The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-10-19
THE GREAT FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Terrible Scenes.


Saturday night the 18th Of October, which
was partially got under but another Gre broke
out on Sunday night which ragged with unpar-
alleled and appalling violence, until Wednes-
day, consuming great part Of the city. The
smouldering embers continued to burn up to
Saturday night last, whom heavy rain effect
ually extingnished the fire.
Chicago being the greatest lumber mart
in the world, It is largely built ofwood, ex-,
cept in the portions devoted TO business
and fine residences. The sidewalks in the
greater part Of il are Of wood, and the,
streets are paved for seventy miles with
wooden blocks. There are three rivers, the
North Branch, South Branch, and the
Main River. These come together some.
what like a letter 7, the Main River forming
the stem. The banks Of the rivers were
lined with immense lumber.yards full ofin-
Aammable Yellow.pine. Al the time the
fire broke out there was gale blowing
from the southwest. The fire spread so
rapidly that many lives were lost at the
outset. Among the wooden buildings, the
lumber yards, the great elevators, aud the
shipping lying at the wharves in the narrow
river, it got such start that oil the .exer.
tons of the fremen were futile. The wind
swept the flames across the south Branch
into the very heart Of the city, among the
great granite asi marble buildings. Even
those accounted absolutely fireproof went
down before the violent heat. To add to
the terriblencss of the situation, the water
supply failed. The courthouse, from the
top Of which the great re.alarn bell, one
| of the greatest ever cast, had sounded It's
SHARP and terrible peals for twelve hours,
was burned. The Chamber OF Commerce,
one of the finest exchanges in the world,
went down with it.
All the grea. marble buildings, all the
thcaters, all the newspaper offices, all the
great publishing houses, all the wholesale
stores, all the principal retail stores, the
finest residences, the finest churches, and,
what is worse, the houses OF hundred and
fifty thousand people, and the employments
by which they earn their bread are all
swept away. These hundred and fifty
thousand people wander houseless in the
streets, without even food.
STATEMENToR THE REFUGEEs.-The
very crude reports by telegraph cannot
begin to give an adequate idea of the
great conhagration. The story of the
dreadful hours of Sunday night and
Monday morning, as related BY eye
witnesses, surpasses anything that ever
has been published. AT late hour
last night, says the New York World,
a party OF eleven persons arrived direct
from Chicago.
From Mr. Palmer, who is thoroughly
acquainted win tue topography and
population. oil tue burnt city, we CLEAN
the following:
Inc CITY mas LOT some weeks been
ripe Tor such disaster Saturday
afternoon there were several small alarms
sounded, out cone amounted to much
until ABOUT ~ Q CLOCK. AT III we look
ca out OF the windows ana saw the SKY
crimson Win 'ne reneeiion from the
names and al midnight the glare NJ up
inc s'ree's' ana even sent out brilliant
name over tne lake EVERYBODY 10 the
mouse l.ne fremont house) was up all
a'S",, ient'ui Oh what might happen
al, Jay ounuay the excitement contln-
ueu' Out u was not aot,i night that the
worst came; FROM Inc roof oil our
no'.. we 'ooAeu Owe, INC ooomea city.
\ strong vino was blowing at the time,
anu YET the names seemed 10 go IN oil
airee'ions, IKE an expanding seythe
moW,ns gfen' swatnes with ir'ghtiul
rap'ui'y' we could think oil nothing
else out neil Inc names we're 10 some
places IKE huge waves dashing to and
iro' ieaping up aud down, turning and
pouring now ana then great column
ol smoke and blaze hundreds OF feet
iato the air, IKE solid, perpendicular
smart Oh molten metal. 10 other places
IL would uart out long streaks, like
mammoth anacondas, with Kissing, fiery
tongues Then these serpentine shapes
I ri CD AAtr al. IL