Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-09-25
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Chicago was visited on Wednesday
afternoon by the most disastrous con-
fayration that has occurred siucc the
memorable fire of Oct. 9, 1871. The
fire originated in two-story frame
building ut 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 Southwestern, almost APP
preached to a gale !; the buildings,
being of frame, were like tiudcr-boxes,
and the many tons of hay stored in the
building in which the fire originated
gave it a Roadway that very near dcficd
the best efforts of the fire department.
The flames soon swept through the
block to Halsted street. The stemming
of the flaming food on the west of Hal
sted street was not accomplished until
it came to the packlng-house of
Richard NJ. Oliver, at No. 500
Halsted street, corner of Wright
street. When a furious gust of wind
that had in the meantime arisen, aud
threatened to aid the fire fiend in lick
ing up everything that came in its way.
were blowing their tierccst, and carry
ing the torches Of humiliation from
house to house, the fire lcaped Halstel
street to the east side of that thorough
fare, and laid hold of the buildings
fringing it with the grasp of hum
drcd handed demon. Quickly the first
house on the northeast corner of
Meagllcr street was in fanny
folds and then the second, third,
and fourth followed in rapid
succession. The small cottages, barns,
out-houscs, etc, located on and in the
rea- of Measher, Catherine and Bar
Der streets, speedily succumbed when
the east side of Halsted street began to
go. The northeasterly direction was
still preserved, aud, 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 lashed into q frenzy
by every new object, it ate
it's way from Meagher to Cath
crime street, leveling the frames
that were in its way, aud taking about
three Fights of the square from Hal
sted to Union streets. 1t then continued
its march, and held on it's way to Bar
Der street. Inch by inch, in the face
of flying sparks, binding smoke,
scorching flames, in 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 it
by sheer pluck, and all the plumber it
was allowed north of Barber street was
comprised in the store on the northeast
corner Of that aud Halsted street and o
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 inexorablc monster was de-
clared complete,
The only loss of life, so far as re-
ported, occurred about 3 o'clock, in a
tenement building or the east side of
Halsted street. A baby belonging to
IL HOOA 40uAAy IuAI OCCupAcu IOOuS III
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 $4,000 each IN value, making a
total loss of 1925, 600 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 we'll
posted arc 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-tive families, numbering
about 300 persons, were rendered
homeless.
The excitement throughout the city
during the progress of the fire was in
tense, and fears were at one time en-
tcrtained that the fire would agrin des-
olatc the city. Happily these fears
proved groundless.