The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-07-17

course an inch by the efforts OF the depart
ment, until il reached State street, which the
flames now attacked.
Having reached State street the fire was in
| Its glory. Two-story frames was the rule, and
| a substantial structure the exception. The
flames leaped gaily from building to building,
now ana then skipping structure or two to
| facilitate progress, but never neglecting to
bring up the rear and make clean work of it,.
The tremen fought valantly among these
shantles. The most that could be done WAS
TO prevent 1t spreading southwark. and this
was accomplished. a steamer was stationed
at Harmon court, which forms nearly the
southern limit on State street, and the bows
connected Herewith did valiant service. They
fought the fire into it's very teeth and to en-
able them to do so they reared a barricade out
OF theatrical sign board, which was held in
front OF the pipemen, and thus the fire was
approached so closely that the sgn-board took
fire.
The windincreasing in fury, it broke through
the alley dividing State street from Wabash
avenue. Now, for the first time-about 6
o'clock-the fire began to feed upon the aris-
tocracy. 1t began putting on airs, so to
speak. 1t struck up high to bring down fancy
cupolas and observatories. Thousands of dol
lars were consumed every minute The danger
of utter destruction became more imminent
every moment. More help was wanted, and &C
cordingly kilograms were sped over the wires to
Milwaukee, Racine, Joliet, and other places
They read, " A great fire is raging. Chicago
Is threatened with destruction. Send us your
lire department" In the course of the night
came responses Ill the shape of stalwart men
with apparatus, and they did valiant service in
hghting the flames to a smaller and smaller
limit. Having reached abash avenue. with
wind blowing from the southwest, Michigan
avenue seemed doomed to destruction. In
fact the thought of saving any portion Of it,
from Eldridge court to point at least far
north as Harrison street, was abandoned, and
yet, contrary to all expectations, every house
III that section stands intact. Every house
on Wabash avenue parallel to this was de-
stroyed, but the narrow alley between the two
avenues stood barrier rs il it had been an
intervening mountain. Every house on
Michigan avenue was vacated, the street was
lined with trucks backed up against the resi-
dences but about o'clock most people NOV
ed back again. The ordeal was safely passed,
and the handsome lake front was preserved.
Having reached its eastern limits, the flames
fed their way rapidly northward, three blocks
abreast
There was little use trying to fight it in the
face. Every moment the wind rose more
freely, and in the vicinity of the confagra-
ton regular gale was blowing. The heat
was increasing. Firemen could not stand
within hundred feet of it III the di-
rection it was speeding. Hence it had
to be fought in the flank. There be-
ing little hope of saving Michigan avenue
though it was saved-the policy seemed to be
to fight it into the lake, by closing on it's
sides. This policy was adopted though eff
forts we're not abated to save Michigan ave-
nue.. At o'clock all danger was passed that
ii would make its way further southwark In
that direction its limit was reached, and the
force there deployed was soon dispatched to
moro threatening points, though 1t was not
safe to leave the whole line exposed. At 8
Il ~
and then there was no danger that it would
pass westward. After that two engines Gov
cred the entire field from Polk street south on
Clark around by Twelfth street to Wabash
avenue, where the engagement was growing
hotter and hotter every moment. When the
southern and western ends of the fire had
been made secure, the northern and eastern
lines of attack were reinforced, and the
enemy confined into narrower and narrower
quarters.
On Harrison street the fend was forced to
give up Fourth avenue, and Third avenue. At
Van Buren, street the monster was driven out
out of State, the st. James being the last
building TO succumb
When the fire reached that point the inter-
est III its progress became intense. 1t was
moving along both sides of State between
Harrison ana Van Buren,. On the west side
stood massive row Of four or tive-story
marble-fronts on the east side the st. James.
space several hundred feet square. There
was good hope, if a stand was made at this
hotel. the flames would be prevented from
crossing this open space. On the west side
there was no such barrier. 1t was thought
certain that the whole row would go, and. then
crossing Van Buren, street. make its way to
the Palmer House Opposite the St James
stood a row of four-story marble-fronts. COW
ering about four numbers. These were divided
from the building south by a single lot twenty
five feet wide. A mere bagatelle said every
body, and nobody anticipated that that little
open space would check the flames. But it
did. Fortunately splendid fire-proof wall
had been reared to the south Madly the
flames beat against it, and went clear over
the building, setting fire to the st. James
but this wall stood the test grandly, and
though there was fire to the south and fire to
the east, and not pint of water thrown upon
it, the building stood there a savior of untold
millions. 1t was the citadel OF the conflagra-
ton. It's surrender would have given the
whole city over to the ravaging enemy. In-
stinctively everyone IN sight of the scene APP
preciated the Importance of the position, and
when the building to the south tumbled to-
gether with laundering crash-thereafter
harmless-a shout from $4,000 throats rose
high above the roar Of the conhagrstion. 1t
was the moment of moments during the prog
ress of the fire, and fifty was it commem-
GRATED.
While this bull ding stood tho brunt and on
slaught of what might be called overwhelm-
ing odds, a four-story brick, apparently out of
all danger on the corner of Wabash avenue
and Van Buren, streets, took fire from the st.
James hotel. An upper window had been left
open, a curtain was set on fire by a stray
spark. and in moment the whole interior.
already filled with hot air, was a sheet of
flames. As the flames shot forth cry of
anguish was wrung from the spectators. for
it seemed inevitable that now two more
squares must fall a sacrifice. But, Fortunate
". the flames were confined to that and the
adjoining building, aud the northernlimit was
reached.
Having hitherto Stunned Michigan avenue.
it now turned yenomously upon it. making its
way along Congress street, and consumed the
Oceanic building the structure that once did
duty az the fremont, one or two others, and
then was finally and efTectually squelched Just
in time to save those noble structures, the
Matteson and Gardner Houses, and the Expo
sition Building. The wooden cupola of the
German Evangelical church, corner Polk and
Third avenue. was set on fire by the sparks,
and the church almost destroyed before the
flames reached the wooden buildings immedi-
ately south of it,. At this point an effort was
made to blow up some of the buildings. I'm
der the direction OF Mark Sheridan, Col. Lip
pincott. and Capt. 4. McClOud, a keg of pow
der was placed in No. % Polk street, two
atorv frame buidin0 The destruction of the