Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-18
MRS, O'IEARY rs DEAD.
1t Was Her Cow That Started the Big
Chicago Fire.

Mrs. Catharine OLeary died at Chi
cago a while ago. She was the owner
of the fractions COW which, in barn
in the rear of 1871 De Koven street, on
the memorable night of Oct. 9, 1871,
kicked over Il lamp and started a fire
which cost Chicago S190,O0O,OOO.
Since that night Mrs. O'Leary's life
had been embittered by the popular
belief that she indirectly was reSpon-
sible for the loss of life and enormous
destruction of property. She denied
the story vigorously, and to the com
mittee which investigated the fire ana
it's causes made affidavit that the al
legations about herself and the COW
and the lamp were not true, but the
world was against her. Then she be
came silent Entreaties and flattering
monetary offers were alike unayaillng.
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.
4 tAree-story stone-frOnt brick struc-
ture occupies the site where, in 1871,
stood the O'Leary cottage. The struc-
ture is used as a fat building. Upon
a large stone in front of the house at
1871 De K0ven street appear these
words:
The great fire of 1871 originated here
And extended to Lincoln park.
Chicago Historical Society, 1881.
De KOven street in 1879 taking up her
residence near The stOckyards. But
she was frequently seen afterWard 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 Oct. 8, 1871.
The story relative to the COW and
the fire, as told by man named
Klerker Of Chicago, who says he was
at Mrs. OLeary's house the night the
fire started, was as follows:
Mrs. O'Leary had arranged to give a
party. During the evening the alarm
ing information was given out that
the house was short of milk. young
lady who was present said that as
Mrs. O'Leary was a dairywoman she
ought to have q COW, and that she (the
guest would go out and milk the ami
NAL. Mrs. O'Leary consented to this,
and the young lady taking pail in
one hand and a tin lantern, in which
there was a candle, in the other, went
into the barn in the rear of the house.
She put the lantern down near pile
of hay. Being unfamiliar with the
modus operandi Of milking, she ap-
preached the wrong side of the COW.
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 at $40
O'Clock 2. m, Sunday, Oct. 8, 1871, and
was not extinguished until 1870
O'Clock Monday night. Within space
Of twenty-six hours something like
$4,000 buildings were consumed and
nearly 100000 persons were made
homeless. The total area burned over
was 2,124. The fire traversed on an
average siyty-ive acres an hour, and,
according to a reliable estimate, the
average destruction of property for the
same time was about $7,50O,0OO, or
S125,OOO a minute. The burned dis
riot was about four miles in length,
from north to south, and two-thirds Of
mile in breadth ON the average.
The origin Of the fire is still mys-
cry, though the generally accepted
heory is that it was caused by Mrs.
amp or lantern. There was an Off.
ial investigation made not long after
he fire and about fifty witnesses were
but there was not word
f testimony as to how or by whom
be confagration was started.