National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-07-16


MICHIGAN AVENUE.
Every house on Michigan avenue was vacated. |
The street was lined with trucks, backed up
against windows, but about 0 o'clock most of
the people moved back again. The ordeal was |
safely passed, and our handsome lake frcnt |
was preserved. The fire having reached its
eastern limit the flames found their way rap |
idly northward, three blocks abreast. There |
was little use IN trying to fight the flames IN |
the face Of the wind, which increased in vio- |
lence every moment. In the vicinity of the |
confagration regular gale was blowing
DESPERATE COMBAT.
The heat was so intense that the fremen |
could not stand within one hundred feet Of the |
fire In the direction it was spreading, hence it
had to be fought on the flank. There being
but little hope of saving Michigan avenue, the |
policy seemed to be to fight it INTO the lake by |
closing on It's sides. This plan was adopted, |
though efforts were not abated to save Michi- |
gan avenue.
At o'clock all danger was over that It |
would make its way further southwark, and |
the force there was soon dispatched to the |
more threatening points. though 4 was not safe |
to leave the whole line exposed. At O'Clock |
the fire was checked at Clark street, and then |
there was no danger It would pass westward. |
After that time two engines covered the entire |
field from Polk street south, on Clark, around |
BY Twelfth street to Wabash avenue, where |
the engagement was growing hotter and hotter
every moment. When the southern and
western ends of the fire had been made secure
the northern and eastern lines of attack were
reinforced, and the. enemy confined into mar
rover and narrower quarters on Harrison
street. The fend was forced to give up Fourth
avenue and Third avenue ct Van Buren, street.
The monster was driven out of State street, the
st. James being the last building to succumb.
When the fire reached that point the interest
in its progress became intense It was moving
along both sides of State, between Harrison
and Van Buren, streets. On the west side stood
massive row of four or five-StOry marble
fronts. On the east side was the st. James;
beyond the st. James nOrthward was an open
space several hundred feet square. There was
good hope, if q stand was made at this hotel,
that the flames would be prevented from cross
ing this open space. On the west side there
was no such barrier, and it was, certain that
the whole row would go, and then crossing
Van Buren, street, make its way to the Palmer
house. Opposite to the ST. James stood four
story marble front, covering about four num-
bers. This was divided from the building
south by single lot twenty-five feet. "a
mere bGgatelie," said everybody, and nobody
anticipated that that little space would
CHECK THE FLAMES,
but It did. Fortunately splendid fire-proof
wall had been reared to the south. Madly the
flames beat against it, and went clear over the
building, setting fire to the st. James, but this
wall stood the test grandly, and though there
was fire to the south and fire to the east and
and not a pint of water thrown on it, the build
ing stands there at this writing, SAVIOUR of
millions. It was
THE CITADEL OF THE COMPLICATION:
its surrender would have given the whole city
over to the raving enemy. Instinctiyely every
one in sight of the scene appreciated the i'm
portanee Of the position, and when the building
to the south tumbled together with q thunder
ing crash and was thereafter harmless, shout
from fifty thousand Threats rose high above the
roar of the confagration. While this building
stood the brunt and onslaught of what might
be called overwhelming odds, q four-stOry
house apparently out of all danger, on the cor
rer of Wabash avenue and Van Buren street,
took fire from the st. James hotel. An upper
window had been left open and the curtain was
set on fire by stray sparks. In a moment the
whole interior was filled with flames, and IL
seemed that now two more squares must fall
sacrifices; but fortunately the flames were con-
fined to that and the adjoining building, and
the fire had reached its northern limit.
Having hitherto Stunned Michigan avenue, |
the IRE now turned upon u, making its way
along Congress street, and consumed the
Oceanic building, structure once occupied IS
the fremont house, and two others, and then !
was finally and effectually squelched lust in |
time to save those noble structures, the Matte |
son and Gardner houses and Exposition build |
ing. The wooden cupola of the German Evan |
gelical church, corner of Scotland street and |
Third avenue, was set on fire by sparks and |
the church was almost destroyed, and the |
flames reached the wooden buildings imme- |
diately south of it. At this point an effort was |
made to
BLOW UP SOME BUILDINGS
under direction of Mark Sheridan, Colonel Lip |
pincott and Captain A. McCloud. A key of |
powder was placed in No. % Polk street, |
two-story frame building. The destruction of |
the building was complete. Powder was next |
placed in the building at the southwest corner |
of Polk street and Third avenue. By this time, |
however, the flames were so close that before !
the place could be cleaned out they had crossed /
the street and broken out north of Polk street. |
Several attempts were afterwards made to blow |
up buildings on State street, between Polk and
Van Buren, streets, notably at the st. James |
hotel, but nothing efectual was accomplished. |
1t was impossible to obtain powder in sufficient |
quantities to accomplish the work.
SYMPATHY FROM BOSTON.
BosToN, July 15.-Mayor Cobb sent q mes
sage to the mayor of Chicago to-day conveying /
the sympathy of the people of BOston with the |
fire sufferers, and asking if anything could be ,
done TO alleviate the misfortune. -
Dispatches of similar character were also
sent by the chief of the Boston police and the |
secretary of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation.
THE INSURANCE.
LOSSES BY NEW YORK COMPANIES.
New YORK, July 15-The fire in Chicago |
last night has occasioned some heavy losses |
among the insurance companies in this city, |
~. 49, 1gr-Te
as most of the damage occurred in the district /
where the rates of the board companies were |
very high, in consequence of the infammable |
character of the buildings.
The following Is list of some of the losses |
among the local insurance companies Home, |
$3.50, 900; Phoenix of Brooklyn, Sc, 900 to $780,
900; German American, SIS, 900 to 5000; |
GeImania, go, 900; Republic, $1,000; Under |
writer's Agency, $57 900; Hoffman, 81, 800; At |
lantic, $4,000; Continental, $780, 900; Hanover,
$40 900; Standard, SIC, 900; North British and
Mercantile, $40, 600; Howard, $4,000 to $685.
900; Manhattan, 81, 800; National, s., 200; |
Citizens, $4,000; Irving, $500; Williams |
burgh City, $4,000; LQrillard, $4,000; Farra- |
gut, 81 600; New York and Yonkers, Sl2 900; |
Star, 81, 600; Adriatic, 81, 800; Niagara, $1,000;
Hamburg and Bremen, $50, 900.
THE BOSTON COMPANIES.
BosToS, July 15-The following are the |
cago that have suffered by the fire: Franklin,
$500; FaAeuil Hall, 81 500; Manufacturers,
5000 to ,S7, 500; the Shoe and Leather, a
small amount, and Prescott not over $4,000;
Neptune, $4,000 to 81 500; North American,
s., 500, on the Baptist church.
THE HARTFORD COMPANIES.
HARTFORD, July 15.-The risks OF
Hartford insurance companies on property in
the Chicago burnt district amounts to $l73 900,
as follows: Eha, S75, 900; Hartford, SAT 900;
National, S25, coo; Phoenix, S17, 900; Connect
cut, 81, 900; Orient, 1880 and Atlas, 81 800.
THE Providence COMPANIES.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., July 15.-The Provi-
dence Insurance Companies represented in
Chicago lose less than 81 ,000each.
THE NEW CABLE SPLIcED.
PORTSMOUTH, n. H, July 15.--The shore
end of the telegraph cable was successfully
landed from the steamer Ambassador at Rye
Beach at three O'Clock this morning. The
crew and electricians were assisted by many Of
the toWnsmen and ! number of ladies' and