The Portland daily press., 1871-10-09
ILLINOIS.
Great Conflagralisn in Chicago.
IMMENSE Loss of Property.
TH q FIRE STILL RAGING.

CHICAGO, Oct 50 A. M.-The most terrible
IIonndgtation that ever occurred in this city
oioAe OUT about Ii o'clock to-nig hit. and hav-
lhS already swept over six entire blocks. is still
rasing with almost undated fury. The fire
s.at'tu III large planning mill between CIiu-
ton, Canal, Van Buren, and Jackson streets
ne WHO was blowing very fresh. The flames
spiedu win incredible rapidly, and in a few
el'hutes the entire structure was a mass of
IRE. the immediate vicinity is built up main
y W. shaii wooden tenement houses and two
e1ViJ frame buildings occupied as groceries,
saloons, &c. The inmates OF mauy of these
houses were startled from sl0mber, having
nalu, time to escape in their scanty night at
tire' leaVing their household goods to destruc-
tio"' LII several Instances children were hasti-
~ miappeu IN blankets anil quilts to break
tne'I Iail and thrown from the second story
WINDOWS TO the ground. When the alarm was
sounueu Tor this fire another of considerable
magnitude was burning on Wall street, near
Adams. Several engines were necessarily
kept at work upon this fire and the rest OF the
engines In the CITY were soon on The ground,
out before they arrived the fire had spread over
90 large an area and was so rapidly spreading
that efforts seemed of little avail. Between
Canal street. and the river were several lumber
yards which were entirely destroyed. AT this
hoar the hre has made clean sweep from Van
Buren, street north two blocks to Adams and
west to Clinton street. Three blocks from the
river between Van Buren, and jackson streets
are burning, and the wOodwo of the western
approach TO the Adams street bridge is de-
stroyed.. large coal yard, containing thou
sands of tons of soft coal, and situated between
the track of the Chicago & Alton ana Pitts.
burg & Fort Wayne Railroads, is on fire and
is burning furionsy Tue immense grain eie-
vator of Vincent, Nelson 81 Co., one of the
finest in the city, is immediately ,ining aud
though inuended TO be fire-proot, there seems
little doubt but that it will be destroyed as the
intense heat to hich it is subjected will crack
thu slate with which it is covered, both on the
ROOF and on all sides. 1t contains many thou
sand bushels of grain. The depot Of the Puts
burg. Fort Wayne & Chicago and the Alton &
81. Louis Railroads Is situated north OF Adams
and between Canal street and the river One
the buildings, light wooden structure, occu-
pied as an express office, was III Il tmes at mid
night and is undoubtedly destroyed. The
scenes IN the vicinity OF the cOuhagration are
understandable. One half Of the population of
the city seems gathered there. The tugs ia
the river are engaged IN towing to place of
safely the vessels moored in the neighborhoOd
while locomotives are lastly pulling out great
lumber of cars standing on the track in fl 4mes
At this writing it is impossible to give an esti-
mate of the losses, but they are Already yery
large and the fire appears TO be scarcely
checked, No lives are known to be lost, yet 1t
would seem miraculous if such should prove
to be the case. The fire is apparently raging
as ferceiy as ever. A block of buildings on
the North side Of Van Buren, street, winch it
was thought an hour ago would be saved, are
now wrapped in flames.
The elevator IS safe SO far and the fire seems
to be spreading south and west notwiJhstand-
ing the wind is now dine city fcom south and
b'owing hard. The glare from the burning
bulldogs Eliminates the streets half d mile
away that one may see to read. The entire
fire department is now on the ground ana are
making almost slperhumau ffor.s to stay the
fl smes. The losses it is probable, already run
INTO millions, and the end is not yet.
Later.
About 1 o'clock this morning the fire in the
western division Was under The com plete con-
troll of the fire department. The space burnt
ov,r embraces tour blocks bounded on the
north by Adams street, west by Clinton street,
south by Van Buren, street aud east by the
Chicago river but four or five buildings with
in the limit named remaining uninjured
among thr m Vincent, Nelson & Co. gram
warehouse. The est'ma e of the entire loss
places It at from $3.50, 900 TO 100000, half which
is probably iusurel. Margaret Hadiey, living
on the north side OF Jackson stree:, Was burned
to cndef. Toe entire insurance will proba
5ly fall below $4,000, two thirds in Chicago
offices,
sill Later.
The fire is now raging in the western dvis-
ion, which appears &c be as large that of last
night. 1t is about two and a half miles from
the Court House, aud it will be late before the
particulars are obtained.
Latesf
CHICAGO, Oct. 9 -12 80 A. M.-The fire in
the west division is now raging with undated
fury. Il commenced near Taylor street. be-
tween Delaware and Jefferson, spreading in
every direction, and covers at least four block
at this hour, and it still seems beyond control.
The blocks are built up solidly and almost ex-
clusively of two story frame houses occupied
as residences, boarding houses. saloons, groc-
cries, &c. The loss is already large, and it is
feared that it will prove more disastrous in
character than the fire last night No approx
innate estimate has yet been made of the loss.