The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-10-11

ward 100 leet into the llr above tue house
tops in their mad career. Thus was street
after street filled with flames and fire, and
the exultation Of the fire tiend was given
vent to in II roar which can only
be eQualed by combining the noise
oil the ocean, when its waters are
driven during tempest upon rocky
beach, with the howl Of the blast. Huge
walls would tOpple and fall into the sea
of fire without apparently giving sound
as the roar of the fierce element was so
great that all the minor sounds lwerc
swallowed up and the fall of walls was
only preceptible to the eye, and not to the
ear. If our readers will raCall to their
minds the fierestsnow in their experience
and imagine the snow to be fire as surged
hither and thither before the fury Of the
tiend will be able toform faint conception
OF the flames as they ragged through the
streets of our doomed city. Many Of the
buildings situated along South Water
street buried their red hot rear walls In
the water of the river, into which3they
plunged with n hiss like unto nothing
earthly, throwing up billow OF
water which would gradually sub
side until other walls would follow.
The heat was so intense at times from
some Of the burning buildings, that they
could not be approached within one hun.
dred and fifty feet, which accounts for the
manner in which the fire worked, and
often against the wind. The fire after
reaching the business part OF Randolph,
and South Water streets, leaped tho river,
on tho North Side, in an incredible short
space of time, and thence among the
wooden buildings on that side, reached
the Lake shore, after touching block after
block, often hopping dwellings with its
blast. A scene of more pOwerlcss effort
to fight an enemy, never was presented
than that of the people trying TO combat
the fire tiend. The combat was not OF
long duration, for the people bowed
their heads in anguish Of spirit and SUI.
lerCd the ilCnd to have untrameled sway
and will, and thoroughly has he done his
work rs, nothing OF the past history ol
nations chronicle any efforts of theirs to
which this present one can be compared.
In all future time the great Chicago fire,
when mentioned, will bring to the heart
OF It's participants pang Of anguish, to
future generations reminder Of every.
thing that is frightful and humble While
there are great many instances OF gen.
erous devotion on the part OF the rich
and poor in dividing with the destitute,
these are painful instances OF uneasness
and setishnesS ono was trying to rescue
some valuable papers from on office, and
asked the flremGn to assist him, which
they refused to do unless he paid them
$50. The papers were destroyed. Drivers
of express wagons have taken $l00 and
even $500 for an hours use Of their VG.
hicles in getting distressed people away.
Among the sad Accomplishments Of the
calamity was TO find hundreds of men
and boys beastly intoxicated around
the streets of the north division,
where saloon keepers stocks were turned
into the street and furnished convenient
opportunity for the qualification of their
slavsh prOpensities; and there can hard.
ly be u doubt that many Of these poor
wretches found their death in the flames
from which they were too helpless to es.
cape. One poor man had Crawled for
refuge into water main lying In the
street near tho Water Works, but the Ire
fiend found him even there, and before
he could get his body wholly in safety,
robbed him Of his life.
The Herald reporter furnishes the fol.
lowing: Women and children are going
around the burnt district vainly seeking
something to satisfy their hunger. They
ask for relief, but there Is none to give
them. No one has provisions or money.
What provisions there were In the city
are now burned or eaten, and some few
people have enough to last them for day,
not longer. Provisions have arrived from
Detroit, Cincinnati and ST. Louis, and
arc being distributed as last as possible.
Twcnty-three dead bodies have been
taken to u station on North Side At the
present time II Is impossible to know
who they are, as night covers them. Our
want Of gas Is keenly felt; there are but
few candles in the city andno water,except
what Is gotten from the lakes.
Very grave Ifears Of outrages by
thieves on the West Side are felt on
every hand. General Sheridan, who has
been hard worker all through the fire,
is still adding TO the force OF troops, from
different points, to keep order. All busl.
ness and work Is suspended, and every
one Is intent on securing, first, something
to eat, and next, shelter.
The suffering on the North Side Is
heartrending; men, women, and chill
dren, fifty thousand Of them, huddled
together like so many wild animals; and
in another place are $1,000 Germans and
Irish, praying for relief; helpless children
asking for bread; heart broken parents,
who know not which way TO turn, or
what to say; nothing to do but await the
distribution Of supplies, which at best will
be slow proceeding, as there are parts
of the burnt districts over which 1t Is
almost impossible TO travel. Women In
the pains of childbirth and patients who
have been moved from beds of sickness
only to to save lives that at best were
nedrly spent, were all exposed 10 the
rain Of last night and the cold, raw winds
to-day. Several deaths have occurred In
Lincoln Park, and three women have
brought children into the world only to
die. There arc people who, in the bitter.
ness Of their souls, ascribe the calamity
to Gods judgment. A German said to
me, "This Is a second Sodom and Com
orrah and the curse is on it." Another
night must be spent in Lincoln Park and
the brick fields at Division street, and yet
another and another. Each train and
extras are loaded to their fullest capacity
taking people away, who, in many
instances, have no place to 60, and
yet cannot stay here, and every train Is
Obliged to leave five times as many as
they take. Every precaution Is being
made TO guard the people tonight,
and i morning comes without robberles,
murders, or renewal of the fires, then all
will thank God and go forward with cOur.
age. The indianapolis fire department are
| here and doing rnnd snrvinn SnrinrfiRll