The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-30
Incidents Of The Chicago Fire.

- AaAl ~ ~AAANt'5S oAN
some women md children md one mai
exhausted lay down in the cutters to di,
in the hopelesSness Of desperation
Others wonld seize aud urge them along
Smoke and cinders aud fumes ant
Scorching heat filed the mir. Children
screamed in terror and begged for water
Some would catch up water from puddle
near hydrantS and moisten the mouth
This is hell.firc - "1'his is the da,
Of judgment |" Z" This must be the ent
Of the world" !" were the exclamation
heard. The degree Of sympathy tia
prevailed was wonderful. There seemed
TO be one instructive throb OF feeling
and the strong helped the weak. I be
lieve that thieves had great deal to dr
with the fire. II they did not start II il
the first place they kindled flames il
fresh places. i saw houses that haG
been deserted entered by ill.lookiLl
fellows, who ransacked bureaus aud
closets. There was no time to spenk tC
them. Once or twice when they were
spoken to they protested to have been sent
by the owners to save things. Many
people in the haste Of their escape
abandoned everything, even to jewelry
and money. / saw one fellows pockel
half full OF iewelry and watches. !
spoke OF it, but in M instant he lost
himself from my viCw in the crowd.
saw Misunderstanding man with q
lady's cbatelnine chain suspended awk.
wartly Mt his vest, The little girl had
walked until the hot pavcments hlistered
her little feet, then We carried her. as
papa and mamma burnt up. Is Neddy
burnt up dead ?" she piteously asked.
Late at night we found them all Saie. II
was nearly morning before we obtained
shelter aliL food
All the banks in the city will, with
scIrcely doubt, be able to resume bus.
iness, A number Of bank vaults have
been opened, md their contents without
exception We're uniniured. Every bank
in the city claims that in time It will be
able 10 pay every dollar Of il debt.
The total loss Of grim ia now definite.
ly HScerhined TO. be l,G00, ,0C0 bushels
-Four vessels were loaded with grain for
tile East to-day, and the Eastern move
ment will continue, rs there are fully
5,000,00O bushels now in store. About
five hundred people escaped on barge
which fortunately lay In one OF the
slips in the river, iloated out and down
to pier, where a steamer towed them
into the lake, where they remained until
yesterday.
Among the nddest scenes of the en-
lamity was the appearance Of hundreds
OF men and boys in state OF heastly
around the streets Of the
North Division. where the salOon-keer-
ars' stocks of liQuos werc emptied into
the street, thus furnishing convenient
opportunity for the qualification Of their
slRvish propenSities, and there can hard
ly be any doubt hut that many OF these
poor wrctches found their death in the
flames, from which they were too help.
less 10 escape. One poor man had
into the water main, near the
Water Works, but the fire found him
even there and lie was burned to death.
The reports state with grave horror
the methods adopted to preserve order.
Thieves, pillagers, and inrendiaries were
not arrested. More than fifty have been
shot down in the streets or swung to the
lamp posts ut five minutes notice. For
mer reports with reference to the proba.
hle loss OF life seem to be confirmed.
Over one hundred blackened cor1ses
were removed from tue ruins where II
small portion Of the burnt district las
been searched. Deuhtless there arc
many who will never be distinguished
from the heaps OF ashes into which they
fell. Meanwhile sad reports are reach
ing us Of deaths III large numbers from
exposure and Uyer-excitement
The end OF human ghoul is thus de-
ScribGd by an eye witness One amoug
the thousand rumors that wero flying
thickly about, aud the widest it would
seem it must be, was OF the sudden ven
geaiIce that befell bold thief. Seeing
the cashier Of one Of the bauks rush into
his Office rs tue flames were bearing al-
most upon the building, he watched his
exit. It was not long before the ofIicinl
with some money packages and
bonds, md no sooner had he appeared
than the thief proStgnted him with blow
upon the side n the head, and grabbed
n portion Of the treasure. A policeman
in nm instant saw what was done and
grabbed the william, who drew q pistol
md shot the faithful officer through the
heart, and then sprang through the ex-
cited crowd brnndishing his pistol and
endeavoring 10 make good his escape.
But the sight, with all the surrounding
circumstances, llad maddened the by
to frenzy, and they fell upon
the wretch like so many tigers, tearing
him limb from limb, and literally dis.
emboweling him.
That which is everywhere apparent in
spite Of the horrors OF the scene and its
sad hopelessuess, was the indomitable
pluck which the Chicago men showed,
all which no losses could damp md no
wretchcdncss subduc. "Chicago will
be hard up for n time" said onp, "but
we must try and pull through" ut
VIII hke long time 10 nulId II up
again snid another. II thought l
was pretty well Of yesterday" slid n
young man, cheerfully smoking cigar (;
"now Rll hive in the world is the snit
OF clothes I have on. al think ] r.ight
have saved my law library" said n rising
young lawyer, "but, hy Jove 1t did
not seem the thing to do, when every
body else's property whs burning up SO
l picked IN n few papers in my office,
took some volumes OF Kent given me by
u friend, took OF my hat to my old
books, and left them 10 burn"
The territory burned over comprises
about $500 acres, and upon this only
three buildings arc standing. Here and
there portion Of ii wall rcmains.
It thas been ascertaincd frum official
rennrts flint 10 nm (l00 foot nj lnmI,cr