The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-09
MRS. o'LEARY's cow.

Great Chicago Fire.
A dispa:ch from Chicago on the 5sh
inst. said: Mrs. Catherine O'Leary died
yesterday afternoon. She was the owner
OF the fractions COW which, in barn In
the rear of 1877 DeKoven street, on the
memorable night Of October 0, 1871,
kicked ovor lamp and started FIRE
which cost Chicago $40, 600. 600.
Since that night Mrs. O'Leary's life
had been embitsered by the popular be-
liof that she indirectly was Responsible
for the loss Of life and enormous de-
struction of property. She denied the
story vigorously, and to the committee
which investigated the FIRE and its
causes made affidavit that the sllepa-
ton about herself and the cow and the
lamp were not true, but the world was
against her.
Then she became silent. Entreaties
and flaSsering monetary offers were
alike unavailing. She would say neither
yea nor nay even to her friends, and a
request to tell her story for publication
usually aroused her to pitch of frenzy.
A threo-story stone front brick struc-
ture occupies the site where, in 1871,
stood the O'Leary cottage. The struc.
ture Ia used as Cat building. Upon
large stone In front of the house st No.
1877 De Koven street appear these words:
The great fire Of 1871 originated here
and extended to Lincoln Park. Chicago
Historical Society, 1881"
Mrs. OLeary moved away from 1877 De
Koven street in 1879, taking up her re
sidence near the stockysrds. But she
was frequently seen atterward In the
neighborhood Of her old home. She
seemed to take pride in being pointed
out, but always Indignantly denied that
her COW started the great fire Of October
8, 1871.
The story relative to the cow and the
fire, as told BY man named Klerker, Of
Chicago, who Gays he was at Mrs.
O'Learys house the night the fire
started, is as follows:
Mrs O'Leary had arranged to give g
party. During the evening the alarm
ing information was given out that the
house was short OF milk. A young lady
who was present said that ss Mrs.
O'Leary WAS dairywoman she ought to
have cow, and that she (the guest)
would go out aud milk the animal. Mrs.
O'Lesry consented to this, and the
young lady, taking pail in one hand
and tin lantern, in which there WAS
candle, in the other, went into the barn
In the rear Of the house. She put the
NSNsoAA eO"h hOoi Pho Va uhJs h6luK
unfamiliar with the modus operandi Of
milking, she approached the wrong side
OF the COW. Thereupon the cow kicked
the young lady over. In falling she
struck the lantern and the candle
ignited the hay and the wind did the
rest.
The Chicago fire started as s:45 O'Clock
p. M, Sunday, October s, 1871, and it
was not extinguished until 1920 O'Clock
Monday night Within space OF
twenty-six hours something like Is, 900
buildings were consumed and nearly
100000 persons were made homeless
The total area burned over was 2.124
acres. The fire traversed on an aver.
age sixty-fve acres an hour, and, &C.
cording to reliable estimate, the aver
age destruction Of property for the same
time was about $1,000, 600, or S125, 900 q
minute. The burned district was about
four miles IN length, from north to
south, nnd two.thirds OF q mile in
breadth on the average.
The origin OF the fire is still q mys-
terry. though the generally accepted
theory is that 1t was caused by Mrs.
O'Leary's COW kicking over kerosene
lamp or lantern. There was an official
investigation made not long after the
fire and about fifty witnesses we're
examined. but there WAS not word of
testimony aa to how or by whom the
coniiagration WAS started