New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-13
IN THE FIERY CITY.
EXPFRIENCE OF A LOOKER-ON-TIIE ALARM
WAITING FOR DAl-lNCIDENTS.
IERnU Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT


IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENTS
Chicago, Monday, 10 p. m.-Last Saturday
evening hour or two before midnight, lurld glow
over the sky gave warning all the inhabitants of the
north and south sides Of Chicago that great fire was
burning over the river in the west part Of the city.
DweeTs the north side, toward which the wind blew,
saw flashes of burning cndcrs and great charred and
smoking Goals flying about them, dropping on their roofs
and lodging among the dry branches Of tho trees which
border their streets On Sunday morning it was re-
ported that great blocks had been burned among the
lumber regions of the side before the flames could
he arrested This fire Saturday, and on Sunday
evening tired frcmen and the citizens slept peace
fully not dreaming that another disaster was impending
Att o'clock on Sunday morning was awakened by
noise and hustle in street which were foreign to It's
usual quiet and hastily opened the shutters
The bright glare which burst III at the window, and
which covered the whole sky, told the story Another
terrible fire. On the opposite corner night Waterman
was loudly procaimng to some anxious listeners whose
heads were thrust from various windows in the neigh
borhoOd the fearful spread Of the fire. Is sweeping
over the river from the west TO the south and n"r
The bridges going fast as the fire can take tI'n
On the south the fire is coming as far as Madlsost
Hotels depots great grain warehouses everything going
like finder All the best part Of the city is in flames
On the north the fire also crossed the river, and is
spreading toward Lincoln Park. The gashouSe is IN
flames"
Our end Of the city was the extramc south. Already
wagons CARTS carriages and vehicles OF all kinds began
IN roll furiOusy down the avenues Men from our street
and all adjacent streets began TO hasten out to the fire.
Hitherto those In vicinity who had seen the glare
had fapced it not unusual fire, and trusting In the
snperor power and efficiency of the Chicago Fire Depart
ment had slept unconceTDedly, many or them While
,heir places OF business were burning violent knock
ing ON the door elegant house on one Of the avenues
Kept up five or ten minutes oeloIc INC Sleepy Occu
pant came TO the window
"What's the matterl Who's there making all that
row Z" he asked, sleepily.
Your store is burning down. All Chicago IL on are
II vou want 10 save anything you would better hurry
WIS the answer repeated two or three times fore the
stunned recipient Of the could recover his wits
enouCb IN give directions harness his horses that lie
might drive 10 the scene Of horror and devastation.
At d A. ID all the gasghts went out i'll houses and
directs Then we knew that the Gas-works were gone
Occasionally family heard roar told us that they were
lownc M the buildings which surrounded the fire. The
obastly light which filled the sky began to mngIe with
the frat tns OF dawn On dOorstcps ana piazzas every
lcre sat groups OF anxious women and cpdrcn wax
ing for fresh news from the seat OF DANGER "H1re nus
hands and fathers had gone To save "hat fh' !'' "o
reasoned of their wrecked fortunes As soon rs orihR
fairly broke, every dwcler III the quarters ino4e io
from thc fire hastened toward the burning Hlst7ct by
o,ck tho Ncndisb element rjOtng III that part OF
tho sotb sdc which contained the finest public ohd'
iug. Gov william BrOss, who had been rdng all hieht
from one mart OF the city another Ike hnEdFcdS ~
other b,vc and public spirited men, offering Eld ana en-
corooeu,ut "a, AL I'm distress came hatR 10 nId Ds
beautiful home bursting uIO Gincs' ana HAS amly
goue TO tnd shelter be knew not where tn" experience
OF one was TINT q all. Old ulen, "h' Id" seen
the city rse " lie grand proportions from ft sV'N