, 1874-11-29
Similarity Of the Con1agration TO The
Chicago Fire Of 1911.
Ten Thousand Houses in Flamcs-The
CONSERVATION Of tho Populate.
lrutility Of Human Efforts to Stem the
Fiery Tide.
Two Hundred Thousand Destitute People
Campcd in the Fields.
The Notwithstanding Scenes Pre-
sented by the Ruins.

/
The brief history OF the Great Fire Of London
| which follows il taken from tho diary Of John
Evelyn. The language and style are Evelyn's.-
are the came as iu the original; but the spelling
| is modern, for the orthography in vogue in the
seventeenth century would not be Ineligible to
the great bulk Of English readers of this day.
sHistory repeats itsolf,' is All old saying, and
numerous veri6cations entit3e it to bo styled
truism. On perusing the account of the fire, a
great similarity as to the extent OF the cont1a-
grafton, the excitement, and it's parayzing effect
upon the people, and the suferipss Of the people
Of Chicago, will be discovered. The name being
changed from London to Chicago, the period,
and minor matters such as are incidental only to
monarchical form OF Government, ths very
same diary-notes might answer for tho Great
Fire Of Chicago.
JOHN EVELYN
was born at Saycs Court, near Doptford, Eu-
gland, in 1920, and died in 170G. He was man
Of fortune, OF most amiabe personal character,
aud distinguished as an author by several Sc
entihc works written in popular STYLE In 1864
the Commissioners of the Navy expressed fear
that timber for shipbuiding would soon be e1-
hausted. The Royal Society considered the mat
ter, and Evelyn wrote work entitled IL Sylva or
Discourse Of Forest-Trees, and the PropagA-
ton OF Timber in His Majesty's Doriuions."
! This work, aided by the Kings example, etimu-
lated the land-holders to plant an immense num-
ber Of oak-trees, which, century after. proved
Of great service to the patton in the construction
Of chips.
Throughout the greater part OF his life, Eve
lyn kept diary, in which he made record of
1T. ~, ~t,1o A., tae
way concerned. It was Published in 1878, and
has proved = most valuable addition to the his
torical materials respecting the latter lat Of the
seventeenth century:
THE GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.
1865, SEPT 2.-This fatal night, about 10
o'clock, began that deplosabla fire near Fish
street, in London.
SEPT. 3-Ihe f1e continuing, after dinner
took coach, with my wife and son, and went 70
the Bankslde, in Southwark, where We beheld
that dismal spectacle,
THE WHOLE CITY IN DREADFUL FLAMES
near the wntcr-side; all the houses from the
bridge, all Thames street and upwards towards
Cheapside, down to tho Threo Cranes, were
now consumed.
Ths fire having continued all this night Ct
may call that night which was as light as day for
10 miles round about, after dreadful manner),
when conspirins with fierce eastern wind in d
very dry season. Went on foot to the same
place, and saw the whole south part
to to the ee Th.nes 5 and ali aong cornbil (for It
kindled back against the wind as we'll Us for
ward), Tower street. Ten-church street, Gracious
street, and so along to BainaEds Castle, and Was
now taking hold Of ST. Paul's Church, to which
the scaffolds contributed exceedingly. The con-
fasration wax SO universal, and the people SO
astoujshed that, from the beginning, I know
not By what dependency or fate. they hardly
stirred to quench it; 30 that there was nothing
I--& MS11j law 4~fi
running about like distracted creatures. without
ut all attempting to save even their goods. such
STRANGE CONSERVATION
WAS there upon them, SO as it burned. both
length and breadth, the churches, public halls.
exchange, hospitals. monuments. and ornaments,
-leaping, after aprodigions manner, from honfa
to house, and street to street, at great distances
one from the other; for the heat, with long
set OF fair and warm weather, had even ignlted
the air, aud prepared the materials to conceive
the ire which devoured, after anincredibls man
ner, houses, furniture, and everything.
Here VIC saw the Thames covered with goods
foatlng, nl1 the barges and boats laden with
what some had time aud courage to save, as. on
the other, the carts, etc. carrying out to the
fields. which for many miles we're strewed with
moyables OF all sorts, aud tents erecting to shell
ter both people and what goods they could get
away. Oh, tho miserable and calauitous spec
tac!e such as hap(Y the world had not seen
the like since the foundation OF it, nor be out
doue till the universal connagration. ALI the sky
was Of fiery aspect, like the top of burning
oven,-the hight aeen apoEe 10 miles roundabout
for many nights. Go3 grant my eyes may mover
behold tho Ike, now seeing
ARovE 10, 900 HOUSES
ali IN one fame! The noise, and cracking, and
thunder OF the impetuous flames; the ahr1ekipg
Of women and children; tue hurry Of people;
the fall OF towers, houses, and churches was like
hideous Storm aud the air all about so hot and in
famed that at last ono was not able to approach
it, so that they we're forced to stand still and let
the flames burn on. which they did for nearly 2
miles in length and in breadth. The clouds Of
smoke were dismal, and reached, upon computa~ |
ton, nearly so miles in length.
Thus left it this afternoon burning, re8enl- |
blarce Of Sodom or the last day. London Was,
but |
SEPT. 4.-The burning still RACES, and it has |
now got as far ~ tho Inner Temple, all Fleet |
street, the Old Bailey, Ludgate Hill. Warwick !!
Lane, No sgate, Paul'e Chain Waiting street, now
flaming. and most of it reduced. The stones OF |
Paul's hew like grenades.-ths molten le.d rum |
ming down the streets in a stream, and the very I
payements glowing with fiery redness, 30 no |
horse or man WAS able to tread On them; and |
that no help could be applied The eastern wind |
still more impetuously drove the flames forward |
Nothing but the almighty power Of God WAS able |
to stop them-
RAIN WAS THE HELP OF NAN.
Srrr. Sit crossed towards Whitehall: Oh, |
the confusion there was at that Court! it ploas-
ed His Majesty to command me, among the rest, |
to look after the quenching Of Fetter Lane end |
to preserve, if possible, that part OF Holborn |
whilst the rest of the gentlemen took their post |
flor they now began to bestir themselves, aud /
not till now, who hthorto had stood as men in
toxicsted. with their hands across), and began to
consider that nothing was likely to put stop but
The blowing up Of 30 many houses as might make
a wider gap than any had yet been made BY the
ordinary method OF pulling them down with en-
yines. This some stout seamen proposed early
enough to have saved noar the whole city but
This eome tenacious md avaricious men-Alder-
men, etc.-vould not permit, because their houses
must have been Of the first It was, therefore. |
1ov commended to be practiced; an,; III 1ou-
:ern being particularly for the Hospital Of St.
near Smithlield, where had many !
rounded aud sick men, made me the moro dill
gent to promote it now Was my care for tie Savoy
ess.
It now, pleased God, by abating the wind, and
y tho industry OF the people, infusing = ner
'pirlt into them, that the fury OF it
BEGAN sEIs1BLV TO ABATR
Ibout noon. so as it cnme no farther than the
Temple westward, nor tho entrance Of Smith
ield porth. But continued all this day aud
'ignt 30 impetuous toward Cnpplegate and the
~c-ar vnsda ,,a all 1t nfan h~,la /