The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-11-14
from the N. Y. World.1
The Parsee ON the Chicago Fire.
No. Il.


great Chicago catastrophe, it was not
for want of deep sympathy with the
lOO, 900 sufferers. Bat l cannot serve
her or, indeed, many Of your new but
last grown cities better than to review
calmly this great catastrophe.
FIRsT-It is n great consolation that
fires of such gigantic proportions are
50 exceptional. In this century there
were the great fires of Moscow, of New
York in 1885, of Hamburg in 1912, and
greatest of all Chicago in 1871. The
fire of Moscow was apolitical necessity.
The New York fire in 1885 was undoubt
edly great catastrophe, but | believe
the loss was under thirty millions, and
the houseless at the time were Il 1.-THE
compared with Chicago. The only fire
that may be compared with Chicago was
that of Hamburg in 1872. The house
less were in proportion to the popua-
ton (l20,O00), far greater than Chicago,
while the loss of property was much
less in proportion; vet it was great
conaagration, and long felt. The old
cities of the Old World resemble at
their best the mature age of strong
man-if he breaks limb he will not
only suffer long before he is GONZALES
cent, but is sure to limp for consider
able time after The cure is effected Your
young and great cities resemble the vig-
or and pliancy Of youth-a broken
limb is set. cure quickly follows; he
does not limp, and feels offended if re-
minded of his mishap two years after.
So with Chicago. Clearly. then, there
is nothing to appall in the Chicago dis
aster as a catastrophe that will happen
in the same degree to other great cities,
when statistics and facts, although they
cannot deny the possibility, strongly
point to the improbability Of such fire.
qupnt events.
SECOND Many valuable lessons may
be learned from the Chicago fire reia,
tive to the more perfect organization OF
fire brigades in the very best built cities,
and above all the more prudent storage
of infammable commodities. 1t has
been pointed out to me that the 2O,O00,-
600 feet of lumber burned were stored
in Chicago very much like the inner pal
ace in Pekin. Thousands Of buildings
on both sides of the Harrow stream sur
rounded this immense pile of fire food
This alone was no doubt the cause ot
the destruction Of thousands of houses
| The fire confined in brick, stone, OF
iron building naturally breaks in some
measure its own great force and gives
time for help and succor. But the gi
gantic piles OF timber once fairly under
the sway of fire cause for the time be
ing perfect atmosphere of fire, ant
man becomes powcrless.
It is perfectly true that a radius of
thousand miles bas made Chicago th,
wonder Of modern times, set politica
economy would indeed be dull if it fail
ed to see that this single city alone ha
not done more good, has developed
more resources-peopling, in fact, thi
very radius of thousand miles rounC
her in thirty years-then the most ia
vored countries of the Old World hav
been able 30 accomplish in a Thousand
years
The commerce of the East and Nortl
would simply lose one of their best,
not their very best depot and the growt
of the Western plains would feel mos
keenly the disaster, and to say the leas
would be s,intcd and retarded in thei
development. Benevolence has done it
duty nobly and generously; and nov
practical help and great enterpris e,whic
asks charity of no one but is ready t
repay fully and truly for it, should al
, in the great work.
The safety Of Chicago ever risin
from its ashes lies in the swiftDess G
rebuilding it. No one was in hurr
to rebuild Hamburg or Moscow. N
one feared these cities running away.
was Just as much in the nature of thes
two old cities to be rebuilt slowly as
is On urgent necessity cf rebuilding Cl
cago at once, and within a few years
To rebuild Chicago quickly it require
three things-money, labor. and mater
al. The labor, believe, will be, if nc
too plentiful, at least comparatively ade
quate. Money what with the respects
BILE debris of insurance risks and ou
side assistance, may, after all, not he a
together inadequate II materials can b
procured at reasonable prices. Thi
last is the more important, inasmuch q
both labor and money will necessaril
. be dear commodities in Chicago for som
years to come.
The thirty hours fire has swallows
ND 00,000 tons of iron, which require
to be replaced, and without which yo
cannot rebuild the city. Your tari
system, dear sahib, has made this articl
of necessity, and to Chicago a questio
of life and death, dearer in this grea
free, and enlightened country than j
any other part of the world, exceE
Timbuctoo perhaps. The lowest Ell
hancement of value on this single itel
alone by dint of your tariff is 81 600
600. The enhancement of the price c
timber required to rebuild Chicago
by dint OF your tariff at least So,G0O
600, which together is $l6.0OO,00 How
then, is it possible for this stricken city
with all her enterprise and strong viii
to overcome dear labor, dear money
and dear material?
! Behold, o Greeley, sal1ib, the fallac
of your Sanglado specific of bleeding
True, You will enrich or try to enric
your iron sahibs with S11,000,G00 add
tional gains at the expense of fire de
wasted city or at the risk of running he
for ever Surely, dear sahib, if eve
there was an apple of delusion, with it
ashes inside, the fire of Chicago and til
necessity of rebuilding the city mus
prove your fair-faced home-protectio
policy to he that delusive apple.
| have named but two items, and We
they amount to S16.000,000 pure ant
simple unwarrantable eXactions. HOY
fearful will I've the amount when l full
complete myselfimposed labor; hoy
appalling it will be, rot only to the pee
pie of Chicago and people of Illinois
but to the whole West, when they ar