Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-07-18
ANOTHER CHICAGO FIRE
e5 RE.OcI1s DEsrRo YED.
Tie. EsoOras Glass eaae Ssgfser-
erS Two ESraeliteS Sssgp-
posed 90 be the Am-
cGndiarSeS.


Chicago has been visited BY an
other terrible contlagration, which
has devastated Il considerable por-
ton Of the city. No estimate can,
as yet, be given Of the probable
amount of loss, which though nec-
essarily immense, cannot approxi
mate that of the great fire of Octo.
Der, 1871, when 2, LA acres, or near
ly three and half square miles
were burned over, and the
total loss footed up to nearly $780,
900, O00. We condense the follow
ing from the telegraph report of
the confiagration:
The fire started about 4:30 r. M.
ia some small frame houses near
Fourth avenue and Polk streets.
1t was first blown southwark by a
stiff breeze, but the wind soon shift,
ted, and by sunset 1t blew gale
from the South, sending The fire
toward the central part ofthe city.
| AL 6.3O o'clock the flames had al
most a clean sweep up to the COR
ner of Third avenue and Polk
street, burning up the homes of
thousands Of people. AT the above
corner the Fire Department COM
menced the process of blowing up
houses with gunpowder, but those
experimental with were most all
wooden buildings, and the process
only bad the effect of making n
quicker blaze.
Although private citizens are do
ing their utmost to prevent the fire
getting hold upon their houses,
yet the effort Is as futile as for a
child to make the attempt. The
rosr OF the advancing furnace has
the sound Of our old calamity, and
nothing short Of its finai plunge
iuto Lake Michigan will quench 1t.
s)ur streets, within d mite Of the
cDnilarraii0a, are crowded with
IreapIs ~ every description, loaded
10 their utmost capacity with
household goods.
BURNING or THE FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH.
10 o'clock II. Mas was ex-
pected ia The previous dispatch the
fire swept into and over the First
Baptist Church on Wabashavenue,
and what was this evening before
rundown one Of the most elegant
and costly editices In this city Is
now Il s.aouldering heap ofruins.
DESTRUCTION oFTHE PosToFFICE
AS il was very evident from
about $50 r. NJ. that our Postofiice
building was doomed, General
McArthur, made arrangements
at once 10 remove the mails TO a
place Of safety, and all needed
teams were at once pressed into
service by him, and by s O'Clock
the last loaded wagon left the
building. AT 10 minutes past s
O'Clock the building took fire, and
by $3.50 it was a mass of flames.
Among the buildings destroyed
on the east side Of Wabash avenue
was the church building formerly
occupied by the congregation Of
Robert Laird COllyer.
1t seems somewhat singular that
the conflagration should be check
ad by the very building spared by
the previous fire, which should
now be one of the last to succumb
this time.
The mails were all removed to
the sub-station on the corner of w.
Washington and Halstead Streets.
Between Eldridge court and Har-
rison street, on the east side of
Wabash avenue some dozen hand
some buildings were destroyed.
The whole west side of the ave-
nue. between these limits, every
building was levelled with the
ground, and looking west the same
dead level of ruins is presented as
vividly engraved on the memories
or inhabitants of 1871.
The losses entailed by this fire,
la the destruction and removal OF
goods and furniture, in all proba-
bllity are as great as the actual loss
on buildings destroyed up to $50
p. NJ, for IL takes but a moderate
sized fire to induce Chicago people
TO clear out their goods and chat
tells. About every store along Wa
bash avenue and State street as far
north as Monroe street, was renew
ing goods, or the most valuable
part Of them, to places Of safety,
and dwelling houses in this appar-
ent line of the fire were not slow
in following the same instinct OF