The New York herald., 1871-10-11

names' sweeping across to the north line or jack
SON street, threatened .S follow that line no one
powericss to check the progress OF the nre,
which was carried bodily across the inter.
ward ward. On Jackson street, between Clinton and
Canal, there was continuous line or wooden
DacK OF these were various carpenter shops barns,
sheds, woodples &C., all OF which became SO
Se iSe Contents an mpossibly. In many cases there
| was barely time To arouse the occupants and get
them In safety from the premises. One alter another
TIKI BUILDINGS WERE ENvELoPED IN FLAMES,
ana in the brief space OF twenty the space
| between Jackson and Adams ana Clnton street and
the river was all ablaze. On the east side OF Canal
street, and between 1t and the Plttsburg and Fort
| Wayne Railroad tracks, bounded north and south
| by Adams and Jackson, were several coal and lun
| Der onlces all or which disappeared like tinder.
Huge piles OF coal-hundreds OF tons or anthracite
lay back these buildings and the heat and flames
| at last became intense as to communicate with
the coal and set II on fire. Up to this tmo the pas
stricted save by the volumes or smoke and clnders
driven In that direction, but at last the flames
| reached
| THE ADAMS STREET vIADUcr
and soon wall OF tire drove across the passage
way and barred II elfectuay. Under the bridge the
devOuring element was sucked with fearful velocity,
and before any steps could be taken TO prevent it
the sidewalks ana ratings Of the IRON viaduct were
corner or Adams and Canal streets, used freight
depository by the United states and Adams Express
Companies, was doomed to destruction. AS rapidly
as possible the csntents were removed, but there
| was not time enough 10 save One-quarter OF the
goods in store. Beyond this shed, TO the eastward,
PASSENGER COACHES
belonging to the Plttsburg and Fort Wayne Railroad
Company, TO save which IL was necessary to tear
down the shed, which was successfully accom-
plshcd. Had 10 been otherwise and had these cars
taken iire nothing could have checked the flames,
which would have communicated win the Pltts6urg
and Fort Wayne freight depot, consuming in their
train the passenger buildings cars &C., and never
stopping until Madison street bridge was reached.
All this was fortunately prevented by the strenuous
unable to operate TO advantage in this locality
who apprectaliDg the terrible danger OF further
e sna Of shower
clnders and fierce, hot, driving smoke.
SOUTH LINE or ADAMS STREET.
While the citizens were battling SO successfully
between Canal street and the river, north Of Adams
street, the nremen were having furious on
extending nearly to Clinton street. The buildings
were all wooden structures, mainly occupied as
everybody that the great fight must rake place at
this point. Once let the flames cross to the
north line Of wooden structures on Adams street
THE CONSEQUENCES WERE AWFUL TO CONTEMPLATE.
dozen leads OF nose -,ali that could be worked
many streams Of water were directed on the burn
Ing buildings the rear portions OF which were blaz-
Ing iur1Ously. Incn by inch those drcmen fought
for an advantage, nghting In perfect he'll OF heat
ana smoke. Their courage and endurance were
something magnlhcent While the spectators hun.
dreds feet further away covered before the ter
r5le heat and binding DRIFT OF glowing cinders, the
plpemen stood their ground, often for five minutes
at stretch, WITHIN dozen feet OF the wall or rre
now aud then withdrawing few PAGES In order to
IS before. Tnsy could not nope to extnguish, but
they aid succeed In suDduing, the flames so as
70 os Of the Ws amy my
grand pitched battle or the Occasi0n-the master
piece OF the department-and 1t deserves to be slg-
nalized as one OF the most remarkable achieve.
ments on record.
or the con1agratlon may De BREEZY summarized as
Between Clinton and Canal streets. about three
Between Canal street ana the river, about Dine-
tentns OF the area south toward Van Buren, street.
Between Canal street and the river, and Adams
and Jackson streets, tie entire area.
Between Canal and Clinton streets, and Adams
sre @ area the only remaining % banss being ny the the
frontage OF about eighty feet ON Adams and LIS feet
on the east side Of Canal, north OF Adams, about
one hundred feet frontage-tne Express Company
freight sneds-is consumed.
over covers anout twenty acres which Dy far inc
largest district ever devastated by ire IN Chicago
even eciipslng the famous connagration OF 1851.
JACKSON STREET.
From the panlng mill the names travelled with
ung0vernable fury west and north, ignitin9 all the
lumber IN the lumber yard attached TO the planing
mill. The sparks-some large brands-were carried
by the draugat or air on to Clinton street. Mean.
while the truck house, owned by the city ana situ
ated on the southwest corner OF Jackson and Gin.
ton streets, lgmted, and was reduced 10 cinder IN
a remarkably short time. A row OF dwelling houscs
JACKSON street, between Canal and Clinton,
Shooting from the. lumber yard on the sonth side,
impeed by roaring southwest wind. These dwell
Ing houses, almost TO tnder by the long con
tDued drought, fell before the consuming flames
without appearing TO add 10 their savage brllliancy,
80 quickly were tney destroyed. They succeeded in
helping the fire into the mass oil dry barns out
houses, shanties, shops and dwelling houses 81 uated
on % ~ s'ovs ana an and IN few more were a
duced 10 ashes. All the dwellingJon Jackson street,
from Canal g CnS ns wefe as taas o aion WINE
The whole or the row Of houses, ten in number,
was owned by Alanson Watson and were totally de-
afrn ncaA ThpUW w mi
lies In ALL who lost all their property with the ex
cepton OF few articles they had succeeded In re-
moving before the names rendered lngrcss TO their
buildings impossible.
NO. 81 Jackson was two-story frame house, on tho
families, named respectively, Peters, Williams and
lsaacs. Williams was printer: The total loss Of
the three FAMILIES must have been about $500, upon
which there was no insurance.
No. IS was vacant, and owned by Lazarus Silver
r Verinan, and occupied By ". Robbins, hacknlsn.
His loss was about $50; nc no insurance n ] -
Patrick Power His loss Was probably $S00 insured
for $500, though he does not know In what company,
and believes The policy has expired.
story house. Thomas Walker and two daughters
occupied the lower part OF the house. Their posses
ana were not insured. The upper story was occu.
pied by Mrs. Merrill who Was IN great distress hay
It is probable that her loss Is $loo no insurance.
No. 81 was also two story house, owned by Mr..
Watson, and occupied on the lower noor by Frede-
was waiting Tor some miraculous agency 20 restore
mis- property. Tho upper floor was occupied by Sam
McAster, VINO says he lost $500 any way, and had
no consolation OF insurance.
Nos. IS, 53 and u completed the st OF ruined
houses In this locality, all owned by MIR. Watson,
ana more or less occupied. The occupants hal van.
ished 10 safe quarters aud could not be found. The
total loss on buildings on this street, on the north
sie OF the same, Will probably amount TO $4,000;
whether Insured OF not could not be learned last
night. The loss to the property OF occupants was
possibly $4,000, The Insurance ON which will be
found yerl hgh. indeed.
IN THE REAR.
Scatter red around In the of these honses was
an unnumpered mass pf miscellaneous buildings.
The carpenter shop owned by John Stephenson and
occupied by man named Klein, Was de
stroyed. The loss to Mr.. Klein was $50. A barn
owned Dy Klein, adoining the carpenter shop, was
destroyed Loss 500. There was no insurance in
ANY one OF these cases. There was also an unprc-
tending two story frame house owned by Mr.. Pierce,
which was also DESTROYED. His furniture was a