Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-10-18

vasa mart q life and activity i n0v
only . field al ashes. and in one day, a.
il were millions upon millions Il pro-
perry have been swept away, and shat 4
infinitely worse lives have ben lost.
On saturday night ssrious IRE visited
the City Of Chicago. IL was confined ~
: portion Of the city built mp a. All west
ern cities are Of small wooden buildings,
owned in great measure by the occupants
thereof Although several acres Of this
description % property were burned
over, the loss was less than $50, 600, but
in fighting this fire 10 prevent IFS spread
every effst Of the large and efficient fre
department Of the city was put forth,
and fortunately the fire was extinguished
before reaching the business portion OF
the city. Unfortunately, however, the
firemen we're completely exhausted by
their efforts and when ON the Sunday
evening following. about 2 O'Clock an
other fire broke out in n barn on West
TAYLOR street, there was less efficiency
than usual. and from this insignificant
cause, sprang n conhagration, which has
destroyed one of the leading cities OF the
Union.
The barn was Of an inhammable nature
and the flames spread rapidly. There
is but little question that had the fire
department been rs vigilant as they
usually were the fire would have been
checked, but the wind was blowing a
terrible gale and the devouring element
spread so rapidly that the attempts made
to stay its ravages proved fruitless.
In the vicinity of the building where
the fire originated. the city was built up
almost entirely of wooden buildings,
closely packed together, tenanted by
carpenters, cabinet-makers, coopers,
varnish manufacturers, intespersed
with lumber wards and stores of other
equally infiammable materials.
The fire soon reached Clark ST., upon
which the greater portion of the fine
business blocks we're situated, all OF
which were destroyed. The Court
House, which was 20 years in building,
was swept away in 30 minutes. The
Sherman House, opposite the Court
House, the new Pacific Hotel, which was
soon TO be opened, and said to be the
largest in the world and, indeed, every
hotel in the city was swallowed up in
the sea of fire. When the fire reached
State ST., toward the Lake, an attempt
was made to stay its progress by blowing
up the buildings in the vicinity of Field,
Letter 4 Co.'s magnificent dry goods
establishment, but this only seemed "a
add to the fury of the flames. From
State street the fire advanced with una
bated fury to the North Division, and
scarcely vestige of the eight thousand
buildings on that side of the river is left
Taking a south-easterly direction, the
fire swept through Madison avenue and
Monroe street, extending q distance OF
about one mile and quarter, devouring
in itsadvance newspaper offices, theatres,
hotels, public buildings, and hundreds
of the finest business houses in the city.
West of the Court House, embracing La
Sale, Wells and South Water streets
upon which very large portion of the
business of the city was concentrated
everything is swept clean. The space
burnt over covers an area of more thar
five square miles, while the value o.
the property destroyed is simply to b,
conjectured, some placing it at $780,
$1,000, and others even more than this
II was about l o'clock Monday morn
ing when the fire crossed the river a
Adams ST., bridge and soon destroyed
the gas works, and then spread itself il
every direction. More than one-half the
population were then rushing through
the streets in vehicles, which were oh
tanned at enormous prices, on foot, and
in every other way, with the choices
household treasures in their arms ant
on their backs in utter confusion, NO
knowing whittier to go.
Fully 100000 people were houseles'
and homeless, not knowing where to lay
their heads or get anything to satisfy
the cravings of hunger.
At noon on Monday the whole bust
ness portion of the city from H arrisor
street north to Chicago avenue, ant
east of the river to Lake avenue, wa
devastated, embracing district tire,
miles in length to a mile or mile anC
half in width. The flames swep
through the city with the rapidity of
prairie fire, and many persons must hav
persisted.
1t is impossible at this writing to Civ
even an approximately correct statemen
of the losses, but faint idea may b,
formed when it is stated that every banl
in the city encept two small savings in
situations, one on Twenty-second stree
in South Division, and one on Randolph
street in West Division, is destroyed
All wholesale stores, all retail establish
ments, the Postoffice, the Court House
the Chamber of Commerce, every hote
in South Division except the Michigan
Avenue Hotel, which, standing on tn
extreme southern limit, escaped, thougl
it is badly scorched, every newspape
Office, every theatre, the six largest ele
vators, the immense depots of the Mich
igaH Southern and the Illinois Centrs
Railroads (both passenger and freigh
depots of the latter, more than n scor
of churches, and much of the shippin
in the river-are all destroyed.
In another page, and before going
press, we shall be better able to give ou
, readers an estimate of the loss of Lii
and property.
, Men who were millionaires yesterda
morning, are penniless to-day; but MOI
terrible than all is the awful certaint
that many human being have perishe
/ in the fiames-how many, no one ca
tell. Perhaps no one will ever be abb
TO tell /; but it is known that many hay
persisted, and there is only heart-sicl
ening fear that the victims of til
fiery monster may be numbered
scores.
Hundreds of horses and cows hay
been burned in the stables, and on til
north side numbers of animals, thong
released from confinement, were so b,
: wildered and confused by the sea of fiji
which surrounded them that they rushe
wildly to and fro, uttering cries of frigl