The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-10-19
TO Chicago.


took drive over the desolated city and
witnessed the result of the ravages Of the
frightful fire. Taking the 5 M. train at
Chicago we reached Canton this morn
ing at s. This shows the expedition of
modern travel.
Language fails to convey an idea Of the
actualities Of the calamity, the most ex-
tended, sudden and awful that has befallen
any city since the great fire of London in
1866. 1
;ne fire began at 9:32 ON the evening Of
Sunday, October Z, and ended about eleven
o'clock on Tuesday morning. It covered
an area of miles IN length by u miles
in breadth, or of 2,6sO acres. The num-
Der of houses destroyed was about 20, 500;
Of people rendered homeless, 10000 OF
these, about $4,000 have left the city, and
about 81, 900 are now fed by charity. The
first house burned was owned by Mrs.
Scully, the last by DIR. Dyer, some three
miles apart .FtH2T5 Ts.g
The best authorities concur in estimat-
ing the total loss at from $I98 000, 900 to
$2l5, ,000,0 ,000 taking the total insurance
to represent one-third of the total loss.
This may be divided as follows, on rude
approximate
Loss buildings and SlO6 5sOo 600
Loss on stock and plant--;..----.----. 74,5590oo
sos 900. .oOo
The miles and miles of ruins look des-
olate, indeed Occasionally a portion of
wall, usually corner, remains standing,
| shooting up ten to thirty feet The walls
of very few buildings remain in shape, for
the intense heat of the flames famed and
driven by the gale, melted and crumbled
the marble and brick, and hence the de-
Il,
siness, hotel and other blocks that have
crumbled each into a mass of runs and
| debris Portions of the outer walls of the
| Court House, Custom House, First Natio-
nal Bank and Tribune buildings are still
standing; but inside and around and in
| the roofs the fire king swept in his fury
and the walls only add to the desolation
and loneliness. 81 --l1 --s--l
On the North side the city is all gone
| ChurchesE and magnI6cent private res
| licences Of brick and marble, large manu-
featuring works, several immense brewer
les, asylums, school houses and public
edifces, all are gone, save the solitary res
| idenee of. Mr.. Ogden. 1T seems to have
escaped as by miracle 1t Is frame, sur
rounded by spacious grounds well sup
piled with fine shade trees. Mr.. Ogden
and family on that terrible night fed to
the fields, and not till two days after was
he aware of his good luck. The blackened
remains of the shade trees all over the city
stand as mute but expressive monuments
of the disaster. H7I
As to the loss of life there is great dis
crepancy. The unrepoIted missing and
the known dead make a thousand persons.
Some estimate the loss of life as low as
two hundred
A better feeling prevails in the city.
The numerous relief stations serve out
provisions dailyto those IN need, and the
| supplies are abundant, Money, too, is
fast arriving In many places we saw
workmen cleaning away the debris, pre-
paratory to building. In other places
| digging after safes, &c. Many safes have
been found with their contents all right,
but others with an intense heat that con-
sumed books. and papers and notes, and
even melted gold. -r .--ry A..
d. Temporary business places are being
erected along Michigan Avenue, and oc-.
casiOnally IN other places, but years must
elapse before Chicago will be up to what
she was before the fire, The estimate of
the losses, we think, are altogether too
low. At all events, the losses are SO great
that 1t reduces men of capital to utter
ruin, thus crippling them, or absolutely
preventing them from again engaging in
business One friend we called on, lost
his all and his insurance of 81, 500 was all
in Chicago companies and worthless. This
Is the case with many.
Some ambitious and foolhardy indivi-
dual, on Wednesday worked his way to
the top of the Court House, and there
planted the American flag on theIoftiest
point. AL beholders were astonished to
see the flag waving in the breeze, and the
wonder was how the deuce 1t got there.
The Chicago Times put inan appearance on
Wednesday and was bought up so rapidly
that We we're unable to purchase copy.
Water IS conveyed over the city in bar
rels. tubs, &c, to supply the citizens The
water works are being got in readiness,
and it was thought the water would be in
the pipes to-day. We saw a crowd last
city, mostly women, around railway en-
gine, getting supplies of water from the
tender, which the engineer dealt out.
The monster coal piles along the river
continue 70 burn and AT. night make
amends for the lack Of gass All over the
city, too, fires ..smolder beneath the ruins.
a close proximity brings one IN contact
with the smoke and heat. Chicago BOW
reminds one somewhat of the description
travellers give of the ruins Of ancient ci-
ties, OF the miles and miles of ruined tenn
Piles and edifces, broken and fallen pillars
and walls. They, TadmCr in the wilder
ness for instance, continue in their ruins
and solitudes sItis hoped Chicag win rise
rapidly from her ashes A'4 -.
We hear of towns not far from Chicago,
where the people are busily engaged in
gathering up old clothing. The women
get together in parties and put tin oruer,
patching where required, &c. Ut is then
boxed up and forwarded to the Relief
Committee of the Getty 3 This we look
upon as an excellent plan. The fact is
there will be great suffering in Chicago
this winter unless dwellings and clothing
are rapidly provided.
Sight see-ers are numerous, but they do
not stay long. 1t is estimated, before
three months fifty thousand citizens will
have left Chicago. At the breakfast table
We sat beside man who had been burned
out, and he said he had sent his family to
Toledo till he could get things in shape
and get place for them.
New York has sent the munifceAt sum
of 81 100 900 for the relief of the sufferers,
and 1T is gratifying to know that Boston
also has walked up and contributed $400.-
600, besides numerous contributions of |
clothing and bedding.
Business places on the unburned parts |
of the city are in great demand and hence |
rents have run up enorlno6sly. A GEN
.tleman returning home on the cars wished |
to go into business, but could not see it |
IN the top lofty prices asked for leases.
A .shanty3 16x25 paying $50 month
lease, which expired next spring, the pro- |
prietor asked five hundred dollars for / /
Some hotels began taking eight dollars q
day from GUESTS, but General Sheridan /
to take possession, and the
charge IS now generally four sV "a
"a We encountered accidentally an old /
Canton friend, A V. P DAY. Andy is
connected with the type and printing press
of Rounds & James, on
State street. Their large and fine estab-
lishment shared the general doom but
they already have a large body Of men at
work, cleaning away the debris. Among
the.ruins are melted type. ruined presses,
engine, &c They intend to rebuild as
soon as possible.J ,aGfuED
To realize the frightfnl wreck, one must
II