Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-10-18

thronged with excited, swaying human
ity, and with all descriptions of vehi-
cles, pressed into service for the hasty
removal of household goods and per-
sonal effects. Every street resembled a
second hand furniture store, goods OF
all descriptions being loaded and un-
loaded here and there and everywhere,
in promiscuous confusion. Invalids and
cripples were carried away on impro-
vised ambulances; aged women and
helpless infants were speedily borne tC
places Of temporary or permanent
safety; people who were utterly over
come with excitement and fatigue were
seen sleeping on lounges, trunks and
tables, in the streets; empty houses
were forcibly broken open and taken
possession of by homeless wanderers,
made desperate by the awful surround
ines-in some instances as many as
five families turned into one and the
Same house Such spectacle WAS new
er before Witnessed in Ca;-~sa>, and i
hardly has parallel in the annals OF
confagrations.
After getting under complete head
way in the South Division, the flames
spread with fearful rapidity, and soon
many of the most valuable structures in
that Division were involved in the gen
eral confagration.
At about two o'clock in the morning,
the armory, large stone building on
the corner Of Adams and Franklin
streets, was reached, and ere long, from
this structure the cinders caught the
South Side Gas Works, on the oppo-
site side of the Adams street. The de-
struction of this vast reservoir of gas,
coal and coke was fearfully rapid,
while the explosion created at frequent
intervals sounded like the roar of az
tillery
By this time it was evident that the
fire department could make no head
way towards subdrling the confragat1on
and that the flames were bound to
have it all their own way. Building af-
ter building, block after block, were
reached by the deyouring element, and
it seemed as if the entire city was doom
ed, Safety elevators, huge railroad
depots, majestic viaducts, vast yards of
coal and lumber, palatial residences,
elegant business blocks-in short every
species of structure not absolutely
fire proof there is scarcely one
really fre-proof building in the city
were all in turn encircled by the re-
morseless flames and speedily trans
formed into mass of black ruins. The
many thousands of spectators who
stood at the Madison street bridge, and
q other points on the West side of the
river, and beheld that vast ocean of
flame which extended from near 10Th
streetnorth to the main river, aud east
from the South Branch to the lake
shore, will never forget the awfully
grand and thrilling spectacle. 1t was
something more than huge cOnhagra-
ton which they gazed upon; it was
literally and truly q city on fire. The
area and the buildings then covered by
the flames we're equal to a large-sized
city-say of a hundred thousand inhab-
itants. And yet the fire fiend was des-
tined to achieve still further conquests,
as the sequel will show
Onward swept the sea of flame, re-
morselessIy consuming everything
which fire could destroy that lay III its
path, and not only did the flames
march northward and eastward. but
they also made slow but steady pro
gress southwark, involving many of the
finest residences on Wabash and Mich
igan avenues, and all the other build
ings located between Harrison street
and the main river, in the South Divis-
ion. The glaring cinders borne by the
fierce gale fOated across the stream
and lodged among the parched pine
roofs of several structures nearest the
water and soon they we're also wrap
ped in flames, which no power within
the hands of authorities or citizens
could reach. And then commenced the
dreadful ordeal in the North Division.
The fremen worked like heroes, but all
in vain. They were powerless tC
prevent the spread of the
flames, and in less than an hour from
the time they broke out on that side,
the confagration became general. Fol
time the principal scene of the fire IL
that Division was between North CLARK
street and the lake, but by nine O'Clock
this morning, the flames had spreaC
into other localities, and at noon the
whole North side seemed doomed tx
destruction. We cannot take time anC
space, at this moment, to specify many
of the more prominent and costly struc
lures in that Division which were in
yolved in the ruin; but most of ou1
readers will comprehend the magni
] tude Of the havoc when we state tina
the whole North Side is in ruins
/ Starting from the main river, the fame
!
that extensive and populous por
ton of the city, till, at thi
writing, three o'clock P. NJ, th
entite area, from the river to th
Lincoln Park, and from the Nortl
Branch to the lake shore, is sea of lit
eral flame and smoke OF course thi
/ Includes acres on acres of dwellings,,
great variety of stores, shops, and man
Ufactures, several fine hotels, a numbe
of the largest and most elegant church
es in the city, several railroad depots
Rush Medical College, the North Sid
Gas Works, and scores of other build
ings and institutions IN a public calam
ity. And, worst of all the City Waite
Works are destroyed, or so nearl ly 81
that the supply of water is now entire
ly cut off, This is the most APPALLING
feature of the who lie catastrophe, ant
well may it give rise to grave doubts a
to whether this conhagration will, whel
ended; leave a dozen buildings un
scathed within the city limits.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
From the Chicago Journal Extra, Monday, 1 ocloc
P. M
The fire broke out on the corner O
DeKoven and Twelfth streets. at }bou
nine O'Clock on Sunday evening, bein
caused by a COW kicking over a lamp i
a stable in which a woman was milk
ing, An alarm was Immediately given
but, owing to the high southwest wind
the building was speedily consumed
and thence the fire spread rapidly. Th
tiremen could not with all their efforts
get the mastery Of the flames. Build
ing after building was fired by the fly
ing cinders, which, landing on tn
roofs, which were as dry as tindeI
owing to the protracted dr. weather
instantly took fire. Northwardly an
enthusiastically the flames took thel
course, tapping up house after house
III Nolr q ftnT, block OF of+ -