The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-10-13
roUErn DIspArcu-I As a. N.

OA4CC1 WAClC N8l6 dfrRatCn 10
and is sweeping onward in q whirlwind
of flames, against which human efforts
are pOwerless, and it Is impossible to
tell where it will stop. The bridge
across Van Buren, street is burned. and
the Chicago, & Alton and ct. Wayne
railroad tracks, cars and depots are
swept away. No language can describe
The awful scene. The flames sweep
through blocks of wooden buildings
with the rapidity of a prairie fire.
Thousands of people are rushing out OF
their dwellings, in many instances bare
Iy in time to save life.
LATEST, 2 10 A. M.-The block across
the street from the telegraph Office is
on fire. The wires have Jailed. They
are probably burned down.
CHICAGO, October 9.-The whole bu-
siness portion OF the city is in ashes,
from Harrison street north TO Chicago
avenue and east of the river tothe lake,
mile 10 a mile and half in width.
Every hotel, bank, express and iele-
graph office, theatre and newspaper Of
fices, win all the wholesale houses in
The city, are totally destroyed.
Many thousand dwellings and the
water orks ere destro, ed early this
morning.
The wind is blowing a perfect gale
from the southwest, with u sky OF brass.
No one can tell what the end v i'll be.
Fifty thousand people are homeless,
most of them in destitute condition.
The unburhed streets for miles are lined
with household goods. No one dare
think what The loss of lie may be.
The flames swept through the city with
The rapidIty OF u praiaie fire. and many
must have persisted.
The Western union Telegraph Com
pany has succeeded in getting up Il few
wires from the hastily impIoVised OIL
flee in the southern part OF the city, es-
labiishing communication in nearly ev-
cry direction.
Muniticent offers of assistance are
coming II ON every quarter.
8 80 A. M.-The entire business por-
ton OF the city is destroyed. All the
banks, express and telegraph Offices, and
all the newspaper offices, six elevators,
and the water works, ale gone. No
water IN the city.
Ten thousand buildings are already
destroyed. The fire has burnt distance
OF five miles, and is still raging.
st. Louis, October 9.-The abrupt ter
minatiOn of the latest dispatches from
Chicago last night indicated that tele-
graphic communication was cut off.
This proves true, but this morning
dispatches have been sent by connec-
ton with wires outside of tho city.
Their import is fearful.
A dispatch to Mayor Brown OF this
city from Chicago, says that the whole
business portion of the city is in ashes,
and asks that food be sent to the suffer-
ing people. Mayor Brown is low st
work providing means for the relief OF
sufferers and other classes. Our citizens
are doing their utmost to aid them.
Universal sympathy is felt here and q
noble and generous response will be
quickly made to the appeal from our
terribly stricken sister city.
Another dispatch says the board of
trade building, Sherman and fremont
hotels, Illinois central depot, court
house, water works and large portion
of the splendid structures in the BUSH
ness portion of the city are in ruins.
The entire fire department in Cincin-
natl is out and portion of it embark
ing on special train for Chicago to
assist in arresting further destruction.
Mayor Brown has received dispatch
from Chicago, asking for food for the
suffering people of that city. He has
called a mass meeting of the citizens at
the Merchants exchange, at II O'Clock,
which will be very largely attended.
The sympathy here is universal, all
classes expressing the deepest feeling
of sorrow for the suffering, and a no.
BILE and generous response will be made
10 the appeal for aid.
Mayor Brown has a special train
standing OH the Chicago 8 Alton track,
ready to start at u moments notice. and
take fire engines or anything else that
.hsa PsnniYpd n ralioUn hn OTIfT q m fr
or aid the distressed.
The streets in front of the newspa-
per offices are thronged with peopir
who are eager to obtain the latest news
of The fFightful calamity. and the usual
topic OF conversation is the terrible
distress of the people and the fearful
destruction OF property.
The mass meeting at the Merchants
Exchange at noon was the largest one
ever held there, and people OF all classes
ind Conditions poured in to express
~ mpaIhN OF contribute aid. Some
seventy thousand dollars We're raised in
The space OF all hour and the meeting is
still III session. Committees will be
appointed to canvass the city for mOn-
ry, God and clothing, and arrangements
ate already made for the reception OF
such "A ticles at hotels and other points,
nj VII Ell they will be packed up BY
transfer companies in wagons and TAX
eli 10 the railroads leading to Chicago.
II has already gone abb Dad throughout
the city that hungry women and child
rem in Chicago want food, aud by night
there will probably be provisions
enough cooked to load train.
Another mass meeting will be held
tonight and the work of raising money
and any thing else needed will be done.
- nd 70
disposition to relieve the distressed and
suffering is universal.
The Merchants Exchange subscribed
one thousand dollars and many firms
and individuals five thousand dollars.
LATER.-A disp4tc has just been re-
ceiyed from Chicago asking tor fire en-
gines to be sent at once. The dispatch
also says the fire is still fuTiously rag
ing.
NooN.-An awful work of destruc-
ton goes on with relentless fury from
Harrison street south to Dearborn
street north, and from the river to
by one wide. The flames have
swept everything before them. 1t is
estimated that at least one hundred
thousand people are homeless and in a
suffering condition. The streets, in the
district still unbarned, are lined for
miles with such household goods as
have been saved from destruction.
Most generous ofires of assistance in
money, food or anything wanted, are
coming from every city aud to wn posi-
BILE by telegraph. The Mayor has re-
sponded to the several offers, asking
that cooked food be forwarded as soon
as possible" Firemen are on their way
here from Cincinnati, st. Louis and
other cities. The water works are en-
tirely destroyed. They are now blow
ing up buildings in the line of the fire
as an attempt to arrest its progress.
LATER.-It is now believed that the
spread of the fire southwark has been
stayed at Harrison street; but ON the
north side there is no dimunition of its
fury and that entire division of the city
is evidently doomed to utter destruc-
lion. There are grave fears that the
flames may spread to the west side of
the north branch of the river, and the
inha bitants of the street nearest the
river are already moving to places of
supposed greater safety. The Western
Union Tele graph Company have now
six wires running east aud south into
q temporary office on the corner of State
and Fourteenth streets.
The North western railroad is run
ming trains on both its branches, which
are crowded with fleeing citizens.
1t Is now positively ascertained by
some that the wafer works are intact,
but that the water has been shut off