity of the Court House. the
proud walls of which vet remain. sbot
tered and cracked into millions of pieces.
From here the spectator may look tor
miles around him, but from every direc-
tion sea of smouldering ruins presents
itself to his view. Here and there. men
are engaged in exhuming the safes from
| the ruins. On inquiry, We learned that
many of the safes had proven UNEQUAL
to the severe tests to which they were
subjected. Those safes which were
| in vaults are all found in good state of.
preservation The Tribune building.
which was supposed to be perfectly fire
proof, had finally TO yield to the furious
| flames, and presents a most desolate an
/ pearance. Ele the Nicholson pave
nent is burnt in many places, but not
sufficiently TO destroy it.
We now started for the north part of
town. but every bridge across the Chica-
90 river, whether iron or wood, was
swept away by the mighty storm of fire.
| The tunnel for wagons under the river,
remains uninjured. except its approach
e.. But that for pedestrians was so mnch
injured as to render it impossible, the
flame having found its WAY into it and
burned the floor. We first made an ex-
animation of the walls of the approach
es to the tunnel for vehicles. These are
massi,e structures of cut stone, upon
which was splendid iron fence. This
we found warped into various shapes.
and the top stones of the walls cracked
and burSted into innumerable pieces. We
next descended to the southern approach
| of the tunnel, and when we reached that
point where the walls are about twenty
feet high. we found, at tie very base of
said walls, stone nine feet in length,
cracked the whole distance. This was
! the result of the intense heat produced
at that point where there was nOthin. to
burn, but was simply the result of the
burning structures on the sides of the
| streets. Such a scene OF fire and heat
was never before witnessed by mortal
man. We crossed under the river TO the
north Side, and wendell our way to the
water works, which We're also DESTROYED.
| These works VIC were permitted TO wit
ness from the door, by the police officer.
upon showing evidence of our conncc-
tiun with the press. There were a numA
her of men at work among the ruins
| Those magnificent engines within the
massive structure presented a terrible
wreck. The tower of the water works
anu one reSluence. both of which were
considerably isolated from any other
| buildings. are the only two buildings
uninj ured in the whole north part OF Il e
city. Every where are to be seen cards
and board signs directing the stranger
to the present location of the urfurtu-
nate proprietOrS. Indeed, these sirns
seemed very mrch like grave stones. On
one of these signs the proprietor. after
directing the public to his new location,
adds. Never say DIE" Many others
announce their readiness to prosecute
their former business with vi.or. We
could not but admire the pluck of these
ChicagOans. but suffering must be in
tense on the part of the poor people who
had nothing but their daily labor to de-
pend upon for the support of themselves
anu their families. And even those who
lived in palaces, thus suddenly robbed
of their homes. capital and business will
find hardship OF which they never
dreamed. Still many OF these can rely
upon wealthy relations and friends for
assistance. but tile poor are depending
upon the charity and generosity of the
world. Fortunately the whole country
and even Europe is nohly responding tU
the cry for help. This is right. Upper
Sandusky has already done something
Let the good work 70 on. We believe
the most practical thing our people can
do Is to send the sufferers clothing anJ
substantials for the support of life. --
In the midst of our prosperity let Il;
remem Der the unfortunate.