Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-10-11
CHICAGO IN FLAMES!
twenty .eight Blocks DestrOyed..-
Over Three Hundred Buildings in

The most terrible conflagration that
occurred within this city broke
out about an hour and q half ago, and
already swept over six entire
blocks, is still raging with almost I'M
bated fury. The fire started in a large
planning mill, situated between Clin-
ton and Canal. and Van Buren, and'
Jackson streets, in about the center of
the block formed by these streets.
The wind was blowing very fresh,
and the flames spread with almost in
credible rapidity, and in few minutes
the entire structure was a mass of
fire. The immediate vicinity is built
up mainly with small wooden tene-
ment houses, and two-story frame
dwellings, occupied as grocery, sa-
looms, &c. The inmates of many of
these houses, startled from their
slumber, had barely time to rush from
their houses in the scanty attire of
the night, leaving their household
goods to destruction. In several in
stances children were hastily wrapped
in blankets and quilts, to break the
force of their fall and from second
story windows to the ground.
When the alarm sounded for this
fire, another fire of considerable mag
nitude was burning on Wells street,
near Adams and several engines were
necessarily Kept at work upon this
fire. The rest of the engines in the
city were soon on the ground, but be-
fore they arrived, the fire had spread
over so large an era, and was so rapid
" spreading, that the efforts seemed
of little avail. The depot of the
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago,
and Chicago, Alton and st. Louis
railroads, situated north of Adams
street and between Canal street and
the river-one of the buildings being
a light wooden structure occupied as
an express office was in flames at
midnight and is undoubtedly de-
stroyed.
About one o'clock this morning, the
flames were arrested and under the
complete control of the fire depart
ment. The space burned W. en-
braces four blocks, bounded on the
north by Adams street, on the west
by Clinton street, on the south by
Van Buren, street, and on the east by
the Chicago river. The grounds
burned over were covered with lum-
Der yards, coal yards, wood yards, a
planning mill, box factory, vinegar
factory, etc, and a large number of
dwellings and saloons of the poorer
class. A close estimate of the entire
loss places il at from two hundred
and fifty to three hundred thousand
dollars, with probably One-half of
that insurance. The fire had its ORR
gin in Lull & Holmes planning mill
ON Canal street, near Van Buren,, and
as the wind was fresh from the south
the flames spread north with great
rapidity, and thence east, and within
the space of half an hour, the whole
district named was all ablaze, and by
one o'clock, or within two hours after
the fire commenced the work was
ended.
The balance of the losses on this
street embraced dwelling houses and
shops, numbering from fifty-one to
sixty-seven. The total loss on this
street will not probably exceed twen-
ty thousand dollars, with not one
quarter of that insured. On Van
Buren, street. only three or four build
ings were burned, of small value.
The iron viaduct, leading to the Ad-
ans street bridge, was damaged to
the extent of $1,000, and the tracks
of the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne and
Chicago, and Chicago, Alton and st.
Louis railroad, which ran right thro'
the burned district, were damaged
probably to the extent of two or three
thousand dollars.
The saddest result of this fire was
the burning to death of Mrs. Mar
garet Hadley, living on the north
side Of jackson street, who being sur
rounded by the flames, was unable to
to escape. Her remains were burned
to a cinder and found this morning in
the place where she was last seen, in
her home.
STILL ANOTHER CONFEDERATION.
10 P. MA fire is now rigging in
the West Division, which appears to
be as large as the great fire last night
1I:30 P. M.-The fire tonight, in the
west division is now raging with un-
abated fury. The fire commenced
near Taylor street, midway between
Delaware and Jefferson, and is spread
ing in every direction. 1t covers at
lEdcL lOuL DAOChS az llIS hOulN duO sui
seems to be beyond control. The
blocks are built up solidlY, almost ex'
elusive to two-story frame houses, &C.
cupied as residences, boarding houses,
saloons, groceries, &c. The loss is
already large and it is now feared
that it will prove more destructive in
its character, than the one last night.
1t is impossible yet to learn but a
very few names of the sufferers. The
entire list will probably embrace sew
eral hundred. Nc approximate esti-
mate can yet be made of the total loss
as the progress of the flames has not
yet been arrested.
I2:45 A. Midnight is the most
awful in the annals of the city. The
fire which commenced at ten P. NJ,
has already swept over a space a tleast
three times as large as that of last
night, and is still rushing or its path
of destruction, with greaterfury than
has marked any stage of its progress,
the engines appearing almost power
less. Fire Marshal Williams has just
t~elegraphed to Milwaukee for all the
steamers they can spare. The con-
f~agration has already devastated at
least twenty blocks, mostly composed
of a smaller class of dwellings and
inhabited mainly by poor people.
Not less than three hundred build
ings have been entirely destroyed and
more than that number of families
rendered homeless. The wind is
blowing almost gale from the south,
and showers OF sparks and burning
brands, are sweeping over the city,
threatening destruction on every
hand.
Since this report commenced two
addition alarms have been struck and
the tower of the Court House caught
from a flying brand, but was extin-
guished by the Waterman in the
No description al give an
adequate idea of the terrible, scenes.
The fire started in q TowOf low wood
en- tenemeuts, on DekoVen street, be-
tween Jefferson and Clarion, and as
was the case last night, spread with
terrible rapidity. Before a single en-
CINE could get on the ground, half the
block was in flames and burning furi-
The entire department was
soon on the spot and at work. For a
time it seemed probable that they
would SUCCEED in combining it to an
area of four or five blocks. The wind,
however, which was blowing freshly
when the fire started, increased to a
gale, apd suddenly the flames seemed
to speed in every direction, becoming
entirely beyond the control the fire