The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-10-19

ney m1&0I nave obOoS toen, ma Sne0
turning them out Of their cabs to take care of
Ihemselves.
When the Gre v.s raging along La Sale,
Clark and State stree1s, and sweeping on
ward towards Washingtoa and Randolph to-
ward the NoFsA, the great commercial
houses were thrown open, and IN effort made
to save the most valuable goods. The har-
vest Of the thieves began It this time. The
police had lost control. Those intent ON
pro6ting By the ERE now went in with great
nest. They loaded themselves with the rich
est goo.is and sought place Of concealment.
A banker had cash-box in his hand, con-
tanning So, VOO, which he vA endeavoring
to convey away. Three desperadoes seized
upon him with the intention Of robbing him.
To proven; il, he threw the box with it, val
liable contents into the ere, rather than yield
it to these ghouls Of DISASTROUS fate.
A correspondent of the Kansas City Jour-
nal, writes from Chicago - follows, con-
corning the march of the flames:
THE COURT HOUSE.
The county jail vas located in the base
ment of the Cosrt House, and in the cells
were confined nearly three hundred prison.
en. Jailor Foltx, with his assistants, went
in among the frightened, raving men, un-
locked: iron dOors, battered down iron-barred
wiDdOws-not q moment too soon was this
done, for the tower was all ablaze, before the
LAST cell was unlocked. 1t being Sunday,
and in the middle of the night. but few Of
the officials and clerks in the different county
offices were upon the scene, and it is repoIted
than nearly, if not all Of the important
records
In the structure were located all the county
Offices, court room, headquarters Of the fire
department and Jail and library, all of which,
were hopelessly destroyed. Rafters, boards,
stones in a perfect hurricane swept over the
broad, open square. In front Of the im.nense
building the flames swept clear through, and
reaching many feet out Of the opposite wind
ows warned the horror stricken people in the
Sherman and Briggs of what would be their
fate if they remained another five minutes.
Down the stains, out into the streets rushed
the guests, many Of them hatless and coat
less, anywhere to get out of the path of the
fire-tiend, women clinging to men, children
crying in
PITIFUL TONES.
The scene battles description, and never
can forget il. The Sherman went first,
and as the fiery element entered the windows,
went through the roof and shook the mag
niicent structure as if but an aspen leaf,
the roof OF the entire portion of the court
house went down, filling the air with clouds
of stones, mortar and dust. For moment
all was obscure, and when vision could take
in where the Sherman once stood, naught re-
manned but monstrous pile of ruins. BY
this time the
BRIGGS HOUSE
was wrestling with fire. and as / gave one
last look the old place presented magnifi-
cent appearance. From every window sho,
out fiery jets, while from the roof and Gu.
pOla reached heavenward great mass Of
brilliancy.
The firemen work like madmen, endan-
ger life and limb. sing their very hair, scorch
their faces and hands, but all to no avail.
The fire demon laughs in defiance, frolics
through the air, gra-ps buildings as if but
paper, returns ashes to ashes in tie twink
ing of an eye.
The spectacle presented by the swiftly pur-
suing and frightiully increased volume
OF fire is most unnaturally grand. Tie flames
are bent down by the great force Of the wind,
and extend full fifty feet in advance of the
burning buildings, grasping On all sides and
:1umbling
IMMENSE STRUCTURES
of stone and mortar 10 the earth az If they
were constructed Of paper. Boards, shingles,
shutters, and the like, all ablaze, are hurled
through the air into windows, deposited on
roofs, driven into the Easements, dem0niac
fire brands famed to terrible execution by
the wild, unguvernable wind. Whole blocks
are snapped up, twisted out of all resem.
blance of former beauty, and then crushed
to the very lowest stone Of the foundation by
the relentless, remOrseless fire iend.
MONDAY NIGHT-sTREET SCENES.
In company with two fellow passengers
start out for the depot and Sixteenth street,
and 90 around by Halstead street to avoid
the remains Of the fire. The gas lamps
burn brightly alon. the streets. Both the
South and North Side gas works are de-
stroyed, but the West Side escapes. The
streets are lonely and deserted. We walk
on, and, and when near Harrison street, out
upon us jumps band of men armed with
clubs, some with muskets.
\. ''HALr'
rings out on the night air. Nosooner is this
heard than one Of our party darts into a side
street and makes of as If grim death were at
his heels. My remaining comrade and
stopped, thinking ourselves in the clutches
If desperadoes. But no, these are the citi-
zen patrol to protect the city from the vii
any of 6ends. We are subjected to Wig
,rOus examination, our runaway companion
treating much suspicion concerning innocent
Is. Finally we are permitted to pass on, bu:
not before having ascertained something Of
ne doings of the tends in human form, who
we're seeking to kindle fires in the portion of
he city as yet free. Pointing down the
treet, our attention was directed to hOrri-
ying spectacle-the bodies of two men
HANGING TO A LAMP-POsR
)ne was strung up with rope made of two
u three handkerchief, the other with bed
ord. With blood curdling and sick feel
ngs at heart We passed the CHASTITY spot.
farther on We came upon man lying on his
'ack on the sidewalk, and two men with
nuskets seated on . doorstep near by. A
loser inspection revealed the fact that the
nan was a corpse, having been shot dead, as
re we're informed, while in the act of firing
building.
But the end may not yet be reached.
What is left of Chicago is at the
MERCY OF FIENDs
lmOst. No water, and the city filed with
he murderers and thieves let loose by the
re; nothing, not even the fear Of instant
cath, holds them in check, and they threaten
he city at all remaining points. Early this
,orning a large building on Thirty-6rst
rect was fired, and but for the almost in
ant demolition, another fearful conHagra-
on would have ensued. The fend who |
aus perilled the lives of thousands was Ii
rally
CUT TO PIECES
it'll knife in the hands of an Infatuated |
tizen. In all it is reported that twenty
wen incendiaries have been arrested, thir-
en- of whom were summarily dealt with at
le time of detection.
TUESDAY DAWN.
After much difficulty reached the en-
ance to the La Sllle street tunnel, and after
ambering over the piles of brick and NOR
Z, finally entered under the river. The
~ was 90 dark that / could not see one inch
front of my nose, but trusting to good
rtune, l arrived ut the northern end in
fety. The tunnel Is strewn with books,
and papers that were conveyed
ere for safety. But 1t is doubtful if the
neral confusion of all will prove any safer
an the flames. The sight, from anywhere
ong the river on the North Side. is one
molly without parall. Il in the history of this
untry.
FOR MILES EORTHwARD
ere is nothing visible but heaps of ruins
d blackened trunks of trees. On the West
n plainly be seen the river, on the East,
e broad expanse Of Lake Michigan. Where
&c stood block after blCck of handsome
sciences, now naught remains but crum-