River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-26
ANOTHER CONFEDERATION IN CgI-
CAGO.

Fftty-seven Buildings Burned, Cover
ing Portion Of FOar Squares
Loss S25D, 900.
Chicago was visited on Wednesday
afternoon by the most disastrous con-
Hagration that has occurred since the
memorable fire of Oct. 8, 1871. The
fire originated in q two-story frame
building at the intersection of New
berry avenue and the tracks of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Railway Company, and for a
time it seemed as though the
"great blaze" was about to be dupli-
Gated. The conditions were extreme
ly favorable for such an event. The
wind, being a Southwestern, almost APP
preached to d gale; the buildings,
being of frame, were like tinder-boxes,
and the many tons of hay stored i'll the
building in which the fire originated
gave 1t Roadway that very near defied
| the best efforts of our fire department.
The flames soon swept through the
block to Halsted street. The stemming
of the flaming flo ID on the west of Hal
sted street, was not accomplished until
it came TO the packing house of
Richard NJ Oliver, at No. 593
Halsted street, corner of Wright
street. When the furious gust of wind
that had in the meantime arisen, and
threatened TO aid the fire fend III lick
/ ing up everything that stood in its way,
were blowing their fiercest, and carry
ing the torches of humiliation from
house to house, the fire leaped Halsted
street to the cas-. side of that thorough
fare, and laid hold of the buildings
fringing it with the grasp of hun.
dred-handed demon. Quickly the first
house on the northeast corner of
Meagher street was in fanny
folds, and then the second, third
and fourth followed in rapid
succession. The small cottages, barns,
cut houses, etc, located ON and in the
rear of Meagher, Catherine, and Bar
Der streets, speedily succumbed when
the east side of Halsted street began to
go. The northeasterly direction was
still preserved, and, as the fire went on
and on, jumping vacant lots, dancing
on the shingled roofs in hellish glee,
forced forward by the ever increasing
wind, and dashed into a frenzy
by every new object, it ate
its way from Meagher to Cath
crime street, leveling the frames
that were in its way, and taking about
three eighths of the square from Hal.
sted to Union streets. 1t then continued
its march, and held on its way to Bar
Der street. Inch by inch, in the face
OF flying sparks, binding smoke,
scorchlng flames, a suffocating atmos-
phere, and with tremendous odds
against them, the brave firemen
met their foe. A stand had been
made on the TANKS, and at Barber
street the Fire Department did the
work that proved the salvation of the
West Division. There they stopped il
by sheer pluck, and all the plnnder it
was allowed north of Barber street was
comprised in the store at the northeast
corner OF that and Halsted street and a
couple of dwellings in the rear. With
this the fire demon seems to have been
satisfied, and the city's annual sacri-
/ fee to the inc xorable monster was de-
clared complete.
The only loss of life, so far as re-
ported, occurred about 3 o'clock, in a
tenement building on the east side of
| Halsted street. A baby, belonging to
a poor family that occupied rooms in
the house, was left with some goods
while the people were moving out.
Several loads had been taken away,
and as they were entering to remove
the balance the roof fell in, and direct
ly afterward the structure collapsed.
OF course the infant must have been
calcined in short order.
A careful inspection of the ground
showed that some fifty-seven houses
were destroyed. These will not average
over 81, 500 each in value, making a
total loss of 1926, 900 on buildings. The
loss on the contents thereof, damage
done to buildings not destroyed and TO
their contents, Will probably aggregate
as much more, though many well post
ed are OF the opinion that $3.50, 900 will
be an outside estimate.
The insurance will not exceed, as far
as can be estimated, twenty per cent.
of the loss.
Seventy-five families, numbering
about300 persons, were rendered home
less.
The excitement throughout the city
during the progress Of the fire was in
tense, and fears were mt one time enter.
tanned that the fire would again desc
late the city. Happily these fears
proved groundless.