The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-11-09


WHAT Is SPARED "a.
Our columns have been 50 extcn.
sivcly occupied daring tho past week
with reports of the enormous loses
Of life and property in the late FIRE
that there 10 some danger that the
damage sustained will be ovcr.csti-
mated. True, we have seen $500
acres in The most central portion Of
the city swept bare, 10000 buildings
dcstl Dyed, and 100000 persons rem
dered homeless, tho total pecuuisry
loss being not less than three hun
drcd million dollars but we have
still a groat deal left, We may
roughly estimate the situation as fol-
lows
About $1,000 persons have left
the city population remaining, $50, :
COO.
Five grain elevators were burned
with 100000 bushels of grain lea
wing US with eleven grain warehouses
intact, containing 5000 900 bushels.
"One-half Of our stocks of pork
products were burned up, with the
same proportion Of -four.
"Of lumber. 5O,Oo0,OO0 foe, were
burned the stock remaining is 2I0,.
100000 feet.
"Of coal, $4,000 tons were burned
up we have 10000 tons on hand.
Our stock Of leather was dccreas-
cl ono quarter, the whole value oi
that burned up being s95,O0O.
The greater portion of the stocks
groceries, dry goods and boots and
shoes werc burned up, with moro than
one.half the ready made clothing /;
but the quantities destroyed were
scarcely equal to three weeks sup
ply, and arc now being rapidly re-
placed.
Not more than ten per cent of the
currency was destroyed by the fire ;
we have 80, 900 houses left standing,
and our real estate could not burn up
"A very careful average Of these
larger items, with smaller ones that
need not be enumerated, shows that
the city Of Chicago has suffered loss
Of not less than 20, nor more than 25
per cent, on her total asssts-real
and personal. The loss is great one
but, so far from irrerrivable, that we
may confidently hope to see return
to former prosperity ere long. The
ratio Of increase during the past thirty
four years has averaged l0t per cent,
per anuum. This rate would restore
the status Of month ago within
three years. Making every due al
lowance for the terrible set back ex,
perienced, there can be no doubt that
five years hence, at most, the exhibit
of population, wealth, commerce, and
manufactures will be greater than u
month ago. Already the city is RI
sing from its ashes at rapid rate,
thanks 10 the lsrge-hearted liberahty
Of our countrvmen everywhere, and
the rcsisiless energy Of our citizens
Let the faint hearted ones take crur.
age the real workers have not was
TED moment in regret; after they
have repaired their losses there will be
no occasion for it.
"Tho papers Of tho Eastern cities
are publishing personal experiences of
persons protesting to have been suff
crers by the fire in this city. These
stories are for the most part fabrics-
tions. The descriptions given of tho
murders and rapes by builcs, thieves
and rufiiaus, during the progress OF
the fire, are wretched inventions.
"A respectable New York paper
gives room to long recital Of the
narrow escape of 200 abandoned wo-
mep from their lodgings in Reynolds s
Block. The pictures Of obscenity and
profanity are drawn by an expert but
are wholly destitute Of truth. No
woman of that, or any other class, oc-
cupied rooms in that block. The fire
wss horrible enough in all its details
there was full share of his selfish
nsss and heartlessness peculiar to hui
man nature there we're frequent ca.
res af drunkenness and indifference
to the impending calamity, but there
was no general brutality, fendishness,
nor crime. Tho thousand stories of
incendiarism and crime during the
progress Of the FIRE are gross exagger-
ations, Pervsrsious or pure fabrica.
tions. There was little time for
stealing the fire was too close upon
the heels of honest men and thieves,
and but little even Of what was stolen
could be carried of.