Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-15
Great ConAagration In
Chicago!
IMMENSE LOSS OF PROPERTY
Hundreds OfFamiiieS
Homeless.
FIRE UNDER CONTROL.

Chicago, IA. About 6 o'clock tonight a
fire broke out on 18th street, and soon four
or five buildings were consumed The last
account represented that the nre was con.
fined to few old rookeries, but fears are
entertained that it will spread to the lake.
The First Baptist church on Wabash avenue
was then on fire. The wind is quite fresh
from southwest.
Chicago, III 2. M.-Another confaera-
ton is raging in the heart of the city. At
$50 the flames had almost made a clean
sweep up to the corner of Third avenue and
Polk street, burning up the homes of thou
sands of people.
At the above corner the fire department
commenced the work of bio wing up buildings
with gunpowder, but the buildings expert
mented with were small wooden affairs and
only had the effect to quicken the flames.
The wind is now blowing very fresh from
about southwest.
The fire is now on the verge of the fire
line of our big fire, at Harrison street
The west side of Wabash avenue is now in
full blaze, which takes many stately build
ing in its course which offered haven of
refuge in the winter of 1871. The fire is
just Immediately in the rear Of the lst Bap-
fist church, and should that structure go the
fire " i'll have clean sweep to the northward
and eastward and the Exposition building
will in likelih cd be the final prey of the fire;
and as that is Immediately on the lake shore
there will be nothing for the fire to feed up
on, provided we have the good fortune not to
have a change of wind.
A dense black pail of smoke is hanging
over the expected course of the fire dropping
its advance messages Of cinders on the roofs
of the buildings.
Although private citizens are doing their
utmost to prevent the fire getting hold upon
their homes, yet the effort is as futile as for
a child to make the attempt.
The roar of the advancing furnace has the
sound of our old calamity, and nothing short
of its final plunge into Lake Michigan will
quench it.
Streets within mile of the coufiagation
are crowded with teams of every description
loaded to their utmost capacity with house
hold goods. Storekeepers who are so fortu-
nate as to secure team are endeavoring to
save their most valuable stocks. Whenever
a vacant space north of the fire can be found
it is at once filled with goods of all descrip-
tions and varieties. Men, women and chill
dren are doing all they can to save their lit.
tie all and are carrying it to some place of
safety
The fire from this one will burn up as much
fifteen, considering the value of dollars and
cents.
The heat is very great and there is no
doubt thhat in addition to the pecunary loss
we will have loss of life, as it is next to im-
possible for fire Of this magnitude and fury
burning through so closely settled district
as this without calling for many human
sacrifice.
As the post office is directly in line with
the fire its employees will have all they can
do to save the mail matter in the build
ing, and consequently there will be no mails
from the city this evening and there can by
no possibility be one sent before tomorrow
evening.
The principal lines of the Western Union
Tel. Co., running east through state street,
have all been burned (some 40 wires, but as
the lines on Canal street are out of all pos
sible danger there will be no interruption
of Geographic communication.
The fire has burned over so far about half
a mile in length and some four blocks wide,
and although the explosion of gunpower is
still heard every little while there is but little
hope of staying the fire short of the limits
above given.
$50 p. MA large brick building on Wa
bash avenue that checked the flames in the
old fire, seems to hold them in check now.
The tiremen are using every exertion to stay
the spread of the flames northward into the
re built district and Michigan avenue. The
mails in the post office were all removed be-
fore the building was burned, to safe place.
At this hour the wind has died away some
what and the hope is now that the fire will be
kept from spreading further northward. The
last building burned was on the corner Of
Harrison street and Wabash avenue.
Q =. M.-The fire broke out at the corner
Of 18th and Harrison streets. The post Office
has been destroyed. The Gardiner and the
Matteson Houses are in danger. The fire.
men have no control over the flames. The
excitement is intense.
10 p. M.-The fire swept into and over the
elegant LIST Baptist church on Wabash ave-
nue., and what was before shutdown one Of
the most elegant and costly edifces in the
city is now a heap of ruins.
There is no doubt the spread of the fire
north of Wabash avenue has been checked.
1t seems somewhrt singular that the confia-
grafton should be checked by the very build
ing spared by the previous fire should be one
Of the last to Succumb this time.
Between Eldrdge court and Harrison ST.,
on the east side of Wabash avenue, some II
whole of the west side Of the avenue between
limits WAS leveled fiat and looking west
the same dead level of ruins is presented as
was wildly engraved on the memories of our
inhabitants in 1871.
The losses entailed in the destruction and
removal of goods and furniture is in all prob
ability as great as teh actual loss on the build
ngs destroyed up to $50 p. NJ, for it takes
but moderate sized fire to induce Chicago
people to clear ont their goods.
1t is very probable that should the fire be
stayed where it now is, considering the area
burned over the losses to insurance compan-
les are very light, although hundreds of fam
lies lose their all and are rendered homeless.
1890 p. NJ - The fight with the fire is now
On State street and Wabash avenue, between
Van Buren, and Harrison SITS.
ii p. M.-Contrary to the hopeful expec-
.ations expressed at $50, the fire from that
lime has gained upon the fire department and
N spite of the efforts of all the department it
las progressed northward and is working
along Michigan avenue towards the EXPOSE
ion building. The fire is now between Van
Buren, and Jackson streets in its northern
limits and is burning with great fierceness,
md beyond control.
The fire is within two blocks of the Palmer
Jouea and evarv ofYnrt is Naipu p,ada IN eaya