New-York tribune., 1871-10-10

ana, viii an auuaClty toward nnturo ho''A
edualed In history, 1t tapped the bottom OF tho
inland sea. The dates Of its history seem
moro fantastic than any fiction. John kihMo
built his cabin there in 1904. Tie INDIANS
massacred the garrison of Fort Dearborn Ia ioi1
In 1880 there were 10 houses scattered aoou,
the marshes, giving shelter to hunoioo
parti .colored squattcrs, and in 1870, whoh 'n0
hair of the first born white native OF the to"n
had not begun to grizzle, the censts-t'No,'
found 100000, and gave mortal onon'0
$4,000 more, who insisted they were ho0
counted. A week ago Buffalo had In SUI
Cos, 800 bushels of grain; Montreal, oll,S,U' 1''
Louis, 777SS1 Milwaukee, 1850 loiouo'
1889 4S7; Chicago, G,O79,5Go. There Is magic
in these ciphcrs which to the practical Amer,
can mind means moro than any baptism oi
poetry and romance.
Since Yesterday Chicago has gained another
title TO prominence. Uneqnaled Deloie III
enterprise and good fortune, she is now ui-
approachable in calamity. Her name Is lhsep.
arably connected with the greatest disaster OIL
modern times. The burning of New fork ID
1895 bas always been regarded as a terrible
visitation, and elderly gentlemen in Wail-st.
stoutly asserted yesterday that the ChicaSo
fire was no greater. But the accounts
of the time say that GAS houses were destroyed
"A grave calamity of course, but trlflng whch
compared with the 1900 houses IN ashes Ill
what was Chicago. The great fire OF LONDON
which struck the world with horror and gave
not unworthy inspiration to the noble verse oi
DRYDEN, ravagcd track of 438 acres. but
five square miles of blackened ana smoking
ruins are the ghastly credentials which Chicago
offers in support of her claim to prccmihence
in disaster. When 1.-THE of the wealth or a
community perishes, it seems that the very
sources of existence are sapped. 1t is estl-
mated that fully onc-half of the value of Chi
cago has been annihilatcd by ono days de-
structiOn.
Itisone of those scenes where the widest words
are weak to describe the devastation. lt Is
only by imagining New-York Obliteratcd from
Madison square to the Battery that we can
form some idea of the extent OF the cataS-
trophe. The fire broke out among the dry
frame buildings of the South Division, and
was famed and driven by n southwest gale
one of those fierce and unchecked tempests
that blow over the lake and the pralne-l to
the very heart of the city, over theaters, hotels
the courts and the churches, the enormous
business-houses and the luxurious dwellings
that made the young city so beautiful and I'M
pressive until, growing with what it fed on,
and still scourged by the gale, it leaped the
river and ravaged the rich and thckly settled
Northern suburb. Little of the city except its
southern and western borders are left-the
shell from which the kernel has been gnawed
away.
The ultimate result is not doubtful. Like
Moscow, ike London, like New York, like
Portland, the city will be built again. 1t has
too much of life and elasticity to succumb even
to blow SO terrible as this 1t has its place
in the economy of the nation and the world to
fill, and cannot be spared. In the end it will
certainly recover But there is much OF
uncertainty and difficulty in the inter-
val. The sudden withdrawal of this
great and busy community from the
sphere of commercial life will produce a
widespread confusion and disturbance of
values and relations. Chicago is heavy
creditor of New York, and the whole North
West is the creditor of Chicago. At time
when money is not over-plentiful, there comes
this sudden and unexpected demand for large
sums 10 meet LulS cAlSCiitJ' We hopo
the prudence and GOODNESS which the emer-
gency requires will not fail. There is no just
ifcaton for q panic. There seemed some
danger of one yesterday in the first
shock of the frightfll intelligence, but the
tendency was handsomely surm0unted in the
afternoon. There is little doubt that our in
surance companies will be able to pay all
their losses. When this is done all can then
unite in devising the means to repair the
damage Of the fire. But in the meanwhile
the immediate and pressing question is that
of hunger and cold. One hundred thousand
people are houseless and famishing. The
cities of the West have spoken promptly and
honorably, voting large supplies of money and
food. New-York will doubtless to-day do
its whole duty, iu its organized and corporate
meetings. But this is case where every
citizen has the privilege of making some offer
ing to humanity. Let none neglect it. No
greater calamity ever appealed to the hearts
of men. Let New-York show herself the first
of the cities of the nation in charity, as she
is first in power.
MAYOR HALL.
TJa Cf1r in defense of MayOr Halls official