Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-07-17
A Repetition on a
Smaller Scale Of
1871!
Iowa Falls Almost
Wiped Out!!
Tremendous Cenfagra.
ton at Oshkosh, Wis.

ing in its probable extent ana enects,
as that of October 1871, was raging
in Chicago. While the excitlnent
over this news was at its height, dis
patches from Iowa Falls, announced
the almost entire destruction of the
business portion of that lively town,
by fire. Then on yesterday morning
with the particulars, of the Chicago
calamity, came the account ofan apal-
ling loss of life by fire, at Oshkosh,
Wisconsin.
We have not the space for full
particulars of these several disasters,
but We clip from the papers such &C
counts of them as will give our read
ers a general idea Of their extent and
character. The following, from the
editorial columns Of the Inter
Ocean of the 18th, is condensed
account Of the Chicago calamity.
Between and 5 o'clock p. m. yes
terday, fire broke out in rag shop
at No. 527 South Clark street, just
north of Twelfth street; and at this
writing, 1880 am, the confagration
is still raging. The conditions as to
drought and wind were much the
same as upon the occasion of the
great fire of 1871. Before the third
alarm, calling out the whole fire de-
partment, had been given, the flames
had made astonishing Roadway in
the low wooden rookeries lining
Clark street and Third and Fourth
avenues, and before the news of the
confagration reached the business
centers, it became apparent that
large and populous quarter of the
city most inevitably be wrapt in
flames. The wind was from the
southwest, and, under the stimulus
Of the heated atmosphere, it soon
blew hurricane. In an hour many
acres had been burned over, and the
streets, filled with every manner Of
vehicle loaded with furniture and
baggage, and with people fleeing
from the hot breath of the fire, pre-
scented the same frightful aspects
which distinguished them on the
night of the 9th Of October, 1871.
The flames quickly spread over
Fourth and Third avenues, and State
street, and then to Wabash avenue,
threatening Michigan avenue. The
fire of 1871 struck Clark and State
streets at Harrison street. The fire
Of last night swept nearly a mile fur
thcr south, but its course was in the
same direction-to the northeast. Be
fore 6o'clock Milwaukee, South Bend,
Joliet, and other cities were telegraph
ed for assistance, and engines arrived
from all points. There was no lack
of appliances with which to fight fire,
but the Undertook character of the
buildings in the range of the flames
rendered the efforts Of the firemen of
but little avail. Five Churches, All
kens' the Adelphi) Theatre, the Con-
tinental. the Michigan Avenue, and
the St. James Hotels, and many 9TH
or prominent and substantial build
ings, are heaps of ruins. At least fif-
ty acres of ground have been swept
clear of buildings, and the loss can
not be less $s,OOO,OOO. Clark and
State streets, and Third and Fourth
avenues were occupied by very poor
wooden structures, and the alleys be-
tween them and still worse shantics,
But these were all crowded from eel
lar to attic with poor people. Thou
sands Of families were hustled into
the street with scarce moments no.
tice, and, of course, had no time to
save any of their wrctched furniture.
The suffering of these poor people is
incalculable. They are without food
or shelter, and without money to buy
either. Meantime it is the hot sum
mer season, business is dull, and the
times are hard, and employmenthard
to find. In the better portions of the
burnt district, Wabash and Michigan
avenues, the notice was longer, and
warned by the terrible experience of
1871, household furniture and stocks
of goods, were carted away to safe
quarters. 1t is just to say of the fire
department that it fought the fire dcs-
perately. 1t fought it in the face; it
did not even attempt to flank it. 1t
might have been wiser to have done
so. So far as determined hand to
hand encounter is concerned, it could
not have done better. No buildings
were blown up. To lookers-on it ap-
peared that the fire might have been
headed off by the heroic method of
pulling down and blowing up build
ings at some distance from and in the
line of the course ofthe conflagration.
But perhaps the justest criticism
that can be made is that the
fire apparatus of the present day
is utterly inadequate to the task
of graphing with a great. confla-
grafton under full Roadway. There
is undoubtedly, in this field, the grand
est opportunity for the exercise Of in
vcntive genius. The Postofiice bull
ding fell victim to the devouring
element; but the notice was ample,
and the chief portion of the mail mat
ter and the papers of the Office were
saved.
OF casualties it is too early to give
any list. Two men are reported to
have been killed by falling wall. 1t
is not unlikely that others have per-
ished, and that numerous serious &C
cidcnts will prove to have accompa-
MED the great loss of property. The
excitement throughout the city was
intense.
The circumstances-a high wind
and dry acknowledgements so SIM
liar to those Of Oct. 8, 1871, as to
rouse the most serious apprehensions.
All the street approaches to the Vi
entity of the fire were densely packed
BY an excited throng Of men and
women. Houses entirely out Of the