The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-31
ANNIVERSARY OF
CHICAGO'S GREAT FIRE
(Associated Pressl

Chlcago, Aug. 3l.-When Chicago
this fall observes the 50th annivers-
airy of the great fire that destroyed
this city, it will recall that its public
library, now the second largest in the
world, was born in that conflagration.
The library owes its start to British
sympathy for the stricken city which
found its expression in books.
The prime mover in England was
Thomas Hughes. author of atom
Browns School Days" His proposal
resulted IN $4,000 volumes besides a
sum of money being sent here from
Great Britain. The children's room
in the library is called the Thomas
Hughes Room"
The chief prize of the Chicago pub
lie library is an autographed copy of
'eThe Early Years of the Prince Con-
sort" that Queen Victoria sent. 1t
was volume of memoirs of her hus-
band that she had had compiled. The
queen inscribed it for Chicago on Nov.
Is, 1871, five weeks after the fire of
Oct. 9, and long before a city library
had taken shape here.
Hughes had visited Chicago several
years before the fire and made num-
Der of friends. On hearing of the dis
aster he enlisted Queen Victoria,
Gladstone, then premier. others high
in the government, authors such as
Carlyle and Disraeli, and leading pub
fishers. They joined their names to
a circular of appeal to the people of
Great Britain.
Support was urged on the ground
that "the new library of Chicago is
to be a mark of sympathy now and
token of that sentiment of kinship
which, Independently of circumstances
and Independently of every other con-
sideration, must ever powerfully af-
feet the different branches Of the Eng
lish race"
The appeal was at once taken up
by the British press. A noted pub
Usher at Leipsic began the collection
of books in Germany. A thousand
volumes were sent by the Germans.
This activity abroad led the citizens
of Chicago to bestir themselves.
Hughes and his associates took it FOR
granted that Chicago had had a pub
lie library and it had been destroyed.
They supposed they were helping to
replace it. There had, however, been
none of this sort before.
Chicago began to take the neces-
sary steps to start a library. On
April 8, 1872, six months after the
fire, the city council passed an ordi-
nance for free city library. The city
then got a law through the legisla-
ture authorizing library tax.
After its. fearful experience, Chi
cago felt no place would be proper to
receive the precious books from
abroad except one that was thorough
ly fireproof. The only ireproof thing
left in the city was an abandoned
iron water tank that had served as a
reservoir for the south side. 1t was
so feet in diameter and 80 feet high.
It was rooted over, a hole cut in the
side for a door, shelves built around
its curving sides, and turned into a
library. There during 1872 and 1878,
$4,000 volumes received from English
contributors and elsewhere were stor-
ed, and in May 1874, the library prop
er was opened.
The British contributions included
autographed works of Gladstone, Her
bert Spencer. John Stuart Hill, Dis
raeli, Carlyle, Kingsley, Huxley,
John Bright, Lyell, Freeman and Ro-
setti. Lady Travelyan, sister of Mac
aulay, autographed set of his works
she had edited The British govern
ment sent 1000 volumes, including a
calendar of state papers with copy
of the "Domesday Book" Oxford
University bound several Thousand
volumes with its best binding, and
Cambridge University and great
British publishers contributed liberal
~ The British patent Office put the
Chicago library on its mailing list and
is still send its publications. A num-
Der of the autographed volumes have
been preserved in memorial collee-
ton.
Out of this start the Chicago pub
lie library has grown to a collection
of /. 100000 volumes. It's annual cir
eulation is 100000. which places it
ahead of any library in England.