The union Democrat., 1871-10-28
The Burnt District OF Chicago-NuWber OF
buildings Destroyed, Etc, Etc.

CHICAGO, Oct. 20.-The Tribune this morn
irg publishes an exact statement of the num-
Der Of buildings destroyed by the great FIRE,
with u careful estimate of the number of pec-
pie rendered homeless, and an estimate of
what is left. The total area of the city is
stated to be over 2S 900 acres, including the
annexed territory west of Western avenue,
and the total number of buildings before the
fire was about 10000. On the South side
the fire destroyed nearly everything in the
First and Second Wards, and a portion of the
northwest corner of the Third. Its Southern
limit on Michigan avenue was Congress
street on Clark, Harrison and Wells street,
a point little below Polk. The area of the
burnt district is 450 acres. There were de-
stroyed $500 buildings, including 1000
stores, 90 hotels AID GO manufacturing estab-
lishments. 1900 persons were turned out
of their homes, the greater number of whom
lived in the Second Ward p west of State
Street, where they were closely packed. The
residents in the First Ward generally lived
in hotels or furnished rooms, except where
many poor families were coagregated. On
the North Side 800 acres were burned over
out of the $500 acres in that division, leav-
ing intact small portion on Kenzie street,
near tue TiNeT, anu several houses NUTtu Ot
Division and west of Orchard street, includ-
ing some of the better settled districts up
Claybourne avenue.
The total number of buildings destroyed
was 10000, including over GOO stores and
100 manufacturing establishments. About
&c, 900 persons were deprived Of homes, and
are soiourning on the west side or have left
the city. Out of population of n 900, on
lu nh hou VII fhau
claim as their own, and there are not over
600 houses left standing; for the district
burned over embraced most of the settled
area of the North Division, while the amount
of ground burned over in the West Division
was not great, hardly exceeding $50 acres
and while much of that was occupied by lum-
Der yards, etc., tho people who did live there
were very closely packed together, and be-
tween 1000 and 1000 people must have
dwet there. The value of the houses de-
stroyed was comparatively light, they being
nearly all frame buildings.
1t appears, then, that out of the 10000
buildings in Chicago, only about 49, 500 have
been destroyed, and that while $4,000 per-
sons have been driven from their homes, over
245 900 have not been afflicted in any way.
The whole immense area of the West Divi-
sion, with its miles of dwelling houses, its
stores and business blocks, is almost intact,
while the South side retains the great mass
of its dwelling houses of the better class,
many manufactures and the fine business
blocks which have been erecting on Twenty
second street and Archer avenue, and other
points, many of its finest churches, and the
iunumerable manufactures which abound in
the Sixth Ward. The West Division, how
ever, is complete city in itself, with shops
and stores, coal and lumber yards, churches
and manufactures, and miles ofpaved streets,
severed and lighted. 1t has the only theater
10 the city-the Globe-and the various Ger
man halls and hotels. which with changed
names are accommodating the rush of people
now visiting the city. The buildings destroy
ed in this division by the fire, were of little
value and almost enough will be put up this
season to replace them.
There are, to be precise, about 60 church
es, LOGO stores, manufacturing establish
ments and workshops. 500 saloons, and o.
500 dwelling houses yet standing in the West
Division. So there is yet no reason for ex-
cessive dependency. The North and South
side rolling mills are still furnishing employ
ment to many hundreds of workmen. The
same discovery was also made on the South
side. Much has been lost, much remained.
The widening Of State street has stimulated
improvements far down on that thorough
fare, while the eastern part of Archer avenue
and Twenty-second street has been greatly i'm
proved. Those railroads which came in there
were enabled to carry on their business, and
the remaining elevators have been able to
manage the grain delivered to them. The
loss in school buildings has also been light,
only one having been consumed, and 80
churches and over Is 900 buildings in all yet
remain. Their street railroads are uniniur-
ed, and their ten distilleries and breweries
are still in full operation.