Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-15
auother Great Fire in Chicago.

H.gr.tion is raging in the heart of the CITY,
Tho fire started about 1870 p. N. 10 some small
frame houses near Fourth avenue and Polk
street. Ii was first blown southwark by stlH
bre, r., but the wind soon shifted, and oy sun
set it blew gale from the south, sehd'ng the
fire towards the central part or the CITY; al
half-past 6 O'Clock this afternoon the nanes
had made almost clean sweep up 10 ne COT
ner of Third avenue and Folk street, burning
M the homes of thousands of people. At the
above corner the Fire Department commenced
the process of blowing up houses with gunpoW-
der. but those experimental with were most
all wooden buildings, and the process only mad
the effect OF making a quicker blaze.
dense black pail of smoke is passing over
the expected course Of the fire, dropplOg It's
advance messengers of cirdcrs on the roofs OF
buildings. Although private citizens are do
ing their utmost TO prevent the IRE getting
hold upon their houses, yet the effort Is as III
tile as for child to make the attempt. Inc
roar of the advancing furnace has the sound OF
our old calamity, and nothing short OF It's naai
plunge into Lake Michigan will quench IT,
Oar streets within a mile of the conhagra-
ton are crowded with teams of every descrlp'
| tim. loaded 10 their utmost capacity with
household goods. Although storekeepers who
are so fortunate as to secure teams are enueaF-
nr;np 70 save their most valuable stock, whcr-
.vrr vacant SPACE north of the fire can DC iuund
i i At once filed with goods of all descriptions
and varieties Men, women aud children are
| dnny nil they can to save their little al aud
hr;ur !, to some place of safety. The fire from
this an will burn UP as much 10 i've minutes as
il has previously done III fifteen, considering
The value in dollars and cents. ne neat Is
very great and no duuSt that III addition 10
p.cuniary losses we will have TO mourn the loss
of lives, as ii is next to Impossible Tor nre ol
this magnitude aud fury 20 buru through as
closely settled district without human sacrl-
fee. ~
The principal lines of the Western Union
Telegraph Company running east through
STATE street have all been burnt The hire has
hnrnt over, so far, about half a mile in length
and some four blocks III width, and although
an EXPLOSION OF guupowdcr is heard every little
Willie, there is but lilte hope Of staying the
fire short of the limits giveu above.
The fire broke out at the corner OF Twelfth
and Harrison streets, and has now swept to he
Garner of Harrison aud Lake streets. The Post
,fEjre has been destroyed. The coutents were
saved. The frnmen have 40 conrol over the
flames The excitement is Intense.
10 o clock U. m-The fire swept into and
over the elegant First Baptist Church, on v "a
bash avenue, aud what was his evening be-
lore SHUTDOWN one OF the most elegant aud cost
~ church ed!fccs in our city is pow shoulder
| Ing heap Of ruins. As it was very evident irom
about 6: 80 y. H. that our Pu>othce building
was doomed General Macarthur, the PostmasI-
err made arrangements at once to remove the
M Ills 70 place of safety, and all needed teams
were at once pressed into service 10y hun, aud
bv S o clock the last loaded wagon lett the
,fInI No
building took fire, and BY hail past O'clock II
was mass of flames.
The wind by 5 o'clock had almost died away,
which assisted the fire department greatly III
becoming masters of the situation. At the
corner where the postotice was situated, at
Wabash avenue and Harrison street, the very
point We're the previous great fire was stopped
our tireluen seemed to be Inspired with super
human efforts 10 prevent the fire from spread
ing into the rebuilt district, and here it was
| that all their energies were concentrated to bar
It's further progress.
The building on the southeast corner was
large brick dwelling house, and by making
| bulwork of this against the ever oD-comlng
sheets OF f mes, the prospect of holding this
| building and saving it., thereby preventing the
progress of the fire through to Michigan avenue
was quite promising at $50 clock, whereas
the northeast corner Of these streets, occupied
by our postc flee, was then mass OF flames.
As very heavy and high brick bulldog at
Joined the post office on the north there is no
doubt that the spread of the fire north OF Wa
bash avenue from this point has been checked.
Among the buildings destroyed on the east
side of Wabash avenue was the church build
Ing formerly occupied by the cougrcg CATION Of
Robert L1ird ColIyer.
| 1t seems somewhat singular that the contia-
grafton should be checked by the very build.
ing spared by the previous fire, which should
now be the last one to succumb this time. The
mails were all removed to the sub station on the
corner of West Washington aud Halstead sts.
Between Edridge Court and Harrison street,
on the east side Of Wabash avenue, some doz-
en- handsome buildings were destroyed On the
whole west side between these limits, every
building was leveled with the ground, aud
looking west the dead level Of ruins is presented
as yividIy engraved on the memories of our ln-
habitants Of ISL.
The losses eulailed by this fire in the destruc-
ton aud removal of goods AMI furniture IN all
probability are as great as the actual loss IN
buildings destroyed up 10 $50 p. NJ, tor 1t
takes but moderate sized fire to induce Chi
cago people TO clear out their goods and chat
tells.
About every store aloug Wabash avenue and
State street, az far north as Monroe street, was
removing goods, or the most valuable part of
them, 10 places of safety, aud dwelling houses
10 this apparent line Of the fire, we're DOT slow
in following the same instinct OF self-preserva-
ton, by the removal of everything portable
from cellar to garrett. The destruction entailed
by this speedy aud hurried exodus, will never
figure among the losses sustained by insurance
companies 1t is very probable, should the
fire be stayed where it DOW is, considering the
area burned over, the losses to insurance com
pauies are very light, although hundreds and
hundreds Of families lost their all, and have
been rendered homeless. The bad have sui
Jered with the good, and probably that section
Of the city would not have been purified of its
slums 80 thoroughly in the next fifty years, as
it has this evening, in the space of three hours.
1890 p m.-The fight with the fire Is DOW
in State street aud Wabash avenue, between
j Il