Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-16

We had all gone to bed very tired the night
before, and had slept so soundly that we were
unaware of the conhagratiOn till it had assumed
| terrible force. My family were all very much
alarmed at the glare which illuminated the sky
and lake. | saw ut once that n fearful disaster
was impending over Chicago, and Immediately
left the house to determine the locality and eX-
| tent of the fire. | found that il was then good
deal south of my house and west of the Mchl-
| gan Southern and Rock Island railroad depots.
went home considerably treasured IN nan an
| hour, and, finding my family packing tullSs
up, told them that did not anticipate danger
| and requested them to leave of packing But
/ | said: "Hhe result Of this night work VIII NC
awful. At least 1000 people WI want otea t,
fast in the morning; yOu prepare oreahIasI iol
1902? This they proceeded to do, Out soon oe-
came again alarmed and recommeneeu Pack PACK ~
Soon afteg hall-past two CLOCK Shrteu loI lue
Tribune office TO lSec if it was IN any danger;
BY this time the fire had crossed the river, aug
| that portion of the city SCUM OF hHIIlsoH sIioci
and between Third avenue, and the river seemed
| In a bl1zr of fire as well as on the west side.
reached tbe Tribune office, and, seeing no cause
for any apprehension rs to its safety ana not
remain there more than twenty minutes Oh
leaving the office | proceeded to tue Nevada
hotel (which is my property, at Washington
| and Franklin streets. ! remained there Tor an
hour watching the progress OF the flames aud
| contemplating the ruinous destruction of prop
erty going on aionnd. The fire had passed east
Of the hotel and hoped that the building was
| safe: but il soon began 10 extend in westerly
| direction, and the hotel was quickly enveloped
! in flames | became seriously alarmed, and ran
| round North street to Randolph street. SO as TO
head off the flames and get back to my house,
which was on Michigan avenue, on the shore oil
the lake. My house was part OF almost tue
| last block burned.
| AT this time the fire was the most grandly
magnificent scene that one can conceive. Inc
| court house, post Office, Farwel hall, the Ire
| mont house, Sherman house, and all the splen-
| did buildings on La Sale and Wells streets,
were burning with Sublimty OF effect wnlch
astounded me. All the adiectiyeS in the Ian
guage would fail to convey the intensity of its
wonders. Crowds of men, women, and chill
dreu were budding away, running first in one
direction, then in another, shouting and crying
IN their terror and trying to save anything they
could lay their hands on, no matter how trivial
in value; while every now and then explosions,
which seemed almost to shake the solid earth,
reverberaed through the air and added TO the
terrOrs of the poor people. crossed Lake street
bridge TO the west, ran north TO hlnSey street
bridge and crossed over east 10 the north SIDE,
hoping 10 head off the fire. 1t had, however, al
ready swept north OF me, and was travelling last
cr than could 90, and soon came to the con-
cluson that it would be impossible for me 10
get east in that direction. | accordingly re-
crossed kusey street bridge, and went west as
far as Desplains street, where l fortunately met
Il
me over Twelfth street bridge to my house on
NIicbiuan avenue Ii was by this time getting
on toward three O'Clock, and the day was Begin
pipr to break. On nv arrival home found my
horses already harnesSed and my riding horse
sadded for me. My family and some friends
were all busily engaged in packing up and in
distributing sandwiches and coffee to all who
wanted them or could spare Il minute to partake
of them.
Immediately Jumped on my horse and rode
as fast as | could 90 TO the Tribune Office. |
f0und everything safe: The men were all there,
and we tondlv boped that all danger was passed
as far as we were concerned and for this reason:
The blocks in front OF the Tribune building on
Dearborn street and north on Madison street,
had botb been burned; the only damage accru-
inc 10 MS heinz confined TO a cracking of some
| of tbe Mate GLASS windows from the heat But
a somewhat curions incident soon set us all in a
stare of excitameut. The fire had unknown to
| rs crovlpd nnder the sidewalk from the wooden
| navement and had caupht tbe woodwork of the
| BARRIERS shop which comprises a portion of our
| basement As soon as we asccrtained the ex-
| tent of tbe mischief we no longer apprehended
snv snecisl DANCER believing. as we did. that
tbe hnildino was fire proof NV associates, Mr.
NpdiII and Mr. White were present; and, with
the helm of some of our employees, we went to
| work witb water and one of BabcOck's fire eX-
| finruishrrs. The fire was soon nut out, and we
| once more returned TO business The forms had
been sent down stairs. and ordered our fore.
| man Mr. Keller TO ret all the presSmen tC-
gether, in order to issue the papers as soon as a
| paragraph showing how far the fire had then
| extended could be prepared and inserted. Many
| kind friends gathered around the office and
| warmly EXPRESSED their Qualification at the pre-
! seryation of our building, Relieving all things
| safe. I again mounted nv horse and rode south
on State street 10 see what progress the fire was
MAKING. and if if was moving eastward on Dear
| horn street TO nv rreat surprise and horror.
l
direction nearly as far as State street, and that
| if was also advancing in a northerlv direction
| with terrible swiftness and power | at once
| saw the DANGER so immiuently threatening us
| and with some friends eudeayored TO obtain
some noyder for the purpose of blowing uD
| some buildings south of the Palmer house.
Failing TO find any powder. | proposed to tear
| them down I nrOceeded TO Cburcls hardware
| store and succeedin0 i'm procurnr about n
| dozen heavy axes. and handing them to my
| friends. requested them to mount the buildings
| yyitb mo and literally tschon them down y An
| INF two or three seemed utterly paralyzed AT
This nnexDec,ed chance in the course of the fire:
| and even these seeincr the others stand back
were unwilling TO make the effort alone, AT
| rbis moment saw that some wooden
| buildinns and a new brick house west
| of tho Palmer houSn had already cauoht fire
/ saw ot a Glance that the Tribune building
was doomed and rode back TO tie office and
| tnld tha,n fiat nothing more ronId he done tn
save thp bnildino WcYicEer's theatre. or any
| tIin@ else in that vicinity. In This homeless
Frame If mind rode home To look after nv
residence and family intentIy watching the ON.
| mons eastward mnyement Of the flames | at
once SET to work with NV family and friends to
move os much Of my Furniture nc nosS1bIe
| across tho l1orro,r noTE of Nlicbigau avenue ON
| ~ tho shore If Tho Iake distance of ahont 9oO
| ZOO t+ho s,,c ti,,,s' sn,,t nv, faYoii, ~ tbo
| hnnso Of sn,,a f,iends in rho sontb nart Of tbe
~ co. NV Jo,,btcr MIS- Tassie RrnSS
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