Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-07-22
CHICAGO.
The Doomed City Scourged
Again.
The TarrOrS of 1871 Ronnafod
CHICAGO.
The Terrors Of 1871 Repeated.
One Thousand Houses Burned and 5000
Persons Rendered Homeless.

The following is detailed account of
Chicago's second trial by fire, which,
although not equaling in it's terrible
results the great confagration of 1871,
was still terrible enough in it's character
to appall the sturdy hearts of the people
of that unfortunate and apparently
doomed city. About 4:30 o'clock, on
the afternoon of the 18th inst, fire
broke out in shanty at the rear of
SGT Clark street, south side. From this
the flames caught the oil refinery of
Fitch Brothers, which was soon ahame
The fire department were i..,medi-
ately on the ground, but all
efforts to stay the terrible march
of the fire fend were futile. By this
time the general fire alarm had been
sounded and the entire force was on
the ground, notwithstanding which the
flame swept diagonally across the
block to the corner of Taylor street and
Fourth avenue, and was rapidly eating
its way through the remainder of the
block fronting on Clark and Taylor
streets. In about an hour the fire had
reached State street, where the flames
leaped gaily from building to building,
now and then skipping structure or
two to facilitate progress, but never
neglecting to bring up the rear and
make clean work of it. From State
street it passed ON to Wabash avenue,
where thousands of dollars were con-
sumed every minute. The danger of
utter destruction became more immi-
nent every moment. More help was
wanted, and accordingly kilograms
were sped over the wires to Milwau.
kee, Racine, Joliet, and other places
They read, ga great fire is raging.
Chicogo is threatened with destruction.
Send us your fire departm In the
course Of the night came responses in
the shape of stalWart men with ap-
paratus, and shey did valiant service in
fighting the flames to smaller and
smaller limit. -.
Every building on Wabash avenue,
parallel to Michigan avenue, was de-
stroyed. The flames here reached
their eastern limits, and fed their way
rapidly northward. .....
It was now 8 o'clock, and the Times
goes on to say At about eight o'clock
the fire was checked on Clark street, and
then there was no danger that it would
pass westward. After that two engines |
covered the entire field from Polk street |
south on Clark around by Twelfth street
to Wabash avenue where the engage
ment 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 mar
rover 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 of State,
the st. James being the last building
to succumb.
When the fire reached that point the
interest in its progress became intense.
It was moving along both sides of State
between Harrison and Van Buren,. On
the west side stood a massive row of
four or fve-story marble fronts, on the
east side the ST. James. Beyond the
st. James, northward, was an open
space several hundred feet square.
There was a 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 certain that the
whole row would go, and then crossing
VanBuren street, make its way to the
Palmer House. Opposite the st.
James stood a row of four-story
marble fronts, covering about four
numbers. These were divided from
the building south by single lot, %
feet wide. A mere bagatelle said every
body, and nobody anticipated that that
little open space would check the
flames. But it did. Fortunately a
splendid freproof 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 stands
there at this writing, savior of I'M
told millions. 1t was the citadel of the |
confagration. It's surrender would |
have given the whole city over to the
ravaging enemy. Instinctively every |
one in sight Of the scene, appreciated |
the Importance of the position, and |
when the building to the south tu1n-
bled together with laundering crash
thereafter harmless-a shout from
fifty thousand throats rose high above
the roar of the confagration. It was
the moment of moments during the |
progress of the fire, and fifty was it
commemorated.
While this building stood the brunt
and onslaught of what might be called
overwhelming odds, a four-story brick,
apparently out of all danger, on the
corner of Wabash avenue and Van
Buren, street, took fire from the ST.
James hotel An upper window had
been left open, q curtain was set on fire
by a straw spark, and in moment the /
whole interior, already filled with hot
ar, was a sheet of flames. AS the
flames shot forth cry Of anguish was
Wrung from the spectators, for it seem
ed inevitable that now two moresquares
must fall sacrifice. But, fortunately, /
the flames were confined TO that and I