Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-27

working well, and but for the failure of one
of the petroleum mines to ignite, Sabbath
morning would have seen Chicago in ashes.
But the doom that was oyerhanging the
city was delayed but a day, and that day
came near proving fatal to our plans, for
then and only then were we in danger of
betrayal. George Francis Train, member
of the Societe Internationale, lectured in
Farwell Hall on the evening of the fated
| Sunday. In the course Of his address his
manner changed for a moment while he
made use of these words: no ll
"THHs Is THE LAST PUBLIC ADDRESS
THAT WILL BE DELIVERED WITHIN THESE
WALLS A TERRIBLE CALAMITY IS IN
PENDING OVER THE CITY OF CHICAGO.
MORE l CANNOT SAY; MORE DARE NOT
! UTTERr
1t was well for him that he closed as he
/ did, for there were half score Of hands
graspng half a score of pistols that would
| have checked any further utterance forever.
1t is with much hesitancy that | approach
recital of the
SCENES OF THAT HORRIBLE NIGHT.
All day long we had been in secret con-
! clave where no mortal could spy out our
| doings. Petroleum mines had been laid in
! a SCOIt VI pteCCog anu bANobg AhDA WIZ
| stationed at each of them to apply the
match at the proper moment. The plot had
| been so arranged that all should appear as
\ accident, our part being mainly to assist the
progress of the flames, for We knew that,
| once beyond a certain limit, no agency
! could stay them. The place above all 9th
/ ers in the city which promised the great
measure of success was in the barn on De-
u coll 1rich hary'' v-as
milking her COW at that time, as the re-
porters of the city press are determined to
have it. A human being of different sex
was there, however, but had disappeared,
rs if by magic, before any mortal eye had
remarked his presence.
Before the arrival of the iaded fremen at
the scene of the confiagration, half dozen
mines had been touched of, and theiretfOrtS
to subdua the flames were as futile as the
effort of a child to stem the raging cataract
of Niagara When the flames had reached
the river, work began on the south side.
simultaneously mine was sprung at the
Cas-works and another near Van Buren
street bridge, and two whole blocks were
SETTLING HE'LL OF FLAMES
! in less time than it takes my unaccustOmed
/ pen to tell it. From thence onward the fire
"
near Monroe. another block and half fur
ther east, and still another in Farwell hall.
Little did those who listened to Citizen
Train on the eventful Sunday night suspect
that they were sitting over a magazine that
needed but the touch of match to involve
them in a perfect hell of flame.
From that point the destruction of the
South side, with its massive granite piles
. 4 N u-aa aosT1ral
Onward sped the flames, and wherever
they appeared likely to skip, a new maga-
zine was fired, and ruin with its fearful
front involved the fair city.
had been delegated to explode
THE POWDER MAGAZINE On SOUTH WA
TER STREET.
Our oray fear of want of success was that
the authorities, falling to stay the main cur
re at of fire by ordinary means, would resort
! to the last and only hope-lay few blocks
in ruins by means of gunpowder. To
guard against this a train had been laid
communicating with the magazine, and re-
duired but spark to destroy it. When
| the work had been so fully inaugurated,
fastened to the point to which l had been
assigned, wild with a frenzy more terrible
/ than any had ever before experienced. |
Z
have been applied. A huge coal lay within
a few feet of it. A slight kick from my
! foot would have placed it over the hidden
fuse. but the streets were thronged with
people, and | shrank from committing the
| act that would have
PLUNGED HUNDREDS OF HUMAN BEINGS
INTO ETERNITY.
That moments hesitation was their sal
/ arrival al-
most upon the instant, and the explosive
/ was removed from the building. Among
! the first barrels removed were those which
| the train communicated, and although
| stray spark aflerward fired the fuse, no eX-
| plOsiOn followed.
Hardly had l recovered from the mOmen-
! tary flash of humane feeling that overcame
! me. than | was placed i'll imminent peril of
| my life. The flames had advanced north
] ward on both sides of where | stood, and
were rushing toward me with fearful
| rapidity. Dazed by the various conflicting
emotions that had filled my breast, | had
| not noticed this. and when | awOke from
my trance the most horrible Of deaths
| stared me in the face. Hemmed in on
| every side in a crucible OF fire, for mo-
( ment gave way to despair. But despair
! gave me strength, and, breaking
| down a heavy door, / rushed through 4
store to the river and plunged into its
waters. A boat moOred at the dock as
| sisted me to cross, although did not waste
| time in getting into it, but pushed it before
Inc as | swan. Reaching the north side,
ran with all my speed through the streets
toward the city limits, seeking to escape
from the terrible scenes my eyes had be
held.
In the meantime, my co-wOrkers in crime
had not been idle. As the current of fire
passed northward from Van Buren street, it
appeared that a large tract bounded on the
north by Madison street, and on the west
by Dearborn street, including a valuable
section of the city, would escape the terri
BILE destruction that had visited the remain
der of the city. The flames had proceeded
along Harrison and Van Buren, streets to
Fourth avenue, and here seemed to have
spent their force. 1t was
\ TERRIBLE MOMENT,
for millions were trembling in the balance
A few brave men battled with the demon
and but for the Omnipresence of the Inter.
nationals would have stayed its progress
But man rushed into house that hat
been abandoned by its occupants, OStensibly
I Tor bllts pul pOoC VI StNill2 StlnC llOuSCAlSA
, utensils that had been left, and returned
|, laden with goods: but a moment afterwarl
, the rear of the building became a mass o
, flame, and gust of wind carried it east
: ward TO the lake and northward over thu
district that had thus far been spared, thu
completing the universal ruin.
on THE NORTH SIDE
il had been intended to destroy but few
, buildings, and these the business headquar
| Uers and residences of the afliuent. 4
f during the progress Of the fire on the sOutl
t side. mines were sprung in various lOcaltie
/ as the flames advanced, but only where th
: natural course of the flames was likely 4
, leave the work but imperfectly done.
, The fire progressed too slowly. Tn
waterworks were in full blast, and ther
: was danger that through their agency som
| of the buildings doomed to demolition