, 1872-10-09

the type; H. Watts, the plumbing; Nm Severfn, IL
Co. tie boilers and anEa; Baker srits, the heatn
rson, the Easdtting; 4. Hoe Co., tho presses Kaya
dewalk; Chicago Paving coEnpsny, rarins srey.
and Monroe, end Wells and Market strea.s
That was sufficient, and in q moment the entir
aide of the house was ablaze. From this build
ing the swift infection passed to the woode
shanties On 'sConley's Patch," in the neighbo1
hood Of the Ar1nory, end the fate Of the Sout1
around to inform the 6remen on the West Side
Of the changed aspect Of affairs, had not reaches
his destination when the fEemen themselve
had noticed the 1eaping blaze and rising snok
on tho other side Of the South Branch, and tn
Chief Of the Department, already finding himsel
ton, ordered what he could across the river
Hnd they reached their new field Of labor earlie
they could have done little as it was they &C
complshed nothing. FROM that time on, with
soon after, without water, they fought gallantlJ
and atuhbornly, but disnnitedly and without
success. In minute or two, apparently, aftel
! the fire had gotten heedTay on the South Side,
it had reached the southern line OF Monroe
street, all the way from Wells to Market. Jump.
ing Monroe street, it seized upon the stables o1
~. ?. Farwe1 l. Co., and at the same time ii
crossed Wells street and continued eastTardly.
This neighborhood7 thus rapidly burnt over, Taa
thjckly settled with di6teputab1e characters,
i a44AA k40otAhAl16s pk1G6L6 WEI5 SUI
denly filed with women, some half crazy with
liquor and others with fear. The speed OF the
/ flames was such as to leave no time to look after
anything but personal safety, and Of that many
/ OF tho creatures we're unnindful and became the
| earlier victims Of the disaster It took this
! branch Of the fire but short time to dispose Of
these wooden buildings, and, by 3 quarter to l.,
/ it had worked as far as Madison and LaSalle
streets and the borders Of the more substantially
built portion of the South Side.
A E+t1a $+4f 1.3 ,:.
crossed the South Branch near Van Bu1en street,
where the rows Of wooden buildings on Market
street and the remainder Of Conley's Patch gave
it cure and easy foothold. Working eastward
y even more rapidly than the other; and com
pleting the destruction Of whatever it's prede-
cesso- had left untouched, it reached Lasalle
street about o'clock, and united with the ad-
vance column from that point, sweeping every
thing before it, as it pursued its almost due
northeast course. The wind, there as elsewhere,
distance ahead Of the main body Of the ire were
ablsZe, and destroyed sooner than those in the
rear OF them. Tho Oriental Buildings we're
Rindled, while Wells street, to the immediate
nent buildings like the Chamber OF Commerce
and the Court House first received the rain OF
sparks, BONE by the upper current OF the air.
The Court House, protected by tho open ground
surrounding it, had been looked upon as fire.
proof, but after q hard contest, the wooden root
we're driven from the cupola by o'clock, and it
Was left to it's fate. The prisoners in the jail
were released when it was seen that they must
otherwise perish. The minor offendars were
left to take care Of themselves, and 8 few,
charged With more serious crimes, were hand
cutfed and taken off by the police AL the
County Records were destroyed, and not an et-
fort was nude to save them. The city officials
we're more prompt, and the Board Of Public
Works saved portion OF its records
Tn tfe freanyrfi1e fha Wacf Hfa fra hod v,of
extended west OF Jefferson street, but had work
ed slowly backward east Of Canal, among the
lumber and coal yards Of that section, and had
again crossed the river near Taylor street, firing
Company. Thence it burned north till it reach |
ed tho starting point Of the earlier South Side |
fires, and east till it reached the open ground !
along Pacific avenue, which WAS the boundary Of |
the condagration as far north as Harrison street.
MONDAY MORNING. |
At o'clock Monday morning the line Of ruin I
in the South Division extended from below Har-
rison northward to the main river, q distance Of |
! mile. To the eastward it had reached Dear
born street, having disposed of the Michigan /
Southern Depot, tho Ogden and Bigelow Houses,
holds Block, Farwen Hal, the Chamber Of Com
nerce and Court House, the Sherman, Briggs,
lad fremont Hotels, Crosby's and Hooley's
opera Houses. the Dearborn Theatre, aud
he Museum, and al The newspaper of6cee with
|
he only theatre left, and the Palmer House tho
My tirst-class hotel. twas then hoped that that
'ortion east OF Dearborn street would be saved.
livery thing east Of there, which threatened dan
1onore's Block vera down, and the buildings
cross the way we're untouched. The force Of
ZEE TRIBUNE was still st work, though destitute
t gas and water. But the fro was still at
FORK On Third and Fourth avenues, six or eight
locks to the southwark, and the water was
The 4a7naa rrnaGaf7 Etrfa Efraat md /
ame sweeping northward, taking everything
the business quarter that had been left by the
rst gweep,--the Palmer House, MeVicker's ]
'heatre, tho TRIBUNE building and whole acres
massive stores filed With costly goods. !
In spite Of the wind, tha fire worked south
ard, and in that quarter the citizens and fire. !
len made their last effort to stay it's progress.
hero were Q couple OF engines thero, but they
ore poTerless from lack Of water, and resort
as had to gunpowder. The southern line OF
as carefully watched, and tho wooden build
,gs on tho two northern corners Of State :
nd Harrison were blown up, it being too 1ata to
I've anything north Of there, The three-story
lsposed Of, and soon after tho s1na1 wooden ,
uilding between it and tha Methodist Church, !
q the corner Of Wabash avenue. That clearing
Hay, and the solid walls Of the church, formed {
4 efrectual barrier TO- the progress 0: tho !
ames in that quarter. Between Wabash av- {
nd the fire was partially stopped on Congress
rect. The east three buildings wore protected
? vacant ground and did not: ignite, and, BY +
loving up those on the corner of Wabash AZ J
nue, the conhagration vas fully checked /
THE NORTH SIDE. 3
Shortly after 2 o'clock, aud while the Sher-
,en House and soma other buildings in that
usrter were yet standing, the conaasration had :
:erted at several points on the North SIDE. {
here vas naturally much nervousness saaong I
10 people then. Many had gone over to. tbs, s
ruth Side. Those who, remained could, aee tho :
ght nnd hear the roar Of tna flames. Still they !
posed in tanc;ed security, hoping. that tho :
Ter would Prove barrier: BIT Is they a3ood
i'd looked, tie brands began falling thick and.
'st among than, and all eav that it was time toI
.ve. The fire, beginning east of Wells street,
ID Weat Qf State. followed. With II the rapiditz