Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-23
DISASTER BY FIRE.
Chicago Again Suffers to the
Amount of 100000.

cles Of Chicago by the side OF the terrible 9th
of October, 1871, for on that day fire oc-
CURED which, in extent of territory burned
over and value of property destroyed, was
second only to the conAagration which burned
up that city three years ago.
The east side Of Clark street, south of
Twelfth, is lined with tumble-down, woe-be-
gone shanties, which have made the street
unsightly ever since they were built, years
ago. Ever sine the great fire of 1871, these
tinder-bcxes have been the haunt of tho vilest
class of prostitutes, and a swarm of Jew ped
dlers and junk-dealers. Right in the rear of
the shanties that front the street is a narrow
alley closely bordered by shells of buildings,
reeking with filth and refuse, and swarming
with crowds Of Polish and Bohemian Jews,
who filled the little tenements to overlooking.
Between this alley and Fourth avenue on the
east, the space was entirely covered by these
pine rookeries. The most infammable ma
terial was scattered around in every direction
Heaps Of straw and stable refuse, piles of
kindling-wood, shavings and boards, were
scattered around in the space intervening be-
tween buildings. Many of the tenements
were rag-shops as we'll dwelling-houses
and piles Of rags were heaped to the ceiling
Of twenty or more of the frail structures that
fed the fire in iss earliest stages. In this dis
trict, the worst in Chicago for a conhagration,
OH windy day, where every foot of ground
was covered with finder boxes the fire. which
reached such unexpected and appalling pro-
portions, broke out at o'clock in the after
noon.
The fire started in a little one-story frame
sbanty fronting the alley in the reaT of No.
527 Clark street. 1t WAS occupied by Jew
rag peddler, and come of his rooms was filled
with rags. The same building caught fire ex-
sctly two weeks before, and it was supposed
to be the work of an incendiary. The fire
seems to have been first discovered by a
woman who occupied room just west of the
burning building on Clark street. She no.
ticed little Jets of flames issuing from the
room where the rags we're stored.
No one was observed around the building
and the Jewish occupant who must remain
nameless. for the present, al no one there
abouts seemed to know him, was probably
away on his daily rag-picking tour. Those
who are most conversant with the place at
tribute the origin Of the fire either to in
cendarism or to the spontaneous combustion
of the rag heap. Many believe that the tlre
had it's origin in vandalism, and they are
streng thened in their conviction by the gen.
ersl Impression that the fire Of two weeks
previous was the work OF an incendiary. The
exact origin OF the fire will not, in all prob
ability, be definitely determined for some time
to come, il ever.
The woman gave the alarm, and box 81 was
turned in at O'clock aud 90 minutes. Hardly
a minute elapsed before the tinder-box WAS
wrapped in flames, aud the stiff breeze from
the northwest Was scattering fragments of
burning wood on the acres OF dry pine roofs
to the eastward. Nearly east Of the shanty was
the large brick oil refinery Of Fitch Brothers,
the interior of which, with its large tanks of
oil, was all abaZe before the arrival of the Sec
ond engine. The heat emitted by the burning
of it's infiammable contents was intense. and
when the walls fell, but few minutes after
the first stream began to play upon it, the
whole neighborhood for radius of thirty rods
around seemed to burst forth in one simulta-
neous blaze. Just north of the rag shop was
s4n-T-snds-l--,f o"fu, nieu "i'i. nay, WHICH
famed up In an instant and the flying wisps
of burning hay lit roofs nearly block away
With such rapidity did the fire spread after i;
was first discovered that two horses in this
| barn were burned to death before they could
| be rescued.
The eight or ten engines in the first dis.
| trict were speedily on the ground, and the
most of them took their stations on Clarl
street. where Marshal Benner attempted tc
check the northern spread OF the flames. En-
I, CINE No. Il and one other were stationed OF
Fourth avenue, and vigorous fight with the
| advancing foe was commenced at this point
In ten minutes after the first alarm the pine
shantiess tretching eastward toward Z urtl
| avenue w-re all afiarne for nearly a square
| At 4:40 o'clock, eleven minutes after the frs
| alarm, Assistant-M Marshal Sweeney turned il
the second alarm, and engines from the
| greater part of the South DiNosip and from
| several Of the West Side engine houses were
| soon at the scene of peril. The heat arising
from that hslf-acre of blazing pra shanties
| was terrible, and the breeze stiff med as the
heat increased, bearing destruction Is the dry
roofs that lay i'll the path of the destroyer fol
| rods ahead. large part of the augmented
| fire force was concentrated on Fourth avenue
halfway between Taylor and Twelfth streets
| where they worked with terrible energy tC
| stay the advancing enemy. In 20 minutes
| after the first alarm, the roofs of buildings
on Fourth avenue were all afre, for a width OF
q dozen buildings north of 2S5. at 4:5l O'clock
eleven minutes after the second alarm, the
| general alarm was turned in by Assistan,
| Marshal Petrie. The last alarm brought to the
| spot the entire fire force of the city. At the
| time the alarm was struck seven of the Yves,
| Side engines were at a small fire on the
ner OF Ashland avenue aud Twenty-second
street, and they were thus retarded nearly
half an hour. In less than half an hour the
| engines that were posted on Fourth avenue
| directly in the path Of the fire were compelled
to beat retreat. All succeeded in getting
| away excepting engine company No. 81. the
colored company OF the force, who delayed q
minute too long, and the flames bursting upon
them, before they had attached their horses
| to the engine they were compelled to abandon
it, and the handsome steamer was warped and
twisted into mass OF haf-melted iron and
steel in the fiery furnace that girdled it. The
fire had swept diagonslly across the block to
the corner of Taylor street and Fourth
avenue, and was rapidly eating it's way
through the remainder Of the block
fronting on Clark aud Taylor streets. The
| Marshal stationed q number of engines on
Clark street, and every effort was made to
stay the northern progress of the flames along
| that thoroughfare. But the shan;ies from
| which poured q swarm of fallen women, laden
down with wardrobes and furniture. were ripe
for destruction, and 10 sooner had the tor
rents Of water extinguished the fire in one
| building. than the roof of tinder-boxes still
further to the north would burst into flame.
| But the most OF the Marshars attention was
| directed to the front of the fire, and every
energy was exerted to stay It's eastern march.
At the corner of Taylor street aud Fourth
avenue large amount of hose was concen-
trated, and every effort was made to keep the
fire Oh the west side of the avenue. But the
driving wind was sden with burning brands.
which lit on the roofs beyond and kindied
hem in an instant. The Olivet Baptist
church was the first building to go on the east
side OF the avenue. In little over an hour al
|. n