The New York herald., 1871-10-20

above the ridge pole. Looking down some or the
streets where the buildings were lofty, as on La
seen actually arched over with q roof OF flame.
The winl raved through the streets as through a
round the corners and against detached buildings
WIN q, force which nothing could with,
staiil The loiiier blocks Of solid stone stood ine
nre Tor a long time: then from window a!er VIII
dow crimson jet would spirit out, making tostoons
OF hre from basement to roof: Hign over head q
great pale golden red cloud rolled its neecy bllows,
4 each over the other away to the north and cast
Sometimes a lower current drove part OF t1ls
formed, which made the eye Qiddy watch 1t, and
at times spire OF fierce red name and black smoke
SY up and %s myTsa sTs ous Ts ssspss
and large brands that hprtled and rustled through
For miles out MT on the n. ss lsse the frsa ewi
TO crow. thinking y already day: All through this
the eighteenth chapter OF Revelations, wherein the
great city. Babylon, is represented as being de-
recall that great city that lived deliconsiy and dealt
In the merchandise OF gold, and silver, and fine
our, and and sheep Sheep and beasts, and wheat and souls
OF men, ana made rich all who had ships in the sea
BY reason Of her oostliness. and whtcn was made
! The brute creation acted as II the Last Day had
and struck wildly with their hoofs, nsighinr with
terror, or actually Law down in their harness. every
TSe
me crowd shining anxiously a. everybody's legs.
parking excitedly, or at times sitting on their
Cats. wild with the unwonted. confusion.
sonrred ,S,n fna .x.ss over the roofs and dropped
The rats were drlven out by myriads from under the
| sidewalks and rubbed against mems ankles in the
the flames with VICIOUS squeals, The most touching
sound In the whole fre was the human like scream
rom the poor little birds In bird fanciers stoe
when the flames caught It.
And the people were all mad. The streets were
crowded. These broke down and rolled their living
freight IN the Dust, where they were tramped upon
ay oWards the scene OF acoa then as
madly back. Through the midst. Of these
throngs poured ceaseless stream Of fugitives.
| Almost every one was bareheaded, many were bare
footed and left bloody marks on the difficult pave
ments. All wore scared and anxious LOOK. The
shapeess bundle over one arm and a baby In the
| other, while couple OF crying children clung at
crowd Gro and to m tie ar with paSle seriess the
men saved less than the women Many were drunk
and shouted and danced in the streets. or
/ INDUCED IN ncrrlDle blasDhemies or loud ana
up to the 1ire and mad to be torn away from it by
main force, else they would have cast themselves
wheh nn Pacc avenue FoS avenue ana
KIN, kindred streets were ont to plunder ana to riot
w oeh ans aae
hitner and thither ghastly legion OF tatterde:
ma!iols, such as might have DANCED and nowled
Of France to the gu1lotlne.
l had view or the IRE from the roof o. the lofty
stable and warehouse OF Messrs. j. V. farWell Il
Co., which shall never forget. TIE Snlldings
around US were low and slight so that roaring
sheet OF fire near TO the ground lay beneath we
could not see the folk In the street, but we could
hear their tumult. and 1t was like looking down
ing shrieklnes Of the eternaiy lost. on the other
side we could see the loluer buildings burning, and
street, not their bodies. There seemed 70 be
mIrons Of uptuTned faces, iun Of sharply
will ooS az the as aS Sncqsn unner
| were the wide sea OF unburned ROOFS and on the
niles so strong was the light that We could notice. Ice
In hold relief men walking about building,
branchman setting his helmet more comfortably on
his head, the excited gestures Of two who were
watching the course OF the fire and signalling 1t to
those below The very air around us was on fire
Ever and anon nocks OF pigeons swept aimessly INTO
the air. novered In uncertainty for minute, and
then fell, daXed and sud0cated, into the roavlnQ
Such Is faint picture OF the great fire in Chicago
House must go, attempts to check the fire py blow
ing up houses having proved useless he went to The
loose. These miserable wretches. tormented with
fear OF being burned alive were tugglng desDeraty
sheks Of terror, imprecatios tnat made the blood
run cold ana appeals for mercy from God and man.
Win loud " yes into the uma. Without and
into truck laden with clothing which was passing at
the time cleared 1t in moment and ned away to
plunder and destroy. Only i've men were securely
! naDdcuffed aud marched away under strong escort
| OF police. These were fnnrderer5, from whom the
saeeway even in tnat terrible time. The Court
| House was soon in flames. The walls held good
and several times the fires on the roof were extin-
gulshed Finally 1t was the striKIiiG aDpa-
ratus OF the big bell was started, and II thundered
out iis 8, despsrlns , cang9r 1cessanty u as the
the cupola heeled over. and " III lurch bell, tower
and clock sunk into the sea OF die and crashed
| down into the raging depths.
ON the north aide the scenes were the same, only
the marcn Of the flames was much more rapid, and
| distracted The fire hung relentessly on their n.y.
ing traces They were driven from square 70 square
in their arms and rushed into the water. Others
| half buried themselves in the sand till the raging
they were hidden IN the snaes Of Lincoln Park or
were out on the inc!ement prairie. There they
sp' shelter A0nSss Ts ss aa Without naS ndw % S
place to an awful silence. Seventy thousand
woman or tender child sniveriny beside the brawny
| laborer Injured 10 labor and exposure. The air OF
were cfying for bread or for their parents, fansrs
were seeking their families, mothers. crazed with
excitement snrieked for their babies; The agonies
coin Park three babies were BORN one only sur
viyed. One poor woman wrapped Der bedclothes
DID, to the door. Tney found her there dead, the
unconscious and naked child bindly seeking the
cold breast A gentleman in one Of the notes,
whose wife was In the very pains OF child
birth. wrapped her IN . blanket and bore
he staggered on she hung inert upon
his shoulder. 1t was fully two miles from
the hotel ere he could lay down his burden in safety
| vnd then he saw that the eyes were shut and the
jaw had fallen. and that Love had struggled on so
bravely with Death in Its arms
| Nor less pitiable was the sight next day. when
thousands OF miserable people took up their march
| through the encumbered streets between the smOk.
Ing ruins towards the west side. Tney were nag
gard with exhaustion, they shvered with cold they
tottered from hunger. fne skeleton babies that
these women bore were too weak to utIer their
| querulous wall, and lay limp upon their mothers
shoulders literally Diue with cold The men were
| hatess, bootless and sulien. On went the process
sion Of famine and despair to the west SIDE The
| graphically described In the HERALD.
| JSadder tnan Sodom was the scene whe-e only
| forty-eght hours ago. stood pompous city. Only
the Tribune building, the Court House, the
Custom House, the First National Bank aud
| shattered skeletons OF the great new Bre-
Low and Pacific hotels were standing. All