The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-03-15

stranger stopping at the Sherman House,
and lazily answered by some half-asleep
porter This was on Saturday night and
that bright red light which burst upon the
horizon and vividly illuminated the dis
trict around Jefferson street, and the south
bend Of the rlver-though only fire up
.n tie West Division, nevertheless con
verted four magnificent blocks INTO
smouldering heap Of clnders.
Sunday came-a bright beautiful day
and enterprising, pleasure-loving Chicago,
enjoyed day Of devotional recreation.
Sunday is a day of equality as far as ex-
teriors 60 the poor and lowly congregate
under the same roofs with the proud and
naughty rich, and feel for the time being,
at least, that they are equal. An unpar-
alelled event shortly occurred, however,
which forced absolute equality upon thous-
ands
Sunday night an alarm of fire suddenly
rings out upon the still air.
" " here is the fire I" asked some anx-
ious individual
Don't know, in the West Division |
think, was the reply carelessly gwen, and
the man asked swept past, wrapped up in
his own affairs. A fire in the West Dlvis-
Ion-nothing more, and yet it was the be
ginning Of an end, the equal Of which the
world never saw.
1t is not our intention to give descrlp-
tion Of the great Chicago conhagration,
except so far as 1t is interviewer with, and
bears upon some of the characters who hg
ured more ar less conspicuOusly in the
chapter Of evel Is and incidents entering
INTO the thread of this narrative The
most We care about saying Is that a thor
oughly faithful description would leave
nothing absolutely nothing to exaggera
ton We might multiply simile and
metaphors, exhaust all vocables indi cative
Of hre and caloric, pile up mountainous
succession Of cumulative and high sound
ing polysyllabic adjectives, and by that
means seek to attain height correspond
ing to the occasion, but the probabilities
are that words would be found unable t.
convey even an idea Of the reality and
that eXaggeratiun would be found simply
impossible.
Sooltres cottage stood in the direct
road of a column Of fire which had leaped
the river at Van Buren, street, and moved
southwark. with a sullen, rushing roar
and 50 rapid was its strides that the cot
tage Was On fire before the inmates were
aware II it and the probabilities are they
would have perished, had not Pau! Gelda
mo apprized them Of their danger.
1t needs no prophecy Of mind to divine
why Paul was, or happened to be there at
that moment, but by some strange colnci-
dence, detective Magaw came upon the
scenes few seconds later. The family
and Bertha were aroused, and safely extri-
Gated from the cottage however, not be-
fore escape was cut off at either end of the
street sparks, cinders, and circhng
tongues N fire we're flying through the air
III all directions, like line of sklrmlshers
that prepared the way tor the inevitable
rum that followed.
The little party they rescued from the
cottage. were not, however, doomed to
perish they found an outlet through
an alley into another street, along which
they ran, closely pursued by the devehsh
tiend. which really travelled OF sprang from
building to building and block 10 block,
nearly AS fast as they could run. Magaw,
who Vas IL the advance, suddenly stopped
and wheeled round-his face like marble,
notwithstanding the fearful heat.
20 Great heavens the fire has headed us
rf. exclaimed Paul, pointing up the
street where, sure enough, a ST. cam of
flame issuing from both sides Of the street
etfectually rendered further progress i'm
possible Behind, an ocean Of rolling fire
ahead, a sea of fame. 1t was an awful
moment. No wonder the little group were
stricken with cold, paralyzing terror Es-
cape seemed beyond hope Already the
stately, towering buildings on both sides
Of the street were on FIRE, and the smoke
h.f - haA haoau..a lu
durable They gave up all idea Of escape,
and heroically prepared to meet their fate.
Bertha clasped Paul wildly around the
neck, exclaiming
"At least we will be united in death
who shall part us now =
Paul kissed her then, for the first time,
and replied ooh. God thus to die, if
die we must, is a pleasure.
He looked toward heaven as he uttered
these words, and it was well he did 80
and it were well if mankind ever looked
heavenward-no only in fateful moments,
but at all times. In dropping his eyes
they CHANGED to fall upon the building
upon the opposite side of the street, and
through the binding smoke he recognized
it,
As | live" he exclaimed, there is my
fathers warehouse but it was already
afire in several places. Paul looked at the
building monet, and then astonished the
rest by shouting at the top Of his voice
Saved Saved Saved II He then
rushed toward the sidewalk, followed by
the others. In almost a second he tore the
cover of a man-hole III the walk, through
which coal was conveyed to the cellar. He
ordered the sergeant and detective to drop
through quickly, and they obeyed al
though they knew not how an escape could
be effected in that direction-but then it
afforded temporary relief, and even that
was something, as we all wish to prolong
life to the very last moment Bertha and
Mrs. Soolfre were next carefully lowered
by Paul, who followed almost instantly
He was nearly smothered, but the cool air
Of the cellar soon revived him. They were
now among casks and general rubbish of
all kinds overhead they could distinctly
hear the awful surglng roar Of the fire.
Paul now led the way directly across the.
cellar, which proved to extend from the
street they had just left to the next para
llel street, into which they soon emerged
through a similar man-hole in the walk.
The street in which they now found them
selves was slightly afire, but they came
out of the cellar directly opposite an alley,
which led to a street the IRE had not yet
reached, and thus escaped.
When they had arrived at place of
comparative safety, the detective told the
sergeant that higher power had relieved
them of their labOrs.
As | came running up La Sale street,
a man was seen madly rushing toward the
fire. We tried to stop him, but failed he
entered store in the lower part Of large
building. the upper stories Of which were
q cracking furnace of fire. We all expect
ed he had perished, but in a moment or
two he appeared, hatless, and waved aloft
| trinmnhantlv q neatly tied nm marcel but