The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-10-17
, CHICAGO DOOMED?
THE CITY BURNING Dowr.
I Dozen More BLOCKS Of Frame
Houses In Ashes.

THE CITY BURNENG DOWr.
4 Dozen More blocks of Frame
> Houses In Ashes.
lilies of Tenements Destroyed
and Loss zncalculabie.
Citizens Stricken with Fear and
Panic.
Threatened Destruction of Entire
- r:;is City.
CufcXGo, - AS A NJ To night is
the most awful in the annals of the city.
The fire, whfcl commenced at ten z NJ.
has already swept over u space at least
three times rs large as that Of last hight,
and is still rushing on with greater fury
Than has marked any stage of its prog
ress, the engines appearing almost pow
eress. Fire Marshal Williams has just
telegraphed to Milwaukee for all the
steamers they can spare, e4i, e. ..a~
The confagration has already devas.
tatel at least twenty blocks, mostly
composed of the smaller class of dwell.
ings, and inhabited by poor people. Not
less than three hundred buildings have
been entirely DESTROYED, and more thar
that number of families rendered home.
less. ..., .:.. ..... r.
The wind is blowing almost q gale
from the South, and showers of sparks
and boards are sweeping over the city,
threatening destruction on every hand,
Since this report commenced two ad.
ditional alarms have been struck, and
the tower of the Courthouse caught
from the Sying brands, but was extin.
guished by watchman in the tower
No description can give an adequate idea
of the terrible scene. ;...-.. ,.-.. ..fg
The fire started in row of low wood
en- tenements on Dekowen street, be
tween Jefferson and Clinton, and, as was
the case last night, spread with terrible
rapidity, and, before q single engine
could get on the ground, half of the
block was in fame and burning furious.
ly. The entire Department was soon
on hand and at work For time 81
seemed probable that they would sue
ceed in combining it to four or five
blocks The wind was blowing freshly
when the fire started, and increased to q
gale, and suddenly the flames seemed tc
spread in every direction, becoming be-
yond the control of the Fire Depart
ment. FaI.I...., ,..... ..
CHICAGO, ! :15 A. M.-The fire is still
raging with increased Jury. 1t has
spread almost with the velocity Of the
wind, and has now reached West Mon
roe street. q distance of more than q
mile ftom where it started, and it COW
ers breadth Of nearly half mile,
reaching from the river to Jefferson
street The district already burned
embraces an immense ntmher of lumber
yards and the freight depots of the Chi
caeo and St Louis and Pittsburg. Fort
Wayne and Chicago Railroads. The
property already destroyed counts UP
many millions Of dollars, and perhaps
the half is not told The task of ar.
resting it now seems five fold greater
than an hour ago, and no one dare ven,
ture the opinion as to when or where il
will stop. -: .a
Rrasftfs from the fire we're blown
across to the east side of the river and
set wooden building on fire directly
adjoining Chicago Gss-house The Gas
house flames spread in every direction,
The adjoining. buildings being all Of the
tinder-box kind, 1.-The prospects is that the
Gas house will be destroyed and the
city wrapped in darkness "5
A terrible panic is prevailing through.
out the whole city. Almost everybody
men, women and children-are in the
streets. Praying, weeping and wailing
is heard in every direction. 1t now
looks as if the whole city must be de,
stroyed itaa. sa r.af e..
OF course large numbers of lives
have been sacrificed, but how many and
who can not be known until the prog
ress of the flames has been arrested =
The alarm bell has just commenced
ringing an unceasing peal, which is in
tended to call every sleeper from his
bed. The panic is increasing and the
people seem almost crazy with alarm.
The vessels in the river lare catching
on fire in every direction, and all in the
South River will probably be destroyed.
A raging, roaring he'll of fire envel-
opes twenty books of the city. 1t is
already within block Of the telegraph
office where this dispatch is written, and
sweeping onward, whirlwind of flame,
against which human efforts are power
less, and it is impossible to tell where it
will stop. l
The bridge across Van Buren stree:
is burned, the shipping in the river, the
cars on the tracks of the Chicago and
Alton and Fort Wayne Railroads, with
the immense freight house there, are
swept away. No language can describe
the awful scene. The flames sweep
through the blocks of wooden-houses
with the rapidity of q prairie fire. Thou
sands Of people Gil the streets, rushing
out of dwellings,, in many instances