Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-19
The Chicago Fire.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.

metropolitan papers are filled, we collect
a few of the most thrilling extracts, to
snow the awful horrors of those long days
and nights of despair and death. They
will be read with deep interest.
THE FIRST ALARM.
At about the hour of ten, Sunday night,
it being then seen that the flames, despite
the Efforts of the fremen, could not be
checked, every bell in the eity--fre bell,
church bell, school house and engine bell
began ringing. The object was to arouse
the sleeping populace that they might
bring their goods to place of safety.
Drays and express wagons fastened
through the streets, laden with all imagin-
able sorts of goods, and drove hurriedly
toward the lake side near the park. Sick
and deerepit persons were unceremonious-
" thrown upon the tops of beds and al
most battered to pieces by the hurting of
baudboxes, china ware, portmanteaus,
clocks, looking glasses, doll babies, poodle
dogs, umbrellas, bird cages, musical in
struments, silver ware, smoothing irons,
and all sorts of household truck. Faint
ing women, half-elad women, screaming
women, hysterioal women, and even
laughing and dancing women lined the
walks Shouts and yells for expressmen
TO transport these helpless women aud
children mingled with the indesoribable
noise from the roaring of the flames, the
whistling of the engines, the bowling Of
the wind, clangor of belle, trumpet sounds
of the fremen, and the hurry -burly in the
streets were the noises that added to the
nCr fusiOu az the sceDa
DEATH ON CLARK STREET.
Some of the moro fortunate pedestrians
upon Clark street made their escape into
alleys and cross strcets, some of them
having the clothes burnt off their backs,
70 sudden and spontaneously fierce were
The f 4rn6s It is know that some persons
IL thia street we're unable to escape and,
pephyxiated and rendered senaeless fell
unt expected victims 10 the flames. Il the
high buildings on either side many clerk
had their lodgings, Some of these made
their escape half clad. Others, who had
during the day INDUCED in dissipation,
and had retired to bed stupefed by excess
e@ did not awaken in time and persisted be-
fore assistance could be rendered. Two
young men it ia said, appealed from a
fourth story window TO the byatanders for
rescue, from the furnace Of fierce heat
which wrapped he building. No relief
raa possible. III smother moment the
roof fr!l upon them. and the walls tottered
in and they found their death and burial
pllc- amid the heaps of ashes. Just how
many persoos met their fate in this man.
cer it j. inPos-i'l2 to say.
ESCAPING FROM THE FREMONT.
At the IRE rnout House the elevator be-
came usaeas, and the sleeping guests, a
large number having babies, hurried down
stairs The olatter of the removal off
trunks and the hurryiDg of dOmestics i'm
pedrd the passage waya. several perscns
in their eagerness jumped down the stairs
and iiinpod away. Others in their haste
left beneath their pillows watches aud
money, only discovering their losaes when |
thay raacheGi the Michigan Central depot |
then supposed to be perfectly safe place. !
4 crowd If persons FASTENED hithPr, some !
carrying bads, eome sewing maobinea, and |
one lady had six canary birds in a ,gp
in ore hand and an immense family Bible
in the other. She said, Il was deter |
mined to bring tn, Sc off, if I lost all the !
res" Another young woman was seen
carrying two large paintings. evidently |
those Of her father and mother. She
was }ut partially cleG, ard amongst ali |
her household wealth sought to preserve
these flial memeutos So being to her m9st /
precious
DEATH AT TIE COURT HOUSE.
The Court House, having an iron roof.
WIS Thought to be fro proof. Between
sixty and seventy prisoners were confined
III tho cells in the basement. At this time
it VAS known that the water supply had
f4il-1, the water works being gone. 4
large pumber of people had gathered |
about tie court house and clamored for
the turnkey to appear and release the
prisoners. He showed himself and an
nonuce4 that the building was perfectly
fire proof no harm could result TO those
confined there, and he should not release
tie canviat-. An individual denounced
in -hrlll wi - this barbarity of The
turr key, and At once a terrible roar Of
"Iypch the damned rascal ~ outbellowed
the howjirg OF the wind, tire fl imes, and
the explosions that had grown so frequent
eo az to he diSregarded. The turnkey in
di.mav fad and could not be found, al
though pursuit was made. In answer to
the tumultuous roaring Of the mob the
rri4oners set up a howl, subdued by the
thick walls, but none the less appalling.
Ia twenty minutes from that time the
court house was in fl .mes, and without
doubt the seventy oonvics were burned.
What was done at tie other institutions
in which pr's ,rers were confined l could
not ascertain.
TIRE uAPLEss CHILDREN.
The mot pitiable sights were the 81 k