The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-07-22

Simultaneous blaze. Just north o.
the rag shop was a story and a hali
barn filed with hay, which famed up
in an instant, and the flying wisps OF
burning hay lit on the roots nearly a
block away. With such rapidly did
the FIRE spread after it was FIRST dis
covered that two horses in this barn
were burned to death before they
could be rescued. The eight or ten
engines in the first district were
speedily on the ground, and the most
of them took their stations on Clark
Street, where Marshal Benner at
tempted to check the spread of the
flames. Engine No. 81 and one
other were stationed on Fourth Ave-
nue., and a vigorous fight with the
advancing foe was commenced. AT
this point, ia ten minutes after the
first alarm, the pine shanties, stretch
ing eastward toward Fourth Avenue,
were all ahame for nearly half q
square.
In less than half an hour the en-
gines that were posted on Fourth
Avenue, directly in the path of the
fire, were compelled to beat a retreat.
All succeeded in beating a retreat ex-
cept Engine Company No. 81, the
colored company of the force, who de-
layed a minute too long, and the
flames bursting upon them before they
had attached their horses to the en-
CINE, they were compelled to abandon
it, and the handsome steamer was
warped and twisted into a mass of
halt melted iron and steel in the fiery
furnace that girdled it. The fire had
swept d~iagonally across the block to
the corner of Taylor Street and
Fourth Avenue, and was rapidly eat
ing its way through the remainder
of the block fronting Clark and Tay-
lor Streets. The Marshal stationed
a number of engines on Clark Street,
and every effort was made to stay
the northern progress of the flames
along that thoroughfare, but the shan
ties, from which poured a swarm of
fallen women laden down with ward
robes and furniture, were ripe for
destruction, an no sooner had the
torrents of water extinguished the
fire on one building than the roofs of
tinder-boxes still further to the north
-.z,II Irrs+ into Aon,n- D,4 A.
most of the Marshal's attention was
directed to the front of the fire, and
every energy was eXerted to stay its
eastern march. At the corner of
Taylor Street and Fourth Avenue a
large amount of hose was concentra-
ted, and every effort was made to
keen the fire on the west side of the
avenue, but the driving wind was
laden with the burning brands, which
lit on the roofs beyond and kindlcd
them in an instant. The Olivet Bap-
fist Church was the first building to
go on the east side of the avenue
In a little over an hour after the first
alarm, the fire had swept over the
space between Clark Street and
Third Avenue, and had reached Polk
Street on the north. The southern
boundary of the burnt district ex-
tends east in almost a straight line,
running nearly parallel with Twelfth
Street, and about three hundred feet
north oft.
Accordingly 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
up your fire department" In the
course of the night came a response
in the shape Of stalwart men with APP
paratus, and they did valiant service
in lighting the flames to asmaller and
smaller limit. Having reached Wa
bash Avenue! with the wind blowing
from the southwest, Michigan Ave
nue. seemed to be in danger Of de-
struction, in fact the thought Of saw
ing a portion Of it, from Eldridge
Court to a point at least as far north
as Harrison Street, was abandoned,
and yet, contrary to all expectations,
every house in that limit stands in
tact. Every house on Wabash Ave
nue. parallel with this is destroyed.
But the narrow alley between the
two avenues stood as a barrier, as if
it had been an intervening mountain.
Every house on Michigan avenue
was vacated. The streets were lined
with trucks backed up against the
residences, but about nine o'clock
most of the people moved back again.
The ordeal was safely passed and
our handsome lake front was pre-
served. A regular gale was blowing,
the beat was intense, and the fremen
could not stand within a hundred feet
of it. The policy seemed to be to
fight it into the lake by closing in on
its sides. This policy was adopted,
and at six O'Clock all danger was
passed.
The Times makes the following es-
innate of losses, which will be found
to be pretty nearly correct. The
area burned over covers fifteen
squares. Taking blocks and hall
blocks here and there and Jumping
the whole, the burned area is about
half a mile long and q little less in
width, and embraces tumble down
shanty and palatial avenue residences
Clark Street, $50, 600; Fourth Ave.
me, $4,000; Third Avenue, $685.,
600; State Street, 81, 800, O0G; Wabash
Avenue, 81. 700, 600; Michigan Ave.
nue., $3.50, 600; Taylor Street, $50, eco:
Polk Street, $40, 600; Harrison Street
$4,000; Congress Street, $1,000
Van Buren, Street, $4,000, Court, be.
tween Wabash Avenue and State
Street, $150,O0O. Total, $4.O25, 600.
Another fire broke out this after.
noon about $50 in the northwester IN
part of the city in the vicinity of the
junction of Milwaukee and Chicago
Avenues. Fifteen or twenty build
ings, comprising stores, saloons
planning mills and carpenter shops
burned in a short time, the flames be
irg famed by a brisk northwes+
breeze and fed by very infammabl,
material. The fire department wa!
promptly on the ground, and by th,
most vigorous efforts succeeded il
checking the progress of the fire be
fore it did further damage than al
ready stated. Considerable excite