New-York tribune., 1874-07-16
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE FLAMES.

THE FIGHT AGAINST THE FLAMES.
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRESS OF THE
CONFEDERATION AND THE EFFORTS TO sUBDUE
1.-THE ST. JAMES HOTEL THE LAST BUILDING To
sUCCUMB-A SINGLE FIRE-PROOF WALL TIE
SAVIOR OF MuLONs-ATrEMPTS TO BLOW Up
BUILDINGS.
CHICAGO, July 1j.-The following general de-
scrpton progress of the fire. and the efforts OF
the fire department to get il control furnished
by The Times:
Nearly east Of The shantv where the fire originated
was the large brick oil refinery OF Fitch Brothers, the
interior OF which, with its large tanks OF OIL was ~
ahlaze before tho arrival oi the seeonu enE!le Aao
heat emitted 10y the burning OF ITS lnummanle content
when the walls fCil bat a IcW minute
alter the arst stream gar play upon 1t, the wnoe
nsibbornooi for radius OF rnIty rods around seemed
10 burst forth IN one 7lutAeOu, D"Ze JUS & noi an i u
with hay, which famed up in an instant,
aud the hynS wispy r M s'c DnI"aG I aid the r
spread after il first discovered thaJ Two horses III
TINS barn were burned 10 oeatn peaote s , 1r 1t,1 %
rescued. The elsht or Ten engiuea ~ .u - - 80,
we're speedily the ground and the most OF then TOOK
their stations ou Clakst., whtn hafsha BeDhtI
1temned to check the northern spread Of the flames.
lglDe No q ana one other we're staI0heu On rOuFiH-
ave and a vigorous fight with the advancing roe was
begun. AT this point ten minutes aSi ] eiIo ~ Z , '' -
tbe nine shautIes stretching eastward toward fOurth-
I'VE were all in flames for nearly haf square t'fJ
O'Clock, Il minutes atItr the Alst alarm, a'sIsJ'n @ w ~
,ha Sweeney turned on the second adrnl ana ehgura
from the greater part OF the south Divsion anu from
several OF the West side engneAousea were soon az e
THE FIRE AT sTATE-sT.
Having reached state-st. the nre was In its glory
rUo-,tory frames was the rule and substantial struc
ture the exception The flames leaped from building to
buldiug now aud tneB skipping structure or two TO
facilitate its progress but never negecng to bring up
the rear and make clean work Of IT, Tnc hremen fought
yaiantly among these shlnties. The most that could
be done was 70 prevent it spreading sOuthward, and
this was accomplished. steamer was stationed at
Hauum-cOurt, which forms nearly the southern HmIt
On state-st.. ana BOYS connected herewith did
valiant service They fOsght tins hre into It's very
teeth. ana enable them 10 do 50 theY made Oaril
cade out Of theatrical sgnDOArd wnch was held IN
rnut OF the ppemcu. aud thus tile tire was approached
AZ closely that the sl-uDOdri TOOK lrt me WhI IL
StofesT from W4hash-ave. Now for Arst time
about O'clock. Jle ire began To Iced upon he aflstoc
racy. Thousands OF dollars were consumed every mn
ule The danger OF utter destruction became more I'M
minent every moment. More help was wanted anu
accordingly teiegrdns we're sprd over lHo WIS 70 MI
waukee. Racine. Joliet, and other places Iney read
send IN your tire department. In t-e course Oh tae
night came responses ia the shtpe o! ST. var nJ "h
apparatus, and they did valiant service hsh4ns me
flames " i smaller aud smaller lnlL
MICHIGAN-AvE SAVED.
The fire having reached WaOash-ave., with the wind
blowing from the southwest MIchigln-.ye. seemed
doomed TO destruction in fact the thought Of saving
any portion IT, from Edrdgecourt 10 pol At least
as far north Harrlsonst was abandoned, and yet.
contrary 70 all expectations. every house In that limit
stands intact. Every house ON WaDdshYe parallel %
rms was destroyed but the narrow alley between the
two stood as barrier as II IL nad Dccn an III
terveDlng mountain. Every house Michigan
was vacated the lined with trucks, backed
up against the windows bat about O'Clock most OF the
people moved back agaln IAe ordeal was safely
re having reached the eastern limit tho hLmes found
their way rapidly northward, three Docks abreast
There was little trying night the flames in the face
f the wind, which increased IN violence every moment
In the vicinity the cOnh grafton regular gale
blowing The neat was so intense tdt te hremen could
not stand within 100 feet OF the nre IN the direction II
WAS speeding hence IL had TO be fought ON the HANK
there being little hope Of saving Mlchigan-ave. The
policy seemed to be TO ngnt nto the axe Oy CLOSING on
its sides. ThIs plan was adopted Though eHors were
not aDated to Mchganaye Al o'clock ali danger
was over would make its way further southwark,
more threatening pOius though II was not sale 10 leave
the whole line exposed
THE FLAMES CHECKED AT CLARK-sT
Al 8 O'Clock the fire checked 40 ClLrk-st., AMI
then there was no danger that II would pass west
ward After that engines covered the entire field
from Polkst south Clark around by Twefih-st, 10
Wabash-ave., where the engagement was growing
hotter and hotter every moment. When the southern
and OF the fire nad been made secure the
northern aud eastern lines OF attack we're reinforced
anld the enemy confined into narrower ana narrower
quarters Hlrfison-st Ihc nend was iOrced ~ give
nm Fourtn-aye aud Third-ave. at Van Buren-st. The
monster was driven out OF 5tate-st, tue 81 James
DeIng the last building 70 succumD. When the nre
reached that point the interest III ts progress secae
Intense IL was moving along both sides Of state
between Harrison and Van Bnreu-sts On Jhe west sue
stood massive of four or nye-stGry marDn fronts
on the side was tae 81 James. beyoni TIE oi.
lame. nOrthvard was open space several hundred
feet square. There was good nope " stahu was
made al tins Iotei' thAt tn1 Ai.iea % snn Moula
on the west SHE there was no sucn ohrrler,
aud it was certain tnat the whole row woud 20 ana
then, crossing Van Buren-S~, make lts way 10 @ ,no
Palmer House. Opposite the -. James stOOi "a !1H4-
story 'front.', covering about four nhmDers Is
wAs divided from the bdldlng s0uth Dy single io %
feet wide-t mere bagateile, said eVerybOut Anu
nobody that that nttle space wOuh cherh
the names, buI Fortunately splendlu nfepIool
wall been reared 10 the south. Madly the hAnes
/ az