The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-18

"a peafgd ut the. north doors and windows
!, beielijng forth in fierce aames, which cite
Q licked theppposits buildings theiaihe fame
s,ess.lsed from buildings Oh both sides 81 III
street would unite and present a solid mas
sof-fre. completely filling Ihe strict from sid
to side, and shooting upwasds a hundred fee
: into the air above the house tops iustl1efr Inas
career; and thus was street after street filles
: with flame and fire, and the cxultatioa Of ti
: fire-fiend was given vent to, In roar. which
can only be equalled by combining the noise
of the ocean when its waters are driven DIR
! ing tempest Apol,Ha rocky beach, aud Oh,
i howl ofthe blast. Huge walls would topplt
and fall Into the sea of fire without appar
emily giving sound, as the roar Of the fiery
clement was 50 Great that all minor sounds
; were swallowed up, and the fall of wall;
was only perceptible to the eye and not te
theear. R our readers will recall to Their
mind the fercest snow storm ii their expert
crfce, ana imagine the snow to be fire as ii
surged hither and tisither before the fury OF
] the Ield, they will be able TO form a faint
1 conceptien of the flames as they ragged
I through the streets of our doomed city.
Many Of the buildings situated along South
/ Water street buried sIleir red hot rear walls
in the waters OF the riYer, into which they
plunged With hiss ike unto nothing earth
/ i, throwing up a billoW Of water, which
would gradually snbside until another wall
would follow. The heat was SO intense at
| times from some Of the burning buildings
| that they could not be approached within
l.onehundred and fifty feet, which accounts for
| the manner in which the fire worked back,
and often against the wind. The fire after
reaching the business houses OIL Randolph
and South Water streets, Ieabed the river on
the north side III an incredible short space of
time, and thence among the wooden baila-
after touching block after. block of happy
dweiIinfis with its fierce blast. A scene of
more powerlees effort to fight an enemy was
never presented than that Of the people try
ing to combat the ffre-fend. The combat was
not of long duration, for tile people bowed
their heads in anguish of spirit and suffered
the fieHd TO have untranlnaeHed run; and
well and thoroughly has he done his work.
and as nothing Of the past history of civil
lied nations chronicle any efforts compared,
SO III all future time the great Chicago fire,
when mentioned, will bring to the hearts OF
its participants a pang of anguish, and to
future generations a smile of everything
that is fearful and terrible.
i Many instances of generous devotion by both
rich, and boor, but drivers OF express Wag-
ons have charged from sl00 to $500 for an
hours service. Hundreds Of men and boys
became beastly intoxicated on liquors thrown
out Of saloons in the north division, many of
whom it is believed were consumed in the
flames. Suffering on the north side is heart
rending; $4,000 men, women and children,
are huddled together in one place like SO
many animals
Seventeen thousand Germans and irisll are
praying for relief; helpless children asking
for bread; heart broken parents who know
not which way to turn or what to say. There
is nothing to Go but to await tue distribution
of supplies, which at best must be slow
as there are parts OF the burnt
district over which it is impossible to travel.
Women in the pains OF childbirth, and pa
TENTS who have been aroused from beds OF
sickness to save their lives, that at best were
nearly spent. all exposed to the rain Of las
night and the cold, raw winds of to-day.
Several deaths have occurred in Lincoln
Park, and three women brought children into
Tie world only to die. ss
There are people who. In the bitterness Of
their souls, aseribe tile calamity to Gods
Judgment. a German said to me, ssThis Is a
second Sodom and Gomorrah, and the curse
IS on it! " Another night must be spent in
Lincoln Park and the brick fields at Division |
gtreet, and yet another and another. Each |
rain and extras are loaded to their fullest ca
1aeity taking away people who, in many in I
stances, have 70 place TO 90, and yet cannot I
;tay here, and every train is obliged to lsaye I
i've times as many as they take.
There is runor that in burned black
'mith shep on Irish street, the bodies OF 10 |
aen were found burned to a crisp, they hay- t
ng rushed into the shop to escape from the
lanes which had surrounded them before |
hey had discovered their peril.
All immense number are missing, and for
ptil pOoG ~ LIZ VI sA~
Missing ones, a central intelligence ONCE has
been established where the names OF all the I
Missing are given to the police.
LETTER FROM THE CAPITAL.
New Feature In Montana, Mixed Schools
GoaffySmg tine Laws-sHEgesslons 80 the |
Nexl Legislature. Etc. a s5
VIRGINIA CRY, Oct. 18th, 1871.
Mr.. Ep1ToR:--Snce forraer coinsnunica-
ion little has transpired Of q general interest |
ID chs section ct country. The usually I
smooth surface Of society in this. the Social
City, was not little rnfied q short time
since by the announcement that the doors OF |
5he public schools at this place had been
thrown open to some colored urehins Of AT
.iean descent. BY two Democratic trustees,
both enlinens disciples of Esculapius. The
result was not Il little comn,otion among some |
classes of cur community, who approach /
slowly and unwillingly I the Inevitable logic |
IF events" Some parents withdrew their |
children from school. Others permitted |
theirs to remain. sssich IS life.' But there
Is 10 question that the trustees have planted |
themselves firmly in the esteem and grateful |