, 1874-07-15

7ery cloarly that 1t VAS bad enough. |
At lats hour the streeta in this netghborhood |
were thronRed with people; but, whoa 1t beoams
ovident to the most tfnil that tho fra was nndor
control, they began alowly to dispense, and BY |
O'Clock tha streets we're almost deserted.
Il LATE OBSERVER.
TIRE FIGHT At VAN uuRE$ STREET.
The 1ino Of Van Duron street Was worry we'll
maintained by tho Fire Department, especially
az that body vas reinforced by opglnea from
Joliet, Aurora bloomington. Milwaukee,, and
other plaaaa,
IT WAS GENERALLY FELT
that II the flames got below Van Buren street
the chances Of saving the business portion Of
tho city reso worry sliu. Fortunately tbcro re-
the4e helped to kill tha force Of tho oonlagra-
tion aud break its strength. The houass on
State street sud Wabash avenuo woro pratty
the hydrants, did good aaryica from tho houao-
tops,
Porhaps
TIE sosF MAGNIFICENT s1aHT
Of tho calamity was the huraing Of the Michigan
Avonue Hotel which was run by John B. Drake
attor tho October fro aa tho fremont House,
sttuatod on the southeast cornor Of Michigan
avon'te and Congress- street. Tho aremen
mado + bravo effort to sava tho build
ing, hui tho volume Of fame waa too
strong, aud, at half.paat IL o'clock,
tho hotel was blazing from basement to roof.
Tho Aro1aen then rallied On the art gallcEy,
juat r.ostl Of tla doomed structure, and, aidad
by "gap" In the street, sucoesded In making
good their ataud up to o'clock this morning.
Tho hotol, however, blazed up iu majestic tash-
ion a4 1880 o'oloclt, and shot column Of 1anno,
larger than the sala of afty comets into ths
cloutlB. Evcn In tho fret diHastar there was
nothing that approached this zcene in aubl,naity.
Tho Hhols city over, oven unto the West and
North Divisions, was Nurnined By tho Eigantie
glare. Tho Grs ato away ut the timbora for
considerable TINA, whom. suddenly. With = atu.
peudoua oraah,
nooF AND YLooRs CHUMnLED
md tho rcd fumes, loaping above thom, seemed
like bloody kufvsa, hrandlhhed by some savage
victor, over the body Of victim. Tho Walis
soon followed auit. and, then, tho damos began
to woaAon, while tho people seemed to recognize
tho fact that the main portion Of thoir beautiful
but unfortunate city would bo saved.
Tho carelosBncsa that always attends a calam-
ity OF great proportions waa fully manifested
inst night aud this morning.
TUE LAKE SHORE
waa covered with persons Of both Hexcs, fast
asloep, whilo tho terrific uproar OF tho fYa was
raging within few rods Of them, and Rparka
and cindera fell around and upon them In
{rightful showers Tho area around the I3x-
position Building waa also crowded with alcep-
ers, md every doorway had It's somnolont garrl-
son. This showed that somo Chioagoaus, atleast
wore not going to DO disturbed By what u called
~ tha bosom Of destruction"
Great fears were entertained that
TIE EXPOSITION BUILDING,
With its valuable stock OF piotures ready for tho
exhibition OF to-day, would bo consumed, al
for = long timo tho hoaVy wind boro In that dl-
rection. At midnight, however. the wind
changed, blowing almost duo east, which carried
the !ntlanlmablo Fragments out Into the lake,
whore they could do no hasm Tho photograph
ors were around the building In crowds, some
arguing that everything had better bo removed,
aud others holding TINT 1t was best to risk tho
yanables where they wero. Finally all tho
portraits removed from tho building carly IN the
oyoning wore returned, and tho exhibition will
proceed 40 II nothing had occurred.
OF oourss thare woro opportunities for ths
DISPLAY OF counAaE
during such momentous event. Among tho
many heroic acta performed. ono OF tue
bravost was by Nlr. p. r. DsiscolI,
ssato street, from terrible death. Tho ,atlios
cut away from tho atairways BY tho fire, and up
poarod at the uinaowa calling for help. mir.
DYtscoi immediately rushed up stairs. through
smoke aud flame, and aucoesded in bringing the
bowtldorod women sRfe to the siaewnlk, whore
&ha,, upnn,a rifta Fn{n+na frnrn nnrn rrpt{fft4h