New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-14

one dreamed of the real magnitude Of the danger To
ward midnight the whole city was aroused Tho people
now began TO realize what such re meant when famed
by ch sae. Still 1t had not reached the river and
even the mdest would have laughed ut the idea OF is
passing that barrier Both east and west however, OF
the spot where the flames took their origin there WA an
extensive district that was evidently doomed Frame
houses dry a. nder and crowded close together, and
piles OF lumber lfnR almost every lot not occupied
by house, offered material for . terrible
nerce blasc wherever the wind bore Q burning
cinder. In these quarters tho confusion and
dismsy were INDISPENSABLE. At one time mile moro
OF Jeersonst was burning side while the other
was untouched The energies Of third Of the city were
directed hither and one ENGINE had been destroyed in
the attempt to subdue the fames when about o'clock
new horror was added to the situation. nery column
shet against the black sky In the southwest Fam
ing cinders had been blown the river the South
Division had caught and now the conhagration, ad-
vancihg with the celebrity and precision Of machine,
was cutting clean swath to the north and cast
thick shower Of sparks and brands filled the air some
distance In advance Of the solid body OF fame firing the
roofs upon which they fell, and injuring numbers Of
people In the crowd which choked up the stree Sew
era Of the great public buildings actually destroyed
by the advance shower Of sparks before the real con-
fagration reached them.
BY O'Clock almost the entire population was In the
place OF OeRlnnfnR Oh
the fire had now reached eastward to the Lake. and was
making clean sweep norhward through the very heart
or the city. The waters Of Lake Michigan were iu-
minated for distance Of % miles and in the West the
prairie for IA miles glowed with light almost as strong
that Of day. Before ay-break all hope gone.
The fire had begun to force It's way southwark against
the wind terror fell upon the whole popuace they
gave up fighting the flames, and devoted what little
strength and energy remained to feeble efforts for saving
household goods and stores.
With morning came another cause OF horror Most
OF the business had hurried from their homes to
their offices at the first ALARM and they sud-
denly shut In by wall Of fire. The bridges were burned
The flames sweeping rapidly through the CONNER
cal quarter with like that Of Niagara and in the
midst of the awful furnace It feared that hundreds
must perish with the falling warehouses. 1t became
known too that section Of tenement houses had been
consumed with O number Of their inmates, and more
than hundred valuable horses had been destroyed In
the Express stables and Farwes stables which the re
had overrun In two minutes Terrified by these incidents
and nearly with anxiety for the fate OF their
husbands sons and fathers the women and children In
the inhabited quarters rushed In panic from their houses
poweress check the fires which started every moment
from falling brands and sometimes too bewildered TO
escape There authority for the statement that many
were caught by the flames but in confusion and per-
plexity cannot yet be known certainly whether the
missing are living or dead,
The first victims tho poorer classes and as they
were driven from their burning homes they hurried with
the goods they had been able TO save Tor to stea TO the
eastern and southern parts Of the city, as II
with an instinct that the fire must fall back
before the stone and brick palaces Of the rich.
Thus the lower end OF Wahash-aye. became
choked with the debris OF disaster and flight Cursng
men, shrieking women, and terrified horses stumbled
over the and sdewaks pursued by the tempest
OF fame scorehng blast Of heat which swept on
tho nfaro NJ he For awful moment the
whirlwind rushed through the beautiful ave-
nue.; but, happily, at Congressst. Its raw
ages were stayed. How shall any one forget
that extraordinary where the horrible and the u
dicrous the mournfu and the grotesque, mingled Ike
the visions Of nightmarei Ladies' half csd but loaded
with heavy burdens rushed mady from those luxurious
houses aud Joined hdeous throng Of the struggling
DOOR, nextrcsbly entangled with wagons ana horses
and tramped by thieves and outcass. Some mad just
nut on all their fnery to 1t. Many were almost
naked Not few carried infants nursing at the breast
and q great many hugging lap-dogs Tpsy men.
Enthusiastically Clad made ribald jokes upon the fugtves.
Families who had lucky enough TO get trucks to cart
away their valuables and brc-a-brac, sat dsheart-
ened on top OF the load. Parties interrupted
in the midst OF carouse ran madly about
too drink know what all means. All the while the
molly throng pushed frantically Southwark The weak
we're thrown down BY the press and rodden under foot
For hours and hours the panic hgra continued pushing
out towards the PRAIRIE From Monday morning at day
light the fear was for life, not for property.
In this dire extremity the greed OF man added TO the
horror Of the Drivers OF carts and carriages
crow ded over the divisions Of the city 70
be SAFE and demanded outrageous rates for the snghest
services Yet it is 20 be said to the credit OF human
nature that hundreds OF honest turned out heartily
70 aid their more unfortunate neighbors. In all the
horror OF this southwark pressure there was continual
stream Of curious people from the distant regions crowd
ing eagerly forward to sec the vast illumination. The
counter currents they met caused frghtfu mishaps
and confusion Men and women, maddened by the red
terror behind, fought ferocously for pathway
TO safety. Near each church vast masses
were assembled with q sort OF assurance
OF safety in those sacred precincts Presentlydrumor
came that it had been resolved to fight fire with fire.
Laird Golfers church to be blown up, and the dense
crowd in the vicinity broke fanticay for new refuge
Late in the morning the people OF the North Division
were involved within the sudden horror of fire and
death A great crowd had assembled at one OF the
avenues leading TO the burning REGION where the close
annroacb of the fire moved the brdgemen to turn the
draw The move was OF not the slightest avail. The
Are the sender wood work in the vicinity eaped
tightly from bank TO bank and before the bewlldered
people could make movement toward safety they were
belnessy environed by raging walls OF nre the lake
rolled lasIly beyond them, and with one impulse the
ast crowd made for its shelter and buried themselves
IN sard and water. This scene was simultaneous with
the wabashave. stampede.
The tragedy at the Historical Society build
ing ia the darkest episode of this day. the people in the
vicinity Of this cdhce confident Of Its strength gathered
their most valued possessions and crowded the cellars In
assurance OF perfect safety Among them were citizens
OF note the venerable Col Stone and wife, Mr. and Mrs.
Able and two daughters, Mr. and Mr.. Carpenter
Dr Leaf and family, with several Others
NOT az we'll known While the frightened group were
moving trunk, the librarian caught sight Of fame
and shouting to the rest rushed from the fatal place
The Others at least 20 in number were not seen to
oro. ono tbere ia no doubt that they perished as the