The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-11-04
CHICAGO HORRORS.
Scenes and Incidents OF Horror and
Suffering In the Doomed City.

l1SA lDi+Eu lliS VAN SuAA\tt tS" 0AD'
Michigan Avenue back in the furtlest verge
OF the beach, and sosthward into Lake park.
and e' en- down to Cottage Grove. The day
dawn found not fewer than seventy
thousand people exposed to the wind and
mist of the lake, who had been but q few
short hours before surrounded by the COM
forts Of home 1t is impossible to describe
the scene presented by those now houseless,
! homeless, and, in many cases, penniless pco-
, pie. lIither had been brought the old, the
infirm, and the sick, rescued from burning
| homes 1t was indeed pitiable sight to
see the pale, emaciatcd ard suffering men,
women and children, removed from comfor.
liable couches, and laid out in the open air
with perhaps only blanket under them,
and only the smoke-ha sky for covering
above them The amount of suffering thus
entailled upon the helpless siok cannot be
estimated.
! Men, women and children, so, 600 Of them,
are hudd'ed togethe: like SO many wild mi,
mails, and in another place 1900 Germans
and Irish ore praying for relief
Helpless children, asking for bread; heart.
broken parents, who know not which way
to turn or what to say. nothing to do but
to await the distribution of supplies, which
at most will be slow proceeding, as there
arc parts Of the burnt districts over which
it is almost impossible to travel.
Women in the pains of childbirth, and
patients who have been moved from beds Of
sickness to save lives that a, best were nearly
spent, were exposed to tic rain last night
and the cold winds of to-day. Several
deaths have occurred in Lincoln Park, and
three women have brought children into the
world only to die.
There are people who in the bitterness of
their souls, ascribe the calamity to Gods
Judgment. German said to me, this is
a second Sodom and Gomorrah, and the
curse is on it.'
Women tainted, and in some instances
fell dead on the sidewalk, and children
screamed and were tramplcd under foot.
Strong. healthy men cried like children
when they reioincd their families. from
whom they had been temporarily separated
amid the terrific din, alarm and confusion
To add to the frightfu scene men would
veil like demons when the flames bnrsted
out from the large structures, as if edited
by the spectacle. Tn. faces of every one
were blackened by the smoke and dust
Ladies with diamonds on their fingers had
dirty faces, with eyes and ears filled with
dust. TO add to the distress, there was
great deal Of suffering from hunger and
thirst. With the lake in full view, it was
impossible to obtain drink Of water to
slake thirst.
4 man from the third story OF a house on
Madison street tumbled back into the flames,
while engaged in putting wet blankets on
the roof. In ten minutes after the blankets
were pnt on the roof the building was in
flames. People were drunk and noisy. Tie
police were utterly demoraiZed and some
Of them. would walk into stores and help
themselves to hats and coats The people
all along the street were yelling aNR scream,
ing, md the panic was fearful. All who had
property tried to get vehicles 10 transport
their goods to some safe place. 1t first ten
dollars was asked by the scalpcrs, then they
asked almost any price. Some of the mer-
chants told the people to walk into'their
stores and take what goods they wanted.
Some went in and emerged from she bum
ing stores with their eyelashes and hair
scorched off. The bridges and the vessels
in the river were destroyed by the flames.
The two tunnels on Washington and Dear
born became so hot that they became i'm
passable, and passengers were forbidden to
60 through.
Reports Of inhumanty on the part OF the
wealthy people whose houses happened to
be in the unburned district are frequent. 1t
is said they barricaded their residences,
barred and locked their doors, and drove
the distressed, who had congregated in their
court yards and refused to allow them even
the scant shelter they sought in that hour
of their great extremity. Some of the
scenes were extremely pitiable. Mothers
with starving babes perishing from want and
cold, besought with heartrending supplica-
tions little of the kindnesscs which might
have been extended apparently without dan
ger of pillsge from the rabble. But it was
every one for himself, and there was no
charity. The fear of Flnnder deadencd
mems hearts and women's sympathics
and the harsh treatment returned in way
entirely unexpected and with vengeance
which was horrible. Ruftians set fire to
mansions and burned down houses over tho
inmates heads. Imagination cannot picture
the horrible scenes.
All the prisoners in Jail, numbering 175,
were turned loose except three, who were
in for capital offtnses.
Michigan and Wabash ayenues were per.
feet bedlams The fire marched over two
miles down those avenues. Many who had
removed some Of their light baggage, by
paying, in some cases, as high as sl0o for a
vehicle, saw them burn up, because they
could not subsequently procure vehicles at
any price.
II was common thing to pay from $50
to 5000 for Transporting children and bag
gage to place of safety. The expressthcn
seemed perfectly heartless.
Thieves were lively, and the police lost
all authority. Three ruflians tried to rob a
gentleman of cash box containing 500,
while trying to get away with it, and he
flung it into the flames, saying There
goes $50. 00o," he preferring to see it thus
destroyed than to come in possession of the
thieves. A prominent merchant blew out
his brains, exclaiuing in the presence Of q
large crowd, Gan is lost" Men were
knocked down boldly and robbed Oil the
street. Curses and blasphemies rent the
air. Horses ran away and carriages were
smashed.
Wagons were rushing through the streets,
loaded with goods, going at such q rate that
they were pitched out As fast as articles
would drop off they would be picked up and
| carried away by the finder. The mob would
supply themselves from the stores, in many
instances, with what they wanted. In some
cases the proprietors would tell the specta-
tors to help themselves to what they could
carry away, preferring this to seeing it des'