The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-10-19
TPE CHICAGO DISASTER.

TPE CHICAGO DISASTER.
| The following extracts from corrcspon-
dent Of the New York Sun of Saturday,
convey more accurate account of the great
condagration in Chicago than those hereto
fore published, Which, in ths excitement Of
the moment, we're naturally very much ex-
aggerated
The burned district resembles in shape, the
shape Of an anvil, the horn extending to the
southwest indicating the point where the fire
had its origin. Here, in little frame barn,
in the midst of dense colony of old wooden
| structures, all as dry as finder. at ha..f-past 8
o'clock on Sunday night. Iaborng man was
milking his COW by the light of a small hand
lamp sitting beside him. The COW was unsa-
sy, and in her movements upset the lamp
| Instantly the place was in blaze, and before
an alarm could be sounded the ncighboring
structures were on fire. Onward from one
to another it leaped and before the fire de
partment had reached the spot the whole
square was in flames and second one also
Then the flames darted from square to square
impelled by a furious gale from the south
west Soon one engine was surrounded by
FIRE, and its company, unable longer to with
stand the heat, were compelled to abandon 1t
and run for their lives. Other engines crew
out more promptly and took up new positions
in advance of the fire; but the fan es leapet.
over their heads and the furious gale carried
the burning cinders ar in aduance Of them
and so from block to block the destroyer swept
the city down
The fire crossed near Twelfth, Street and
| there the flames found fresh combustibics in
the great lumber yards and thence it cxteu-
dcd, the volume OF fire and heat constantly
| increasing. a furious storm of burning
cinders fell on the roofs of all buildings in
the direction Of the wind continually scttin
new fires, aud filing the whole city with deuse
binding aud suffocatsg smoke This must
suffice for general sketch of the origin and
| spread of this unparalleled copAagration |
cannot attempt to describe the burning of the
great financial and commercial structures on
the south side that lay directly in its track.
They include every business structure on he
south side, between the Chicago river on the
west and north, and Harrison street. on the
south. to Clark street, aud thence diagonally
to the river at Twelfth street.
All the public records arc destroyed, in
GLIDING all records of deeds and mortgages,
as well as the records Of all the Courts O.
Record Of Cook county. This loss is ire.
parable and will lead to endless confusion in
the future in the settlement of titles to prop
erty. unless the Legislature enacts law ar
bitrarily adjusting disputes,
The fire enveloped them on the rear, or
southwark and the whole vast population
was driven in dcmoraized crowd north
ward before the flames, and so rapidly did
the fire advance that it was with great diff
Guilty that the multitude could keep out Of its
way. 1t moved as rapidly as man could
walk, carrying everything before it, and only
hating when there was nothing more to burn
driving the terror stricken populace before
it to the open prairie beyond. The multi
tude filled all the highways; some were so
fortunate as to have carriages for their con-
veyance, others were following wagons, drays
trucks, carts, and every form of vehicle OF
which they had piled such pieces of their
household effects as they could secure.
The word never before witnessed such I'M
daunted pluck, energy, and enterprise as tie
business men Of Chicago manifest with the
ruins of their commercial structures still.
crumbling and smoking about them; with
their treasures still buried in vaults beneath
the ruins; with uncertainty as to the condi-
ton Of the Insurance companies. they have
no assurance what measure of indemnity they
will receive for their great losses; with the
banks all in enforced suspension, or at best
they only paying a percentage of their
deposits, the merchants are already at work
devisng ways and means to rebuild the city
and re-astabish its commercial supremacy in
the West. Willie the mad flames were still
raging in all their intensity, and two hun
dred thousand men, women and children.
were flying for their lives through the blind
ing, sitting and suffocatng smoke and amid
the terrible storm of burning cnders. the
cool headed business men met. and after re-
solving that their first duty was to provide
sbelter and food for the destitute, orgauzed
relief committees in every part of the city =
When this noble work had been committed
TO properly organized agancies, the next
thought was the restoration Of the city, even
before the limits of the copfagration had
been established, but while the work Of de-
struction was still going on, these wonder
fully constituted men resolved that Chicago
must promptly rebuild.
There was no repining at losses, no mani
fcstation of Encouragement. no faint hearted
ness on any hand. NIen did not stop to esti-
mate their losses. but began looking about
for temporary busines accommodations and
making arrangements for rebuilding as soon
as the work was practicable. Men we're busy
digging buried safes out from the ruins, and
opening vaults Generally all treasures so Sc
.rrcd 10 hec. Fund yat. liz, t1.Ls :ira