The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-10-19
THE GREAT CHICAGO CALAMITY.
The Horrors Greater than First
Reported.
Shocking Scenes During the Fire.



Correspondence of the Detroit Free Press
CHICAGO, Oct. 8. At $50 o'clock last even
ing Il lire broke out in stable on Fourteenth
street, on the West Side. The wind was blow
ing from the southward perfect gale. per.
son could not stand against this fierce wind
without bracing himself firmly, and hats had to
be held beneath the arm, or crushed upon the
mead ana held there by the hand. The night
was clear, and the tWinklng stars were plainly
visible through the hazy atmosphere. The
dread alarm bells struck terror to the citizens
IN the immediate vicinity. The firemen were
exhausted from their labors of the previous
night. Consequently, before the drowsv fire.
men me had reached the scene Of the confagration
Il had spread with such rapidity that three ca.
TIRE blocks We're seething in flames. The fire.
men, all worn out as they We're with the weary
labors of the night and morning before, work
ed manfully to eXtnguish the flames. The en-
gnes took various positions in the front and on
the sides of the fire. They poured unceasing
streams Of water upon the burning buildings
they wetted the roofs and sides of buildings in
the advance of the tiames and is they retired
from one hydrant to another they still kept
working vigorously. But with all their best
efforts the flames kept gaining.rapidlv. The
air was filled with flying cinders which, hurled
alott by the fierce intensity of tie breeze, etdied
ana foated III the armament, and fell again to
the earth three and four blocks distant These
cinders drifted about the corners Of streets and
fiiess lihg snow unaer the ellett OF winters
,t in1f Emitted me SldeWtiks anu whole
low ol puilolnSs at once. Ii was impossible
to protect the city from their advances They
ratified upon roofs and against windows I'M
Iti!eu py tlie Sa,e' anu whenever one struck in
an in instant a flame appeared. Terrified at the
lap'uiS WIN Whlcl the flames spread. the peo-
pie hastily threw out into the streets what
household goods they could and with yaluabies
i'll their hands they stood gazing A. if stlnetie1
A. A. 'tie ues'rutdioi oi !helr homes. At about
nv :, houi VI ~, IL nellS then seen that the
latnes' utSplte the ellorts OF the hremen, cOuld Il
n"t nc theGheu' every beii III the city-tire-bell
cH.ien-pe'i' senOoi-house anu englne-bell-be
S;li ringing. Inc Object was to arouse the
SSittI,'hs poPuiate mat they might bring, aS
Iest they could thelf goods to place of safety.
lla!s ailu express wagons hastened through
the S'reetS' iaueh WIN AZ imaginable sorts of
goods, anu drove hurrledly toward the lake side
iie'lr .ile l'arh. olGk ana decreplt persons We're
thrown upon the tops of beds
ana almost battered to pieces by the hurling of
bandooNeS, chlna-Ware, portmantealls, clocks
i, doH babies, poodle dogs UNI
pltii'S' piru VhSes' muslca instruments. silver
Mart. Shpo'n'ns-irohs' ana at sorts of house
hoiu trueh. faiiltihs women, half clad women,
screaming women, hyStercal women. lined the
Walks. ShoutS ana yells llsioreXpressmen to trans
port these helpless women and children migled
W III tIe lnuescrlbaDle noise from the roaring of
the 1lames, the Whistling of the engines the
bowling of the wind. clangor of bells, trumpet
sounds OF the hremen. and the hurly-burly in
the streets We're the noise that added to the con-
fusion of the scene. The saloons were ali closed
ut II o'cock-a measure that met with approval
from all citizens. Among all this confusion the
police force were everywhere to be met with
Human nature in the most selfish aspects. and
IN glaring contrast the most Self-sacricne
heroSm, was displayed on every street. There
Al
considerable amount of thieying was carried on
nut public attention was not called to it eycept
III one instance on South Clark street, where a
party Of three rutlianS, having Il fourth contpd.
crate in an express wagon, entered Il house and
began carrying OFT various articles, which they
deposited III their wagon. The owner of the
house, taken by surprise, thought they were
nelghbors, who had come to his
rellet, but on seeing them about to drive Oft he
raised an outcry. The thieves were captured
ana Summarlly kicked by the indignant crowd
and the wagon taken possession Of by Il patrol
man.
Many dealers in articles of clothing and
seeing If was impossible to save their
stock, gave to the crowd free permission to help
themselves, a privilege many ayHiied themSevesI
OF to secure SUIT of clothes or a hat. After
all, the main impulse of the community seemed
70 he desire TO save what they could of the
city. Buildings We're torn down in the vain
ctloft to stay the flames. bnt rs was said before
lnv INlil? cihueiS were drlNen IN advance by
.he hurricane "hich apparently increased in
.HrEa' ,Pn,efln8 A!i ehofts useless. ~ mid
nl@a, Tue HaiheS haU SpreH'eln direct linc for
":tfH over three miles OF houses. Nothing can
oe sIii Una! would describe adequately the uu-
pWaitlcH 'n'enShEioi me llfe' 4 buding seem
hSIN ur'-rroui would eaten tire. and in ten
minutes ulht lhg foof, WIN fearful crash,
would ilil III, SrhtlhS up 4 lhlckenlng storm of
SlaFhS ana cihuerS' liiat, anghtlng on fresh ter
N OF tt,r
@ 5@eriiilhatihS seeus oi immense volume OF fiame.
i ne armament SloWed with them. The leap
ing litlntS, is thev Hrked up some more than
uNuuiy liiH'hihdnie substance III drug ami
liquor stores Wouiu arise 10 slreple heights in
'he heaNthS anu sheu lnrld glare upon the
.;""hed Guy. Inc clouds OF smoke rolled AVA
10 the horlhWafu, anu All around the sphere o.
IRE the intense darkness of the sky added fl
contrast To Inc tcrfofs OF the scene. ON Clark
street Il new pavement OF cedar blocks and tar
hsd lust been put down, and the street was on
ly partially open Tor pubic lrafilc although the
pavement was completed. ~ caught hrc and
Instantaneously rom one end of the street to
the other fierce flames broke out 1t was a
perfect channel OF llfe. some OF the more for
tuhate pedestrians upon that street made their
escape INTO alleys ana cross streets, some of
them having the clothes burned on their backs,
so sudden ana spontaneously herce We're the
llilnes. III Is knoWn llat some persons IN this
street were unable TO escape, and, asphyXated
and rendered senselcss, fell unexpected victims
to flames. In the tall buildings on either side
many clerks had their lodgings. Some of these
made their escape half clad. Others, who had
during the day induIged in dissipation and had
retired to bed stunetied by eXcesses, did not
awaken III time, anu persisted before assistance
could be rendered. Two young men, 1t Is said,
appeaed from iourtil-Siory window to the ll-
potent oystanders ior rescue from the furnace
OF licfre neat that wrapped ne building. NO
roof tr'l upon them the walls tottere' in and
the heap OF ashes Just how many persons
met their fate in this manner it is impossible to
say The widest rumorS We're current, but
amlh the Unparalleled excitement everywhere
the scene but little heed was given
to these stories, and no ellort made to ascertain
their truth. Ihe uproar increased, the flames
spread, the flremen became despairing, the
shouts and camors Of the women and children
and the roar OF the flames filled the air. Two
fire engines in the South DIVISION became sur
rounded by the flames and We're left to their
fate, the faded hremen beng unable to bring
them our. AS the danger became imminent
and hopes OF saving the business portion OF the
city lying between the river, the south branch
and the lake We're abandoned, the propretors
of hotels aroused their guests and warned them
that the only prospect of escaping with their
lives lay in immediate flight This was between
the hours of II and |.
Now to add fresh terrors to the scene We're
heard repeated explosions, sounding like con-
tlnual cannonade. Drug ana Liquor stores,
ana places where OF was stored, burned and