The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-10
THE .FIRF STILL RAGING
No Prospect ef Checking II
Communication Cut off i!
The .,.ua.l.n at LIS O'Clock .A,- Morn

swept over space of at least three times as
large as that Of last night and is still rushing
on with greater fury than has marked any
| stage of its progress. The engines appear all
most powerless Fise- Marshal Williams has
| Just teegraphed to Milwaukee for all the
steamers they can spare. The coufiagration
has already devastated at least twenty blocks
mostly Inhabited by poor people. Not less than
three hundred buildings have been entirely de-
| strOyed, and more tpan that number of tami-
lies rendered homeless. The wind is blowing
almost gale from the south and showers of
sparks aud burning brands are sweeping over
toe CITY threatening destruction or every hanu.
The tower of the Court house caught fire from
fisiDg brands but was extinguisbed by the
watcbmen. No description can give an ade-
quate idea of the terrible scene. The fire start
ed in row of two story wooden tenements on
Deckerveu street between Jefferson and Gin
ton streets, and as was the case last ngnt
spread with terrible rapidly. Before single
engine could get on the road halt the block was
in flames. and burning furiously. The entire
Of partmept were room on the ground and at
work, and for a time it seemed probable that
they would succeed in combining the flames to
four or five blocks. The wind was blowing
freshly wheI the fire started aud Increased to a
gale and suddenly the flames seemed to spread
10 every direction becoming beyond the control
OF the tire department. rrsi Egs 90
Tho FLAMES spreading in all Direction.
AZ Many Lives Lost.
CHICAGO, 10 A. M.--The flames are raging
with increased fury-in every direction and
Gods mercy can only save the city from utter
destruction. A fearful panic prevails all
Though the streets where the people are rush.
ire is approaching the telegraph office and it
will probably have soon to be vacated. Brands
from the fire were blowing across to the east
side OF the r,ver and set a wooden binding on
fire directly adjOiniug the Chicago gas house,
and the flames spread in every direction among
the adjoinings. The prospects are that the gas
house will be destroyed and the city wrapped
in dark ness. A terrible panic is prevailing
throughout the city. Almost everybody, men,
women and children are In the streets: It now
looks as if the whole city might be destroyed.
Large numbers of lives have been lost, but how
many cannot be Known until the fire has been
arrested The alarm bell has just commenced
ringing an increasing peal, which is intended
to call every sleeper from his bed. The pauic
is increasing and the people seem almost crazy
With alarm; the vessels in the river are CATCH
ing fire 10 every Ieetion, and all Oh the south
river will probably be destroyed. A raging,
roaring hell OF fire envelopes twenty blocks of
the city; it is a'leady scorching the block of
the telegraph office where this dispatch is writ
len, and sweeping onward a whirlwind of
Hames against which hum an efforts are fruit
less, and it is Impossible TO tell where it will
stop. The bridge across Van Buren, street is
burned; the cars on the track of the Chicago
and Alton aud Fort Wayne railroads. with the
freight house, are swept away; thousands of
pcppic Iii Tue sJT6tlS, rushing out OF their
dwellings in many instances, barely in time to
save their lives The block Immediately across
the street from the telegraph office, Que of the
finest in the city,is now in flames. The oper-
aiors are leaving the Western Union telegraph
office but will probably Cpeu communication
at soma nihns paint is il-~-vi.Jr
The Entire Business Portion of the City
Des.royed-0 he Fire still Raging-No
Water in the Cny. t.'5a-
+ CHICAGO, 10 o'clock A. M.--Tbe entire bus
mess portion OF tho city is destroyed. All the
banks, express and telegraph offices and the
newspaper offices, except the Tcbune. SIX ele-
vators aud the waterworks have been burned.
There is no water in the city.
Not less than ten thousand buildings have
already been destroyed. The fire has burned
a distance of five miles and is still raging. The
wind is blowing gale it it will be almost i'm
possible to get any reliable detailed particulars
for sometime as there is only one telegraph
wire working and that only to the suburbs.
The Fire Raging as II O'clock.
ENaLEwooD, 10 MILES FROM CmcAGo. Oct.
8 IL A. M.-The work of devastation contln-
ues. More than one half of the city is al
ready destroyed and thu flames continue their
ravages almost unopposed At about 1 O'Clock
his morning the fire crossed the river at
Adams street bridge and soon destroyed the
gas works. and then spread itself in every d.
rection AT this hour almost every building
from Harrison street north to the Chicago
river is destroyed, including all the insurance
Offices, banks, hotels, telegraph offices, news
paper establishments. with the single excep-
ton of the Tribune office, which is fire proof.
The Court House, Sherman House, fremont
House, Palmer House, New Pacific Hotel, New
Bigeow Hotel, and in fact everything else is
swept clean. This district embraces all the
heavy business houses ID the city The rain Of
| fire ard rhinestone on Sndom and GomOrrab
can hardly be compared to the devastation
| reign of the fire fiepd in Chicago. More than
| one half of the population are now rushing
n III oh, oh
| tanned at enormous prices, on foot aud in every
| other way with the choicest household treas
ures in their arms and on their backs in utter
| confusion, not knowing whittier to go. Far
| full suffering must follow and almost immedi-
| ately. Full 100000 people are at this moment
| homeless and houseless, not knowing where TO
/! lay their heads or get anything to satisfy the
/ cravings of hunger.
Another Statement of the Amount De-
CINCINNATI, Oct. 9.-The following telegram
has been forwarded TO the Treasurer of the
| Western Union Telegraph Company:
Chicago, Oct 9-One third OF the city is in
| ruins. All the banks, insurance offices, ware
| houses and elevators have been destroyed.
| Fully 10 900 buildings have been burned. The
| fire is still raging and the wind is blowing a
| gale. EI5...sIf
(Signed) RANKIN, Manager.
The Whole Business Part of the City
Ek Esurned. --sd-
CHICAGO, Oct. 9-Noon.-The whole bust
ness portion of the city is in ashes from Harri
son street north to Chicago Avenue and east
| of the river to Lake Avenue. The fire sweep.
distance of three miles in length to mile OF
mile and half in width. Every hotel, bank
express office, telegraph office, theatre ant
newspaper office, with all the wholesale house
ia the city have been totally destroyed. Man,
| nd drua and La hax, l,aa,
destroyed. Early this morning the wind wa
blowing perfect gale from the south-wes
with sky of brass. No one can tell what enc
will be. The only salvation for the re mainde
of the city is in the wind keeping in its presen
direction. Fifty thousand people are homeless
and most of them in destitute condition. TIL
unburned streets for miles are lined with hous
goods. No one dare think what the loss of lif
will be. The flames swept through the cit,
with the rapidity OF prairie fire, and mai
, must have persisted. The Western I'm on te
egraph has succeeded in getting up lew wire
! from hastily improvised editice in the soutl
ern part of the city, establishing communics
! ton in nearly all directions. Munificent of
| ers of assistance are coming from every quar-
ter. H EtE. .af.
The Fire Under Control. III.
NEW YORK, Oct. 9-415 P. M.-The fire
under control. Three quarters of the city l.!
ing north of the river is in ruins. The porto
referred to as north of the river embraces abor
quarter of the whole city, three quarters
which is burned.-ED
The Fire Again Spreading.
CHICAGO, Oct. 9-5 P. M.-The awful wo1
Of destruction still goes on with reentlessEfur
. From Harrison street, in the south, to Divisio
street, in the north, and from the river to tt
= lake, an area of four miles long by one mi
: wide. The flames have swept everything b
= fore them. 1t is estimated that at least loo
900 are home less and in a suffering ccnditio
J.. GeneroussA ssistance.
e The most generous of assistance, money, 70,
e or anything wanted are coming in from almo
=. every city and town throughout the country
" telegraph. ...-
The Mayor has responded to several offe,
asking that cooked food be provided as soon
e possible. '+
" Filemen are on the way from Cincinnati, S
is Louis and other cities.
IS Buildings are now being blown up on t
" line of the fire to arrest its progress.
Later.-It is now believed that the spread