Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-19
Chicago Evenin9 Journal Of the l4th :

| Chicago EUen,ng journal OF the lfth :
The great city Of Chicago is virtually
/ in ruins. The entire business portion OF
/ tie South Division, from Harrison street
north to the main rivera distance OF
abou. two mies-and from the South
| Branch OF the Chicago River east to
| Lake Michigan-a distance oil about
! half mile in idth-is now general
| scene of desoation and ruin, as also 10
the North Division from the main river
north to Lincoln Park--a distance OF
three miles in length-and from the
| North Branch Of the Chicago Riger to
| Lake Michi.an-a distance OF about II
mile in width. The South Division was
literally packed with great stone and
| brick edfices, including all the banks, all
the great hotels, all the newspaper oibces,
all the place, of amusement, all the pub,
lie buildings, some Of the princlph
churches. and in fact the very heart ana
wealth and greatness of tn citY-dl are
now indistinguishahle heaps 0i rubbish.
The North Division was filled with buzz
ness houses many fine residences, many
manufactures many fine churches, the
CITY Water " orks, and about ten thous-
and smaller houses occupied ly shops
and residences these are also now
in ruins
Not a more terrible calamity has ever
overtaken any city in modern times
The number Of buildings destroyed cx
ceeds 10000 The amount of property
DESTROYED will exceed 500 600 900. The
number Of miles in length OF the scene
of confederation is about five, and its
width ranges from a III ie to half mile.
Not less than $500 acres have been com
pletey burned over it is believed that
not less than 500 lives have been lost.
perhaps many more.
The residents and occupants Of bniId.
ings fled in terror from the rapidly
sweeping ocean Of flames But few bad
time to save anything but their lives,
Men, women and children, in swarms,
fled in terror before the cOnillgration,
and never before on the face Of God
earth has such n spectacle OF terror,
agony, chaos and suffering been wit
messed Words are too weak TO give the
reader anything like just idea Of the
horrible scene,
The fire broke out in a stable on the
corner OF De Koyen aud Twelfth streets
in which woman was milking COW,
the animal kicking over and breaking a
kerosene lamp. From this small begin,
nIng, the great city has been laid IN
ruins The fire begun at O'Clock on
Sunday evening, October 8, and ragged
with undated fury until Tuesday morn
ing, October 10 The flames spread
from house to house, from block to block,
from street to street, with degree OF
rupidity that is incredible. 1t would
seem as il n shower OF lire from heayen
had fallen upon that part Of the city-or
MS il n hot aud fiery wind from the clouds
had swept down upon Us.
The wind, which was very violent was
from the southwest, and OF course the
direction of the contlagration was north,
erly and northeasterly, and was irresist,
lille in It's progress
Anon. the great buildings in ruins on
the South Side are the Post Once and
Custom House, the Court House, the
Sherman House, the fremont House, the
Briggs House, Colonel Woods Museum,
McN ickers Theater, the Tribune build.
ing, the great new Pacific Hotel, the
great Opera lloIsc, the Drake Block,
Terrace Row, the great Illinois Central
luIon Depot, the Rock Island and Mich
igan Southern Railroad Depot, the Wells
Street Northwestern Railroad Depot, four
great elevators containing millions OF
bushels of grain, the great dry goods
stores of John Y. Farewell a Co, and
/ Field, Letter Il Coin fact every great
wholesale store in the city and MI .he
I large retail stores all the produce and
/ commission houses ON South Water and
adjoining strects-ull the fine business
] and residence structures on Michigan
and Wabash avenues as far south as
I Harrison street.-The Gas wurss-the old
/ Second Presbyterian Church known "a
/ the spotted caarch J. the kpiscopalian
I Trinity Church, the Second Presbyterian
Church, the st Puurs Ct nicrsalis)
/ Church. the EVENING JoVENAL building
I and so many others that the entire list
would oil columns of this paper. GA
The North Side, among the principal
/ buildings in rains are the City Water
" orks, dozen fine churches, q thousand
( fine residences, two great grain c eN otors,
/ the Northwestern Railway freight houses,
( the Revere House, ard many, many
other lrel; buildings aud institutions
not less than 10000 buildings in all =
TtiE NOHrTIERN UiHGs.f
! Holm ,hp Moody,