Arizona citizen., 1874-07-18
CHICAGO ON FIRE AGAIN.

I l patch to The Alta dated Ogden 4:30 this
 p. m. states that another terrible cOnfla- grafton is now raging in Chicago. A dozen | blocks have succumbed to the flames which are still rolling along licking up
 building after building with terrible ra- | pidity. The center of the fire is at State and Van Buren streets.
 SECOND DISPATCH, 5:30 D. m.-The Alta has just posted the following special:
 CHICAGO, July II, p. m.-The flames are raging with unabated fury. The fire originated in the oil room of the Michi-
 gan Southern railroad shops on Fourth avenue at 4:30 D. m. The present bOun- darieS of the fire are from Fourth avenue to Michigan avenue, and from Twelfth to Harrison streets on the north. The con tiagration is apparently beyond control
 A fierce wind is blowing and the flames
 are spreading rapidly.
 CHICAGO, 6 p. m.-The fire is still burn ing and the flames are advancing with ra- pid speed. Already fifteen blocks have
 been destroyed, consisting for the greater blowing very hard-a perfect gale-and no
 man can tell what the result will be. All
 the streets are thronged with people and
 the greatest excitement prevails. Build
 ings are now being blown up to arrest the
 progress of the flames. Great fears are entertained that the new postOffice build
 ing will be reached by the fire.
 THIRD DISPATCH, 6:45 p. m.-The fire is now under control and it is believed that the flames will be kept within the present limits.
 CHICAGO, July 4.-An awful calamity has again befallen this city. At half past four o'clock this p. m., a fire broke out in barn in the rear of No. 527 South Clark street, near the corner of Twelfth and in
 region where the fiimsiest order of build ings are the rule, and it did not take long to fan the blaze into terrible cOnf1agr;, ton. A second, third and then general alarm followed rapidly and soon the en- tire fire department was at work. A stiff gale was blowing from the southwest and the flames swept steadily on. They were hedged in on either side by the efforts Of the hremen, but reSiStless in their awful
 march toward the junction of the lake
 and river, taking nOrtheasterly direc- ton. The Ire burned clear Swath about
 block in width from the Park, the start
 ing point, across Fourth and then Third
 avenues, striking State street at Eldridge
 court, and moving down to the COntlnen-
 tai hotel, like a reed; then widening out toward the north, the flames swept across
 Wabash avenue between Hubbard and
 Peck courts, destroying the splendid First
 Baptist church, one of the finest churches
 in the city, which escaped the great fire of
 1871; also consuming the Jewish Syna-
 gogue near Peck court. At D. m. it seem-
 ed as if the fire would sweep through
 Michigan avenue, and being hemmed in
 on either side by the tiremen, would go IL.
 But fates ordered otherwise. While the
 Baptist church was wrapped in flames and
 nremen were eXerting themselves 10 the utmost to keep the fire within it's limits, the wind yeered around and blew from the south changing the direction of the fire and turning flames towards heaviest and best buildings erected since 1871 on
 Wabash avenue, State and Clark streets and Michigan avenue; up to this time il seemed that Harrison street would be eX- northern i,11f change of wind that hope died out in a moment, the fire leaped across the street and the pOStotfice was mass of flames before the multitude could realize the ex- tent of new danger which threatened. At same hour flames sprang up again on State street and famed by . gale now blowing, swept northward until from State street to Wabash avenue, an awful whirl-
 wind of fire pressed forward towards prin- cipal business center of this seemingly fla ted city. After crossing Harrison street and devouring the pOstOtfice and build ings north, the flames leaped across Con- gress street and the great Adelphi theater soon crumbled into ashes. Davis sewing machine building, corner Harrison and
 Wabash, and it's stately neighborhood al- so proved mere fuel for flames. Both sides of Wabash from Eldridge court to Con- greSS street, with now and then an eXcep- tion of a building, are burned to the ground. State street Is in ruins from Har- mon court nearly as far north.
 10 P. M.-All great wholesale and retail houses on the south side are preparing for their seeming doom, by removing goods to places Ofsafety; even merchants in Wa ter street are busy in the same way, and every vehicle in Chicago is pressed in the service. All the better class of buildings in the newly constructed portion of south side, have fire apparatus of their own and all of them have steam up. The St. James hotel at corner Van Buren and State, is | now within grasp of the fire.
 10:30 P. M.-Upon the burning of Adelphi | theater, the fire jumped into its old track | of 1871 and crossed over on the north side ] of that street to Michigan avenue, destroy | ing Scammons buildings and sweeping | on toward Adams street, carrying every thing in it's way each side of avenue | Nearly it's entire distance from Congress street down was rebuilt after the great fire | in the most substantial and elegant man. ner. All business blocks were occupied | by extensive wholesale houses, furniture | millinery and carriage warehouses, etc. l The principal flames are sweeping down | this costly thoroughfare and the gale is | blowing so stiff1y that the efforts of fire | men seem useless.
 At Van Buren street the fire also made it's way through to Michigan avenue, and | Matteson and Gardner Houses and the | Exposition building are showered with cinders which fall so thickly that the sky