The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-10-14
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
THREE-F0URTHS OF THE CITY 0F
CHICAGO IN RUINS.
Loss ofLife and Property


will awake emotions of sympathy in
the breast of every inhabitant of our
land for the sufferers who have been
rendered homeless by the almost total
destruction of the once beautiful and
prosperous city of Chicago:
NEW YoRK, October I0.-A special
to the Times, from Chicago, the tenth,
2:20 A. NJ, says three -fourths of Chi
cago is IN ruins, and the city is still
burning. In the west, division TAYLOR
and Hslstead street have been swept
by the flames the waterworks went
early, There has been fearful loss
of life by falling walls. Ten thousand
business men will be compelled to
make assignments. An insurance
crash is inevitable. The river is i'm
passable except at bridge twelve.
The other bridges have been burned.
1t is feared that bridge twelve will be
crushed by overwhelming travel.
The railroad trains have ceased
running, and there will no mails.
The present losses are estimated at
$500, ,000,0 900.
The tfre-proof buildings burned like
timber. Few business houses saved
even their papers.
No newspapers can be published
until type comes from elsewhere.
Some vessels escaped by being sent
adrift into Lake Michigan.
A large number of tiremen were
killed.
The Convent of Mercy was burned.
The payements were burned, and
hundred squares were destroyed
in the south division.
One hundred thousand employees
are out Of employment.
The county records were saved.
The city records were lost.
At meeting of the Germania,
Hanover, Niagara and Republic insur-
ance companies, comprising the un-
derwriters' agency of New York, held
to-day, due preparations were made to
pay Immediately, on adjustment, all
losses in the Chicago fire, by doing
which the capitals of all companies will
remain unimpaired.
Henry clews and Jay Cooke g. Co.,
gave each $1,000 to the Chicago suffer
ers.
j. L. Morgan g.. Co., London, tele-
graphed their correspondents to draw
$5OOO for the same purpose.
MEMPHIS, October 10.-0ver 500
600 have been raised for Chicago. A
monster mass meeting will be held
at the Opera House tonight, to take
measures for the relief of the suffer-
ers.
CHICAGO. October 10, Noon.-The
fire continued to burn all night on
the north side. but this morning is
under control; nothing remaining on
that side from the river north to Lin
coin Park, and from the north branch
of the river on the west, to the lake,
east. This portion of the city, except
along the main river, where there
wasa business block, was occupied by
dwellings, and twO-thirds of the pop
ulation Of the district were Germans
and Scandinavians. These people are
now hollseless.
At three o'clock this morning the
rain came; it did not rain long, but
made the roofs and ground wet.
Fifteen hundred citizens have been
sworn in as special police.
A federal force is employed to guard
property. One hundred thousand
rations have been issued.
Twolmen who were caught at in
cendialism were hung to lamp post
This summary proceeding awed the
thieves into har1nlessness.
Every train brings engines, and the
firemen Immediately go to work.
They are now playing on the coal
i piles olsaves fuel.
A few business men, with more
nerve than others, are seeking places
ON the vest side.
Rooms which rented last week fol-
$50 nov command $4,000.
The newspapers are already al
work, preparing for a resumption Of
/ publication.
Water for drinking and cooking is
secured from the lakes and parks.
Thousands of people are camped
about the artesian well. The people
are fed IN churches and school ol-houses
The weather. was cold this morning,
causinggreat suffering, but the people
are pra!ing for more rain.
3 P. M.-Word has just been
brought that fierce fire is raging on
Thirty first street. This street is two
miles south of the southern fire limit,
aud q little less than that from the
limit on the west side.
Seyeial incendiaries are plying then
vocatiols. Two were caught firing
buildings and shot; two others were
led off Sith ropes around their necks
AS the wind is now blowing a gale,
the endcannot be told.
One bf the most pitiful sights was
that of ii middle aged woman on State
street, baded with bundles, struggling
through a crowd singing the Mother
Goose Melody, " Chickey, my Chickey
my Craley Crow etc.
Their were hundreds of Others like
wise ditressed, and many were made
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