The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-15
THE GREAT FIRE OF 1871

On the seventh OF October 1871, there came the
following startling despatch TO the HERALD
.sTo.night Is the most horrible night In the
nails OF Chicago raging. roaring hell OF nre en-
velops twenty blocks OF the city, Panic prevails~
and men. women and children are In the streets.
and weeping and wail1ng are heard In every dlrec-
tion."
Millions upon millions Of property were de-
stroyed. Commencing at about quarter TO ten
O'Clock p. NJ, the cOnhagratton swept with 70
l0city and destructveness that forbid all calcula0n
as to the point at which iI could be stopped
The discovery OF the names was made on CsaA
street. near Van Buren,, where they leaped to tho
corner OF Jefferson and De Koven streets, where
amid vast mass OF innammable material they
rolled and reveed in their march OF destruction.
The oombustiDle manufactures Of the city quickly
disappeared. Tps Ore reached to The Walsfss
edge, running along the same II to spite tts
only enemy, and triumphing here dung It's brands
further and further into the heart Of the city until
1t seemed as ii there were no foothOd whereon tho
feet Of an agonized multitude could find rest.
The bridges yielded, scores OF lives we're saorf-
1ced; then, j0urneyng with feverish stride. tho
hungry names began to reach into che tat r1oh
heart OF the gf.at Western city.
Now the danger seemed everywhere. Men,
women and children, frantic with fear, darted
nither and thither, hopelossy seeking places OF
safety. But 1t seemed as II there WAS no where "a
CO. One by one disappeared the great buildings-
the Court House, the sherman Hotel, TIE Western
Union Telegraph Company's ONCE the fremont
House, the Chamber OF Uommer rec, the great crteo
Depot, the superb grain elevators-prfde Of tho
city; then, in turn elegant mansions lining nobbo
avenues, until at last, exhausting itself with ~
own fury, victorious ever Gil the efforts OF man
and machinery the fire expended itself In rufu
and ashes.
Not q theatre, hotel, newspaper ONCE or any
building, pretenti0us or unpretcntlOus, was
SHARED. The path of the fire was in northeast
erly direction. but soon after its inception the
burning brands scattered on all Sides giving RISE
"a it were, to numerous supplemental connagraS
tions If they may be 80 called which, sweeping or
before q southwest gale, absorbed the best bust-
ness portion of Chicago and left for hundreds or
blocks only bsckened chimneys to marx the spos
where but little while before wealth ana plenty
revealed.
The direct loss was not far from 500, 900, OOO for
It embraced the best portions OF che city. rh0
river divided the city into four parts. South wer0
La Salle Clarke Dearborn and state streets aud
Wabash and Michigan avenues. These streets ram
north and south, and were intersected by Lake,
Madison, Randolph Washington and otner inn
portant thoroughfares. The west side was COM
paratiyely uninjured. The north side was de-
strOyed as lar as Lincoln PARK, and embraced
many valuable buildings, churches and colleges
within its limits. This portion was completely
Quilted from the river to the Park, distance Of
three miles. From 10000 to 100000 persons were
suddenly thrown out of employment. The poor
suffered intensely. Finally, how relief was gener.
ously bestowed by the great public OF the wo&d ID
story too recently recited to require recapituls-
ton.
Terrible as is the portent Of the dispatches
which give occasion to these lines let US hope
that we shall not again be called upon to record
the fearful scenes that have made the name a
Chicago synonymous with the most terrible suffer-
ings that have ever visited an American city.