Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-10-16

splendid objective point for the flames and il
was soon wrapped IN its winding sheet, its mag
nihcent apartments furnishing fine quarters in
which the remorseiess demon could reve. Still
has appetite was not satisfied and, crav-
ing for more he sped forward The fire proof
Tribune building seemed to be but finder; Me-
Nleksrs splendid thespian temple furnished one
OF the grandest spectaces in this most fearful
tragedy, and went of in a blaze of glory, but
the audience went away with the sad conviction
that the scene enacted was a terrible reality and
not mere baseless fiction Of the dramatsts
brain. Whatever buildings had escaped destruc
ton from the two tornadoes Of fire that had
swept northward before fell prey to this one,
and not building remained standing north of
Adams street.
Against the Wind.
/ But although all that lay in the natural
/ course Of the FIRE on the south side had been
/ destroyed it not consumed. From
Adams street, on Wabash and Michigan ave.
nnes, the tire commenced to burn southwark
I against the wind. Its progress was compare
lively slow, and yet it Travelled with a rapidity
/ that was terrifying. For two blocks il swept
all before it. Trinity Episcopal Church fell in
I the general crash. The Sisters of Mercy lost
their school, the Catholic cathedral was burned,
and long rows OF palatial residences were Rugged
4 in the greedy embrace of the fire and deyoured
Gunpowder was again resorted TO to stay the
! flames and this time with better effect.
nue., above Congress street, blown to frag
ments, and the flames subsidized. Terrace Row,
/ occupying the entire block between Van Buren,
( and Congress streets on Michigan avenue,
! caught fire at the lower end and threatened to
involve still larger district in destruction. But
/ gallant men, Disregard al of their own lives,
shouldered barrels of gunpow Ter and carried
| them trough the searching heat and flying EN-
/ bers into the southern part of the row, and the
explosion that followed lie relied il to the ground
and ba Mi,.hs A II
Hall were saved. This ended the pro-
\ ress Of the fire on the south side
and the city again breathed free.
The North Side.
/ But the most painful and heart-rendisg por-
1 ton oil my narrative is yet to come. The north
side OF the river, containing a population ac
/ cording to the last census, OF over rs 600 souls
was visited mast terribly. Shortly after two
I o'clock on Monday morning the flames were
carried across the river on the high wind. This
4 section of the city is mainly composed of wooden
| buildings aAd is occupied for the greater part
/ by mechanics and laboring men as residences.
/ Over this region the fire sped with the speed of
the wind. Those who attempted to save
their worldly goods met with but poor
! success. BY far the greater part
barely escaped with their lives while hundreds
I found winding sheet of flame. The first sec
tion swept was that between North Clark street
and the river. The houses were but sparsely
settled, but notwithstanding this fact the entire
| section was a mass of ruins before the sun had
risen Among the prominent buildings con
/ sumed were the Rush Medical College, st.
James's Church (Rev. Hugh Miller Thomp-
4 son's), the New England Congregational Church.
I Unity Church (Rev Robert Collyer's) the Clar-
! endOn. Humboldt, Revere and Huber Houses
| several grain elevators, the Water Works, and
numerous public charity buildings and minor
religious and educational institutions.
But it was to the west of Clark street that the
the fire most disastrous. Here it sped with
4 appalling rapidity. Hundreds of men, women
and children were overtaken in the streets by
! the tongues Of fire that swept their homes
away, aud as they Eel through the street be-
/ fore the mad flames, they were hemmed in.
Many an agonized cry for help went up to heay-
/ en-, and the poor victims fell upon the pave
/ ments, eharred, blaokened cOrpses, unrecog-
/ nizable save by Him who had so suddenly
/ called them to account. 90 one street alone, on
4 Tuesday morning, counted hCcnty three bodies
/ These had all met with death while flying be-
/ fore the fire. The entire north side with the
| exception of a small strip on kinzie street, was
1 swept with the bosom of destruction, and but
one building the residence Of WIN. B. Ogden
on Franklin Place, remains Of the % 600 that
covered the area Of two and a half square miles
The loss Of Life
AT the present time it is almost impos ible to
compute the loss Of life. Thus far over $50
bodies have been recovered, and as yet the rufus
have not been examined. All that have been
discovered have been those who were cut off in
the streets or were found above the mass of
debris. Competent judges estimate thut not
less than 500 souls were burned to death in the
bell through which Chicago has passed. 1t is
possible that the number may exceed 900, al
though many will never be missed and never
found.
The Homeless.
Not less than so 600 persons were deprived
of hair hon by fht .c,1
we're for the most part persons who could not
afford to lose even the little they possessed, al
though many who on Saturday counted their
wealth by the hundreds of thousands were re-
duced to beggary and suffered for want as
keenly as the poorest among them Fire as n
leveller has asserted his equality with death
for rich and poor alike were obliged to depend
upon charity for food and raiment.
The scenes.
will not attempt to describe the scenes con-
nected with this great calamity. The most elo-
qu3nt tongue cannot picture with half the
vividness Of reality the thousands of heart
rendng scenes of which was witness. The
very remembrance OF them makes NE sick at
heart. Thousands Of families were rendered
hon eless, few saving anything except what
they carried upon their backs. With no pros
pect ahead but starvation, it IS no wonder that
many gave way beneath tie accumulated hor-
rors of the fearful night of fire. The majority
however, acted with a heroism that gave one
higher aspect for humanity. Those who had
not been left entirely destitute cheerrully
shared what they had saved, with their less
fortunate neighbors, and went about seeking to
relieve the sufferings of others. The many
deeds Of noble charity that we're developed %
unlocked for quarters would Gil a volume.
Relief.
As soon rs the news of Chicago's great anl C.
tion known abroad, relief came album dainty.
Every city in the country contributed literally
both in money and provisions. and the destitute
were speedily provided with the necessities Of
life. The homeless were gathered into all the
churches and schools that had been spared by
the fire, and made as comfortable as circumstan-
ces would permit. The ladies of Chicago who
were not themselves dependent upon charity
were foremost in the good work of relieving the
distressed, and many sad, respondent heart
was made glad by words Of cheer and encour-
agement. Those who have contributed to the
relief of Chicago may rest assured that their
generosity will never be forgotten. Hundreds
of thousands of grateful hearts call down the
blessings of Heaven upon the generous givers,
and will hold them in everlasting remembrance.
Chicago as She Is.
Imagine nearly three thousand acres of black
dreary ruins twenty-five thousand houses
churches, schools, manufactures, warehouses
hotels and business houses with nothing to
mark their locality but mass of smouldering
brick, limestone and timber, and you have a
picture of Chicago as she is to-day. But one
bank escaped the scourge of fire. There is no
theatre or public hal irst-cass dry goods
or grocery house; but score or SO Of churches
half score Of school houses no news
paper save a few copies of the seven by
nine sheets that are all issued from the
same job printing Office; half dozen
second class hotels aud inexhaustibie supply
of too thoroughly burned brick that can be
bought at an enormous reduction from the
original cost. From 500 600 600 to $500 ,Q00,-
900 worth Of property is destroyed including
the larger part of the winters supply of fuel.
The greatest priyation, however, is the Temporal