The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-21

exerted TO stay its eastern march. At the
corner of Taylor street and Fourth avenue a
large amount of hose was concentrated and
every effort was made to keep the fire on the
west side of the avenue. But the driving
wind was laden with burning brands which
lit on ~ e.t..
THE ROOFS BEYOND
and kindled them in an instant. The Olivet
baptist church was the first building to go
the east side of the avenue, In little over
All hour after the first alarm the fire had
swept over the space between Clark street
aud Third avenue and had reached
Polk on the north. The southern
boundary of the burnt district extended east
in almost a straight line, running nearly
parallel with Twelfth street and about
three hundred feet north of it. The aim
of the marshal was still to fight the fire
from the front, and to contest as ably as
possibly its onward march toward the bet
ter built portion of the city. The front line
of the fire was nobly battled with by the fire
boys who were doing their best and bravest
when the gale, to which was due most of
the mischief, carried destruction over their
heads and encloSed them on either side with
wall OF fire. They pulled up stakes and
went to the front again, where the unequal
battle was again renewed. But their efforts
we're in vain. They were powerless
on the windward, and the fire
swept on as it pleased, hardly turned
from it's course an inch by the efforts of the
department until il reached State street,
which the flames now attacked. Having
reached State street the fire was in its glory.
Two story frames were the rule, and SUBJ
stsntial structure the exception. The flames
leaped gaily from building to building, now
and then skipping a structure or TWO to
facilitate progress, but never neglecting to
bring up the rear. IN king clean work of it.
The fremen fought valiantly among these
shanties. The most that could be done was
to prevent its proceeding southwark, and
this was accomplished. A teamer was
stationed at Harmon Court which forms the
southern limit on State street, and the boys
connected there with it did valiant
service. They fought the fire into its
very teeth and to enable them to do so
they reared barricade out of theatrical
sign board which was held in front of the
pipemen and thus the fire was approached
so closely that the sign board took fire. The
wind increasing in fury, it broke through
the alley dividing State street from Wabash
/ avenue. Now. for the first time, about
o'clock, the fire began to feed upon the
arisIOcracy. 1t began putting on airs, so to
speak. 1t struck up high to bring down
| fancy cupolas and observasories. Thousands
Of dollars were consumed every minute
The danger of utter destruction became
I
vas wanted, and accordingly kilograms
we're sped over the wires to Milwaukee,
Racine, joliet, and other places. In the
course of the night came responses in
THE SHAPE OF sTALwART MEN
with apparatus and they did valiant service
in fighting the flames 10 a smaller and
smaller limit. Having reached Wabash
] avenue with wind blowing from the south
I west Michigan avenue seemed doomed to
destruction. In fact the thought of saving
any portion of it from Eldridge Court to a
point at least as far north as Harrison street
was abandoned ana yet, contrary to all ex-
pectatiOns. every house in that limit stands
intact. Every house on Wabash avenue
parallel to this was destroyed. But the mar
row alley between the two avenues stood as
a barrier as if it had been an intervening
mountain. Every house on Michigan ave-
nue. was vacated. The street was lined with
trucks backed up against the residences.
But at about o'clock most of the
people moved back again. The ordeal
was safely passed and our handsome
lake front was preserved. Having reached
their eastern limits, the flames fed their way
rapidly northward, three blocks abreast.
There was little use. trying to Fl ght it in the
face. Every moment the wind rose more
fiercely, and in the vicinity of the coD1agra-
ton regular gale was blowing. The heat
was intense. The firemen could not stand
within 100 feet of it in the dir ction il was
speeding. Hence it had to be fought in The
flank. There being but little hope of saving
Michigan avenue, though it was finally
preserved, the policy seemed to be 70 fight 1t
into the lake by closing on its sides. This
policy was adopted, though the efforts were
not abated to save Michigan avenue. At 6
O'Clock all danger was past that it would
make its way further southwark
In that direction its limit was
reached, and the force there deploy ed was
soon dispatched to the more threatening
points, though It was not safe to leave the
! whole line exposed. At O'Clock the fire was