Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-08
THE FIRE FIEND
80 Men Burned in a Wisconsin Town.
Terrific COnflagration at Chicago.
Children Thrown from Tenement Win.
dOws.
Millions Consumed and the Fire Still
Raging.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, Oct. News from
the northern fires to-day state that they ar
raging more than ever; man just arrived
at Fort Howard from Pensaukee says THIRTY
men were burned to death at that place anC
part of the town and one mill, and think
the rest is gone by this time.
CHICAGO, Oct.7, 1890 A. M.-The mos
terrible conhagration that has ever occurred
in this city broke out about an hour and q
half ago; and having already swept over six
entire blocks, is still raging with unabated
fury. The fire started in a large
planning mill, situated between Clinton and
Canal and YanBuren and Jackson streets
about the centre of the block formed by
/ these streets. The wind blowing very fresh
the flames spread almost incredibly rapid,
and in a few minutes the entire structure
! was a mass of fire.
The immediate vicinity is built up mainly
with small wooden tenement houses, and
! two story fronts occupied as groceries,
! saloons, etc. The inmates of many Of
! these houses, startled from slumber, had
barely time to rush from the houses with
scanty attire, at night, leaving their house
hold goods to destruction. In several in
stances children were hastily wrapped in
blankets and quilts to break the force OF
their fall, and thrown from second story
windows to the gIound.
When the alarm sounded for this fire, an
oCIiet-5r o,5rssise4~a,ie r.aasiaitttsfc DJrn-
ing on Wells street, near Adams. Several en-
gines were necessarily kept at work upon this.
The rest of the engines in the city were soon
on the ground, but before they arrived the
fire had spread over so large an area, and
was SO rapidly spreading, that their efforts
were of little avail.
Between Canal street and the river were
several lumber yards which are entirely de-
stroyed At this hour the fire has made
clean sweep from Van Buren, street north
two blocks to Adams, and west TO Clinton
three blocks from the river. The wharves
between Van Buren, and Jackson streets are
burning and the wood work of the western
approach to Adams street bridge is de-
stroyed.
A large coal yard containing thousands
of tons of soft coal, and situated between
the tracks of the Chicago and Alton, and
Pittsburg and Fort Wayne Railroad and the
river, is on fire and burning furiously.
The immense grain elevator of Vincent,
Nielsen & Co., one of the finest in the city,
is Immediately adjoining, and though in
tended to be fire proof there seems to be
little doubt that it will be destroyed as the
intense heat to which it is subjected will
crack the slate with which it is covered OH
both roof and sides. 1t contains many
thousand bushels of grain of all kinds,
The depot of the Pittsburg and Fort
Wayne and Chicago, Alton and st. Louis
Railroads is situated north of Adams and
between Canal street and the river. One
of the buildings, light wooden structure
occupied as an express Office, was in flames
at midnight and is undoubtedly destroyed.
The scenes in the vicinity of the confla-
grafton are indescribaby. Half the pOpula-
ton of the city seems gathered there. The
tugs in the river are engaged in slowing
to places of safety the vessels mOored in
the neighborhood, while the locomotives
are hastily pulling out the great number of
cars standing on the track in the path of
the flames.
At this writing it is impossible TO give an
estimate of the losses, but they are already
very large, and the fire appears to be scarcely
checked.
So far as could be ascertained when the
reporter left the scene of the fire, no lives
were known to be lost, but it will be miracu-
lous if such should prove to be the case.
Later.
1870 A. M.-The fire is apparently raging
a. fiercely as ever. A block of buildings on
the north side of Van Buren, street, which
il was thought an hour ago would be saw
ed, are now wrapped in flames.
The elevator is safe so far and the fire
seems to be spreading south and rast, not
wiihstanding the wind is now directly from
the south and blowing hard.
The glare from the blazing building lights
the streets for half mile away, so that one
NAV see to read. The entire fire depart
ment are now on the ground,
and making almost superhuman efforts to
STAY the flames. The losses, probably, al
ready run into millions, and the end is not
! yet.
/ EVANSVILLE, Oct. IA fire broke out
this morning in wood pile about 2 miles
north of jefferson. 1t is destroying three
! thousand cords of wood, and is still burn
| ing. No trains can pass either way. The
I telegraph lines are also burned down. Re
ports from the north say that the fire is still
raging with undated fury.