Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-12
THE Z FIRES.

The summer and autumn of1S7l / lOpg
be remembered in the northwest as sss-
sons OF unprecedented loss by fire. Beside
that OF Chicago without parallel in MS
torvl. in the new States and territories,
from Lakes Superior and Michigan to the
Pacific, the country has been burned out,
and conisgrstions are still raging in Min
nesots and Wisconsin, which, 1t is feared,
may yet double tho dread effects OF a WISH
tstion that has wrought ruin for hundreds
Of farmers snd hardy pioneers. Thou
sands by these fires have been LEFT Pennl-
less, who, g few months since, were enjoy
ing plenty, If not s~fiuenoe, and yes the
fell destroyer is marching on, consuming
in its track villages, fsrm-houses, farm
buildings Of all kinds, bridges, railroad
depots, teleg rsph lines, and everything
else in its path. Over 5000 square miles OF
territory nss thus been visited, and yet the
FIRE progresses. The more costly and awful
fire OF Chicago hides from view this terrific
conhag ration. Oft we can say nothing.
1t HIS been so sublimely destructive, so
far beyond anything Of the kind that
his tory can parallel that 1t dehes COM
ment. We can only extend TO the sut-
fsrsrs a regret rs deep as a possible
appreciation oftheir deploFsbls sit1stiOn-
full Of terrors, and more to come-per-
mits. A near spproach to sproper com
putstion, puts the result,so far, at q loss Of
all the business portion Of the city ,includ-
ing the banks, express Offices, newspaper
offices, thesters, opers-house, concert
halls, railroad depots, and two-thirds OF
the residences OF the rich and poor. The
track Of the fiery hend extends four
miles In one direction and three in
another. The great IRE OF London OF 1866,
occurring on the I'd Of September, and
which lasted four days and nights, con-
sumed fve-sixths of the whole city, the
damage reaching q sum total Of about
$50 10000 of our present currency; the
district trsversed being one mile
long by a half broad. Even the
complete destruction Of Moscow in 1872
will not parallel the great fire ofChicago,
as that city was mainly composed of
wooden booths and franz shsntles: the
loss reaching SS50,OO0,0OO, in our currency.
The FIRE Of Dublin in 1859, and those Of
Edinburg, Hamburg, and later Of Pekin,
Nagssski and Jeddo, viii not bear COM
psrison. Nor viii the destruction at Cal
eutta, by the great typhOOn, in 1895, nor
the destruction Of Lisbon by an earth
quake In the last century, except In the
loss Of life. Everything in the line Of
-aHaa haNnra tho aUfr1 u1u1faffnn
of his IRE In Chicago. The tidal wsv
which washed the Pacific shores Of South
America, two years ago, was not so destruc-
tive. The great fire Of Nsw York Decem-
Der 18th. 1885, though properly regarded as
beyond any ordinary precedent, only
produced a loss of 5000 600, and thirty
five lives. The Portland IRE, of the 4th
of July, 1856, laid half thst city tine
whole Of the business part, except the
hre-proof cussom-hcuse1 In ruins, lnvolv-
ing q money loss Of $40, 0OO,O 900. The fire
Of the Sd Of May, 1851, laid San Francisco
in ashes, and involved g loss of SIS. O00, COO; !
n again, in June and December Of the
same year, b IRE hend robbed tho Gold
en- Gate OF q total sum of s., 600 CO., The
IRE Of 1852 cost Sacramento $4,000, 900, |
and several lives; and Nevada, In March
OF the same year, lost 81, 500, 900 by FIRE.
81 Louis lost S7,0OO,OO0 and twenty lives
by ths great FIRE OF Msy, 1s49, and ESsvsn-
nah, by that OF the 10Th OF January, 1920,
lest fully 100000. The Pittsburg fire Of
April, IS45, consumed blocks,
and eDtailed q loss OF nearly S12, 900, 0OO;
that Of Albany, August IL, ls4e, a loss Of
&, 900, 900; OF Mobile, October 2I, 1877. loss
p, OgO, 600; Of Chsrfeston, April q, 1888,
loss q. 900, OOs; OF Troy, ls45, loss $4,000
DOC. The loss in money by the fire in Chi
sAgo viii foot up not less than $500, CO., 900
and perhaps 1000 lives; If we sdd the loss
Of labor, loss Of Investments, and loss of
lime it will foot up q total ofnot less than
one Thousand million dollars. Chicago,
he worlds wonder in her rapid rise, il
worlds wonder In her more rapid
.oss. We hope abe wiz eclipse ALI her
Soader- producing powers by her rapid
recupsrstiOn, and that In ayear from this,
{ wiz be given us 70 say that Chicago is
glorious than sver. From 1865 20
$50 she more than doubled hsF wealth.
The same energy that accomplished that
grand result, recovered from the shock
II present horror and loss, can rebuild,
md extend in the same ratio, within the
aext i've years. So mote it be.