The Portland daily press., 1871-10-16
Letter from Chicago.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE DEsoLATIoN.
LAKE FOREST, Oct. g. 1871.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE DEsOLATION.
LAKE FOREST, Oct. 9, 1871.
TO the Editor Of the Press:
You have learned ere this that Chicago is in
ruins. The proud city that closed her temples
of worship last evening and had gone forest,
boasting Of the morrow sschemes of business
and pleasure, is sitting tonight in sackcloth
and ashes, with the lurid glow of the still I'M
exlingulshed ares flaming high and far, upon
the evening sky, distinctly seen at the distance
OF my writing, nearly thirty miles aw.y.
have just returned from the scene of the
fiery carnival. No pen-no canvas-can give
you an adj quate idea of the vast desolaton
The scenes of the Portland fire, six years ago,
We're a miniature OF this. Multiply that TWEEN
ty fold, and You may form some idea of its
teariulness; the majesty of its sweep, the COM
pleteness Of its destruction, its resulting DESC
lations, its distresses experienced, its crushing
OF business enterprise, and the reign of terror,
murder and robbery inaugurated in day..
The telegraph will have flied our columns
with its terrible details, before this can reach
you. Your readers will have learned that the
elegant Court House, county and city build
ings, the Postofice and United States Court
rooms, all the hotels, all the printing houses,
all the banks most of the churches, all of the
leading Warehouses, elevators, theatres and
museums, besides hundreds of magnificent
private residences with their suspicious fur
nishings, have goue down, or are now falling
before the vepgeful flames.
The drought which has prevailed SO long in
this region, had prepared the city Tor this
Sgahnrf harm md daoisiuo'' ~ Gra
king, so that even the solid buildings of this
best part of the city, many OF them regarded as
fre-proof, melted before the furnace heat like
hoar-frost in the sum-
The clouds gathered this afternoon with the
promise of heavy rain. Only few drops
fell,as if in mockery of our prayers. The heated
atmosphere penetrated and scattered the
clouds and our hopes together. Should the
wind change its direction, and blow from the
Lake, "West side" will be swept away with the
same destruction.
Some of the outside aspects of this scene, as
witnessed from the railway train, were sad
enough, with small touches of the ludcrOus to
relieve. On all the highways diverging from
the city, countryward, were streams of the es-
Gaping populace, "some with rags and some
Will odRs some IN carriages and some on
fsot. Every sert of vehicle was pressed into
the service, and every sort of load piled upon
the teams. In the haste of departure, most of
the drivers had evidently not stopped to select
their most valuable goods, aud some wagons
were sadly empty, considering how much service
they might have rendered. On.the open fields
out of the city, were piled immense masses of
furniture, bedding and whatnot, and with each
mass the poor owners; who sat disconsolate be.
side these rescued remnants OF their. house keep
ing treasures ;and 10 theirwe ariness and stupor
are doubtless, many of them, sitting now, I'M
der this nights fearful canopy, no light of
moon or stars looks down upon their cheerless
bivouac IN tne ields;-overhung with clouds
CT smoke and fame.
All the outward bonud trains were croudod
with citizens flying to the country for a sbo1-
ter, and the inward bound with people O. everv
description, anxious to get a glimpse of the |
terrific conf sgration.
While I wIite the wird is again rising and
no rain falls
God have mercy upon the sufferers.
r. p w