Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-25

Cor. Boston Daily Adycrtiscr.1
Conaagrations..-How they are Caus-
cd and How they May be
Prevented.
A hundred acres Of fro in Chicago west of
the river anl every engine over there in tho
vain effort 10 stay tho onward march of the
lurid flames >! A strcain Of fiery sparks, burn
Ing shingles and great burning brands is n.y.
ing over tho river, lighting in the lumber
yards on tho planning mills, manufactures,
and tho thousand wooden shops, stables and
dwelling houses which arc about the river on
its south side. The city WAS never in such
need Of help, but mono has been provided.
Not 50 much rs tho broom, with which the
keeper Of the crib brushed OF the falling FIRE
and saved tho life Of himself and vito. Soon
ono fire has caught, and another, and still 4
third. And now the scenes Of Chicago west Of
tho river are re.enacted. Onward sweep tn,
flames, wider and wider, until uniting in ono
great conaagration, half mile wide, there
are soon = hundred acres Of 6ro In Chicsso
south Of the river. Via a tAousaMd LILLE sn-
yi"e', I" thousand different places, and r;sh
me" trained to DC e<pers., tie lille free, at fret
90 small that they could hare been corered wi.A
a hand or kat, eosld haro been sxt;nqmi.ked !. a
moment ~'th the haLfu dozen sclons Of ,eatev
per minnie they "o"'d hare forced upon sAem.
But tho tremendous expense Of thousand
engines! Yes, almost ~ much ~ tho cost of
one steam fire engine add its house. ,eAixe tksv
could play az Sssck w"ser az tie wkole fourteen
engines cf Chicago. And from this last mile
Of fire, another flying river il floating away,
across the whole line of Chicago south Of the
river, to the north side, over the water works.
cut to the crib, and away over the stormy lake
~ far rs the eye can reach. Tho water works
arc now on fire, and soon there will be no
water, and so Chicago on the south side must
DC destroyed. True, alas! too true, but not
because the water is cut of: In that tremend-
Gus gallo and long drouth, with everything a.
Dry ~ finder, with hundred acres Of rushin .
Ore, tho fourteen engines could no more ex.
tinguish or stay it than an ant rushing .eain,t
great railroad train could stop it, speed Of
thirty miles an hour. They could, no doubt,
have saved come property, but the city, with
its thousands Of bui'dings, was doomed when
the hre got well At work in such gale. Al
At the first hre, 80 on this side, the awful, heat
spread the 6re to tho right, when It started
with tho wind on its northeast race. cutting
s~ath after swsth through this part of the
city. And 30 on and On, until it was STAYED
when it had burned over almost i've hundred
acres and tho splendid court house, po.t ot6c.
and Connclly's patch. the immense hotel, and
httl' restaurants, the water works; while the
crib, "far, far at sea" was saved BY 4 new en-.
g'ne-a troom-the magnificent warehouses.
the pride of the city and Of the west tho ear.
pointer and the huxter shops Of the alleys, and
the noble squares Of beautiful dwellings and
stores were mingled in ono common ruin.
With the system We Is . nation use for des.
troying our enemies, Of cannon, muskets.
r'nes and revolvers the hre might up to thi.
tine have been stayed three times At tho ar,,
barn, or at the three CT four houses upon
which the sparks fell or il could have been
stopped 1t the river. But Chicago and al
other cities have done, % would = man who
expecting to be robbed, purchased xrca,
piece Of ordn.n 60 instead Of revolver; on
leaving homo he could not take his cannon
with him, and so lost his money, ~ he had hi.
wits when he purchased his piece Of ordnance.
A word Of caution to thu,
portion Of tue people of cities who think for
themselves rather than insanely believe that
whatever 10, is right" The laws which gov
ern fres are not mysterious. Fires must bs
fought Is any other enemy, by such means a.
common sense tells Us s,e tho best. No one
kind Of weapon can extinguish thcm Ill. Th,
broom At the crib and the want Of tho most
common means ut the water works. arc az.
smples which should teach this lesson. II Il
Is not acted upon, other cities will be de,troy-
cd, - sure - were Sodom and Gomorrah. II
now system like that which is used in The
wars Of tho c;vili.ed world, in their efforts to
destroy each Other. il inauguratsd, it, cost
will be hundred tunes repnid BY tho falling
Of the rate Of insurance, and the lives Of the
people and tho safety Of their property will BE-
preserved - it never has yet been in any cities,
towns or countries. II not tho experiment
worth trying7 Has not tho old system des-
troyed enough? Then try another.