Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-01-13
CHICAGO LOSSES.

CHICAGO LOSSES.
The advance sheets Of volume bearing
this title have been furnished u, by c. +.
Vent, Of Cincinnati and New York, pre-
pared by Mcssrs. Colbert aud Chamberlin
Of the Chicago Tribune. The book will
contain concise history Of the city pre-,
eceding the calamity, and graphic account
ofthe fire with attendant incidents, aud
carefully prepared statement Of the losses
by the conAagraton. 1t will doubtless
embrace most authentic information, and
find ready sale.
1t is estimated that the total area burned
over in the city, including streets, was -
ia acres or nearly three aud half square
miles, destroying 1880 buildings, and
leaving 9S,5O0 persons homeless. The
loss Of life is set down at 25O, which is not
less than the actual number. The value
of the buildings destroyed, public aud pri-
vate, is $50, 10000 ofproduce destroyed
including -four, grain, provisions. lumber
coal aud other produce, value S., 262, 800
of merchandise wholesale and retail, S7S,-
100000, manufactures, s13,255, 900 ;
personal effects s5S,7lO,OOO miscellauc-
Gus losses S37S,O00-a grand total Of
S19G, 100000. On this amount 81 900 900
is estimated for salvage, and s4O,OOO,OOO
insurance (out of 800, 0OO, OOO) actually
collectabIe, but these again are more than
! counterbalauced by the depreciation of
real estate and loss incident to the suspen.
sion Of business. The compiler says:
The city contained population of 334, 27O
souls. Ofthest 9s, 500 were rendered homeless !;
| leaving 235, 40, or seventy per cent, unframed
About 80, 900 left the city within few weeks.
| but many of these returned subsequently,, and
! many hundreds Of workers came in from other
places to aid in rebuilding the city. In De-
ccmber, 1871, Chicago contained a population
of not much less than 300, 900
The number of buildings burned was I ,45O ::
remaining, $4,000, or seventy per cent. The
value of the buildings burned was not less
| than fifty per cent, of the whole-savcd fifty
per cent.
| vi gram tuc proportion ucS.
troyed was about twenty-six per cent, of fuel
| fifty per cent. Of grain there was saved 81
10000 bushels; oflumbcr, 24O, 900, 900 feet ;
of coal, Is, 900 tons.
On mercantile stocks, manufactures, and
personal effects, the loss averaged seventy pei
| cent. of the whole, the saved, thirty per cent.
All the land remains, substantially, as before
| the fire, and the street improvements were but
little disturbed, except in the matter Of side
walks.
1t is estimated that the por ulation Of
the city in November, one M nth after the
fire, was fully equal to that of the Spring
of 1868. Aggregating the losses, and
allowing for depreciation in value and add.
ing 10 the amounts saved and insured, the
property valuation cannot fall much short
Of s40O, 900, 900, or 1920, 600, 900 less than
the actual value at the time of the fire,
which was estimated at $500, 100000. If
this basis of calculation is correct, and
from the ability and experience of the com.
piler, who has been engaged for ten years
past in preparing statistics of the city,
it appcars authoritative, the great confagra.
ton has not set Chicago back more than
three years in her career Of progress.