, 1874-07-15
THE FIRE.


{CoNt{NHoA from tho Seventh Fa6es1
ne their cigars, and enjoying tho
prospect evidently ~ much ~
thor would horne raco, On the Bilewalks COL
orcd folka wero rushing to and fro. soaking
friends and aolsor. 1tost of thom woro vol
dressed, tho women being arrAyod as on gala
DAYS.
Thus far tho viev atowod tho fro confined to
ono Of the poorest secsious Of tho oity. Comiug
to State streos, 1t MAS seen spreading scrosa Wa-
bash Ayonuo townrd Michigan. The former
avenue boro strikiug resemblance to It's
aspect on tia morning Of Oot. o. 1871. Along
its spacious lawns, In heterogeneous oon-
fusion voro hoared household gonila. Even tho
sidowa!lsa woto blocked with furniture, while the
Bt1eot wns literally jammod with 7ohiolos, COM
nauded by excited, Bwoaring Jol,us. The ra-
dant goldon cross npon St. Mary's Cathedral in-
dcated TINT cdiflce had escaped destruction.
Not 80
THE MAGNIFICENT T1rssr baptist CHURCH,
nearly opposite. Dotoro o'clock the wooden
pinnaoles surmounting tho towor caught
fire, and in fow minutes the benutifnl
ivy-oroHncd tomp!o-tho prido OF tho Baptist
denomination-was enguIphed In nauc. Just
before This. when lta destruction Bosmed fmuf.
nont Mai. D. W. Whittlo and Messrs. Nehc-
mtah .I1awhinn aud D. ". Baker entered tho
sacred ediGoo md held = prayer-meetfng. A
similar Incident occurred on the day OF tho
Great Fire. Dr.. Evorts, The pastor, and fow
brothren hold q prayor- -moottnR aud rising
from their doyotionn, bado sdiou to tho build
Ing. Tho church cost about 100000.
....,, ALONG MICHIGAN AvENuR
tho roaldonta were rapidly Yachting their houses.
This alarm was hardly justified. Tho wind Was
now due north, oarrying tho 1nmoa a!ong Wa
bash avenne and State Breot. For an hour or
moro tho Post Ol1co building hold out. It Ind
stayad the aoutiwarl prograss Of tho last great
fire, and a vast multitude Of anxioun spectators
now Watched to SEQ whether tho old church
would again stay tho famoa. but rho wind
scattered tho burning e,nbers in shovora upon
1t, And, shortly after O'clock a thin blue flame
shot out Of tho southeastern turret, and, within
1lvo mlnutes tlcroattor, tho building was
ablaze. Moro curiosity was directed towards it's
fate than to any other building burned. Several
othors,-notah1y tho Joncs School, PFuHsing's
Vinegar Works, Pat O'Nes wholesale liquor
ntoro,-mado moro magnificent display; but
interest III tlom wae confined to fow. Meau-
tilne thousands OF burnad-out citizons Ind CIR
rIcd all they lad saved to
LAKE rAnK,
and lain down thero it to protect It. Tugs nnd
amal! bonts wero cut upon tho river, affording to
thoir occupants cool, sato view Of tho msgnia-
Gently sublime Bpectuclo.
Until nearly midnight Michigan avenue seemed
destined to oncape. Thon Tho wind changed
somewhat to tho cast, and tho Michigan avenue
House, formerly tho fremont, caught fire. The
1nier-ocoanio buildings, on the opposite side Of
Congress-, followed, and tho ant!Quatod house
four dae8fHs south, on Michigan, known ia tho
Ezra Tayict tsace. also took fire. Tho block Of
three houBea next north hold out. Higher aud
hiyhor roso the aanseu In
TIE MICHIGAN AVENUE GousE,
wroathing and shooting upward hundred feet
or more in tho air, and when tho entito front OF
tho six-Btory building became QUO sLeet Of
Anu1o, tho climax Of sublimitY In tho grand
spectacle was seon. Thousands OF men md
women gazod onraptured Oh the awful suouo,
ouch eagor to SEQ the wills give nay. The fire.
luou brought from Michigan City BY special
train, and halted opposite tho house, we're just
iu timo to witness lts downfall. Tho northeast
co1lor frat gaSo way, falling outward, and tho
corCor diagonnlly opposite followed. Thinking
tho full sweep Of tho conaugration Ind boon
reached, aud believing it to be under control, tho
spectators begau slowly to disperee, though
44AkAt ASt0444A4IA w h@ttA ~ 2Abtu3 VAbs
THE MAYOR,
surrounded BY 1otinue OF Aldermen, took IN
his position at tho cornor.of WAbAsh avenue
nnd Jackson street aud had to listen to the
thousand and ono moro or leBs stupid suggoa-
tionB 1T tho byBtanders. He wanted tho streets
cleared. but the authority was not Oh haud aud
thoorowd which surgoa round tho immense fra1no
Of our Chief Magistrate was perfectly i'm
itrin11A FTtIo ,r1,foh ri II
self to tho Mayors mind mas, whether OF not,
powder should he employed IN tho destruction OF
the building nearest to tue southwest corner OF
Jackson street ard WabuHh ayunuo. AID. Bailey
vas suro that II this building were blown down
tho fro could bo saved but the Navor was op-
posed to explosions, aud insisted that tho Fro
Department could hinder the flames from passing
point at which he stood. Col. Baldwin declared
himself ready to blow tho building to buzos
with forty pounds Of powder, but tho Mayor
dissente4, uud besides tho Colonel had hot The
powder. No moro Lad any one else, 10 the en-
ginecring feat waB necessarily dispensed with.
Taking into tho consideration that tho Mgyor IL
q lnsn Of exceedingly irascbe disposition, no
conducted himself towards Ills toru,entora In
munner which showed that hc could sink per-
aoual considerations iu front Ut i general cal
nuilty.
ALUDIcRoUs INCIDENT
Of tho fire was the plucky and successful At
tempt OF woman to aaye from burning build
ing what sho apparently held doarcr to her than
life itself. While tile roof OF her building was
aglow With flame, sho rushed into 1t, and, after
q disappearance Of about ten minutcs' duration,
reappcarod, bearing III her arms four cats, all of
them bowling and cawing In most energetic
style. Bearing her precious burden iu ler arms,
she fought hor way through tho crowd Oh Fourth
aronno, ind was soon Lost to view With los
feline ntlinltes,
THE MOTT PAINFUL nua1on ArLoAr
wah that Of tho destruction iu Fourth avenue
tonoment-houso of seyon colorod children and
NJ old colored Indy. 1t wasatatod tint thoy lad
been left There un0or charge Of the old lady and
thnt thoir rotront was cut or before thoY became
awaro Of the situatlou. Tho story WIS not cir
ouinatantiatcd. however, ana II must IN the lack Of