Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-15
The Rebuilt District Invaded.
The POstOfIlee, Adelphi Theatre,
Michigan Avenue, st. James and
Continental Hotels Gone.
The Fire Subdued at 3 O'clock this
Morning.
No Estimates Of the Millions Lost.

CHICAGO, July IA fire started about
$50 p. NJ. in some small frame houses near
Fourth avenue and Polk street. It was at
first blown southwark by a stiff breeze, but
the wind soon shifted and by sunset was a
gale from the South, sending the fire to-
wards the central part of the city.
AT half past six o'clock the fire had made
almost a clean sweep mp to the corner of
Third Avenue and Polk street. Burning up
the homes Of thousands of people. At the
above corner the Ere department COM
menced the process #
Blowing up Buildings
with gIIupowder, but they were small
wooden affairs and would only have the
effect Of making a quicker blaze, and the
wind blowing as il does. very fresh from
about south-sOCthwest, the fire is now on the
verge of the line of our big fire. At Harrison
street the west side of Wabasht avenue is
now i'm full blaze, which takes many a
stately building in its course, that offered
haven of refuge in the winter of 1871. The
fire is just Immediately in the rear of the
First Baptist Church, and should that
structure 60 down, it will have a clear
sweep TO the nOrthward and eastward, and
the Exposition building will, i'm all likeli-
hood, be the final prey of the fire, and as
that is Immediately on tn Lake shore, there
will be nothing further for the fire to feed
upon, provided we have thegoOd fortune to
not have a change of wind.
A Dense Black Pail
of smoke is hanging over the expected
course Of the fire, droppingit advance mes
sengerS Of cinders on the roofs Of the build
ings. Although private citizens are doing
the utmost in their power, yet the effort is
rs 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. Our streets,
within a mile Of the eOnflagration,
are crowded with teams of every
description, loaded to their utmost ca
pacities. Men. women and children are
doing their utmost to save their little
all. The work of the fire from this on will
burn up 9s much in one five minutes IS il
has previously in fifteen, considering the
value in dollars and cents. The heat is
very great and no doubt that in addition to
pecunialy losses, We viii have to mourn the
loss Of lives, as it is next to impossible fOT
AN VI llAlS anu dAA
ing through Is closely q settled district as
this has, without calling for
Many a Human Sacrifice
As the pOstoffice is directly in the line of
the confagratiOn. its employees will have
all they can do to save the mail. The
lines of the Western Union Telegraph run
ming east through State Street have all been
burnt-sOme forty wireS-but the lines on
Canal street are out Of ali possible danger. |
The fire has burnt over. so far. about half
mile in length. and some four blocks in
width, and although the explosion of gun
powder still is head every little while,
there is but little hopes of staying the fire |
short Of the limits given above.
Night Report.
As predicted the fire swept into and over
the elegant First Baptis. church. ard what |
was this evening before shutdown one of
the most elegant and costly church editiceS |
of our city is now but a smOldering heap
of ruins. Asst was very evident from the |
course Of the fire and strength Of the wind
AT halt-paSt six that the PuSt-Office building
was in all probability doomed, all needed |
teams We're At once pressed into the service |
by Postmaster Macarthur. and at ; o'clock |
the last loaded wagon left the building. and |
the place that had been the depository Of |
United Safes mail ccuteTiuL here was de- |
serted forever. At ten minutes Of eight |
O'Clock the building first caught and by |
half past eight it was
A Mass Of Flames.
The wind by eight O'Clock had almost died |
away, which assisted our fire department. |
At the corner where the poStOflice was
Wabash avenue and Harrison
street. the very point where orr previous |
great fire was stopped, our Eremen seemed |
to be inspired To superhuman efforts TO |
prevent its spreading into the rebuilt dis |
IriCt. and here, il was that all their eueT-
giOS We're concentrated to bar its further |
progress. The building on the southeast |
corner was a large brick dwelling house, |
and by making a bulwaTk Of this against |
the ever Oncoming sheets Of flames, the |
prospects Of holding this build |
ing and saving it and thereby pre-
venting the progress Of the fire through to |
Michigan Avenue was quite promising at |
half past eight O'Clock: whereas the north |
east corner Of these streets, occupied by |
our postOffice. was then a mass of flames. |
However as a very. high and heavy brick |
building adjoined the pOStoffice on the |
north, there is no doubt that the spread of |
the fire north OH Wabash Avenue from this |
point has been
Checked.
Among the buildings destroyed on the |
east side of Wabash Avenue was the |
church building formerly occupied by the |
Of Robt. Laird Colver. 1t |
seems somewhat singular that this cnnfla- |
grafton should be checked at the place |
where our biz fire was checked and that |
the very building spared by the previous
fire should re one Of the last to succumb |
this time.
The losses entailed by the removal of |
goods and furniture is in all probability as
great as tie actual loss of buildings and |
property. So far the losses of insurance |
are very light, although hun
dredS and hundreds of families lost their |
al and have been rendered homeless. The |
bad have suffered with the good. and prob |
ably that section Of the city would not have |
been purified Of its IS
Slums.
II, IL