New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-15

Another Terrible Fire in ChIcug0-lt
Originates at Half.past Four O'Clock,
at the Corner of Third Avenue and
Polk Streets-It Burns TO Lake NIichi.
gan and into state street-Desfroys
the First Baptist Church, the Post.
office. the Rev. Laird Coliyer's Church.
st. James Hotel, and Hundreds Of
Private Residences-The Best Portion
OF Wabash Avenue in Ruins.
CHICAGO, july IA IRE started about
i:3O T. NJ. n some small frame hOnses near
Fourth avenue and Polk street. 1t was at
first blown southwark by stiff breeze, bnt
the wind soon shifted, and by sunset the
breeze blew gale from -he south, senoing
the FIRE toward .he central part OF the city.
At half-pasc SIX o'clock the fire had made
almost clean sweep up to the corner OF
Third avenue and Polk street burning up
the homes of thousands of people. At the
above corner the fire department. COM
nenced the process Of blowing mp buildings
with gunpowder, but the buildings expert
mented with were but small wooden affairs,
and their demolition would only have the
effect of making quicker blaze OF them,
with the wind blowing as it does very fresh
from about south. southwest.
The fire is Low On the verge Of the FIRE
line Of our big FIRE at Harrison street. The
west side Of Wabash avenpe ia now in full
blaze, which takes many stately bULClng
in it's course, and which offered haven OF
refuge in the winter Of 1871. The FIRE is
Just immediately IN the rear of the First
Baptist Church, and, should that structure
60 down, the fire will have a clean sweep 20
the north ward and eastward, and the Expo
sition Building viii, in all likelihood, be the
final prey of the ire, and as that is immedi-
ately on the lake shore, there will be nothing
further for the FIRE 20 feed upon, provided
we have the good fortune to not have a
change Of wind. A dense black smoke Is
hanging over tie expected course OF the
tire, dropping its advance with messengers
of cinders on the roots Of buildings. Al
though private citizens are doing the
utmost in their power in trving to
prevent the fire getting a hold upon
their homes, yet their efforts are tu-
tile. The roar Of the advancing flames has
the sound Of our old calani,y, and nothin 2
short of its final plunge into Lake Michigan
Will quench it OUT.
Our streets within mile of the cOnt1ag-
ration are crowded with teams OF every de-
scription, loaded to their utmost capacity
| with household goods, although The store.
keepers who are SO fortunate as TO secure
team are endeavoring to save their most
valuable stock; whenever vacant space
north of the fire can be found it is at once
filed with goods Of all descriptions and
variety. Men, women and children are
doing their utmost TO save their little ali
and bring it 10 some place Of safety.
The work of the fire from this on will
burn up as much in five minutes sit has
previously in fifteen, considering the value
in dollars ard cents.
The heat is very great and no doubt that
in addition to pecunlary losses we Will
nave to mourn the loss OF lyes, as II Is next
TO impossible for fire of this magnitude
and fury ard burning through as closely a
settled district az this has without Gaining
for Manv human sacrifice.
As the postottce is directly in the line OF
the CONFEDERATION, i1sempioyes will have all
-hev can DO 20 save the mail matter in the
building. and consequently there will no
mails leave the city this evening, and there
can by no possibility De one sent before
Tomorrow evening, should the depart
ment be successful in saving their valuab bles
The principal lines OF the Western Union
Telegraph Company running throug1
Stare street have all been buTned-s0me
forty wires-put as the lines on Cana
street are ont OF all possible danger, there
will be 10 interruption OF reiegcaphic com
munication. The fire has burned over sc
far about. half mile in length and some
four blocks IN width, and although the ex
plos;on Of gunpowder still is heard every
litIle while. there is but little hopes OF stay
ing the fire short OF the limits given above
AS predicted in a previous dispatch. the
| FIRE swept into, and over the elegant FRS
Baptist Church, on Wabash avenue, ant
what was this evening before su2dowI
! one Of the most elegant and costly church
| edifces of our city Is now but smoulder
| ing heap of ruins.
As it was very evident, from the course
! of the fire and strength of the wind a
| half-past six o'clock. the postottice building
! was in all probability doomed. Genera
| Macarthur, cur postmaster, made arrange
ments at once 10 remove the mails 70
| place Of safety, and ali needed teams weI'
! at once pressed into service by him, and b.
| eight O'Clock the last loaded wagon lett the
| building. and the place that had been th'
| deposil0rv Of United States mails cen erin!
! here was deserted forever.
At ten minutes OF eight the building frs
| caught, and oy half.past eight O'Clock III
| building was a mass OF names. The wlnf
by eight o'clock had almost died away
which assisted our fire department greatl.
| in becoming masters of the situation. an
! at the corner where the postotice Was stu
| ated, at Wabash avenue and Harrison
street, the very point where our proviou
great fire was stopped, our tiremen SCENE
TO be inspired with superhnman effort
to prevent its spreading into the rebuil
| district, and here it was that al! THEN er
| gjues were concentrated to oar It's turtle
Progress. The building on the southeas
corner was large brick dwelling house
and bv making a .bulwark of this agaiusr
the ever oncoming sheets of flame, tn
prospects Of holding this building an
saving it, and thereby preventing the prt
gress OF the fire through to Michigan ave
nue., was quite promising at half.pas
eight O'Clock. whereas the northeas
corner OF these streets, occupied b
our postoffce was then mass OF flames
However, as very high and heavy brlc
building adjoined the postofhce on th
north, there is no doubt that the spread {
the fire north on Wabash avenue from thi
point has been checked.
Among the buildings destroyed on th
east side of Wabash avenue was the churc
building formerly occupied by the congr'
CATION of Robert Laird Collyer.
II seems somewhat singular that thl
confagration should be checked at tn
same place where our previous Dig tire va
| checked, and the very building spared b
the previous fire should now De 0ne OF II
lastro succunD this time.
The mails were all removed 70 the sui
station on the corner CT West WasEingto
and Halstead streets.
! Between ElUTluge Suu1L anu h"-
street, on the east side Of Wabash avenue
dozen handsome buildings were destroyed
while the whole CT the west side OF IN
street. between these limita, every tuiIdln
was leveled with the ground. Lookln
westwardly, the same dead level OF IulL
was presented which was 80 vlVldly 81
sraved w on the memory Of our inhabitan
in 1871.
The losses entailed by this fire in Il
} destruction and removal of goods and fl
n.ture is in all probability as great as II
actual loss of the buildings and propar1
DESTROYED. Up to halfpast eight o'clock
: for it takes but moderate sized fire now
- -. =. lie Chica On nenrIle To clearir