Year: 1874

CHICAGO, July 14.-A fire started at
half-p lst four o'clock this afternoon in
some small frame houses near Fourth
avenus and Polk street. It was at first
blown southwark by stiff breeze, but
the wind s0on shifted, and by sunset
blew gale from the south, sending the
fire toward the central part of the city.
At half-past six the fire had made al
most 3 clean sweep up 10 the corner Of
Third avenue and Polk street, burning
up tie homes of thousands of people.
At the above corner the fire department
commenced the process Of blowing up
buildings with gunpowder, but the
buildings experimental with were but
small wooden affairs, and would only
have the effect OF making a quicker
blaze of them, with the wind blowing,
as il does, very fresh from about south
east. The fire is now on the verge Of
the fire-line Of our big fire st Harrison
street. The west side of Wabash ave
nue. is now in full blaze, which takes
many stately buildings in its course
which afforded haven Of refuge in the
winter Of 1871. The fire is just imme-
diately in the rear OF the First Baptist
church, and should that structure 90
down the fire will have clean sweep TO
the n0rthward and eastward, and the


EXPOSITION BUILDING


will, in all probability, be the
fiual prey of the fire, and as
that IS Immediately on the lake
shore, there will be nothing further for
the fire to feed upon, provided we have
the good fortune not to have q change Of
wind. A dense pail Of smoke is hanging
over the exposed course of the fire,
dropping its advance messengers Of Gin
ders on the roofs of buildings, although
private citizens are doing their utmost
to do all that is in their power in trying
to prevent the fire getting hold on their
homes, vet the effort is as futile ss for q
child to make the attempt. The roar Of
the advancing furnace has the sound of
our old calamity, and nothing
short Of its final plunge into
the lake will quench it. Our
streets within a mile Of tine confiagra-
ton are crowded with teams of every
description loaded to their utmost ca
pacity with household goods. Although
the stOre-keepers, who are so fortunate
rs TO secure 8 team, are endeavOring TO
save their most valuable stock, when
ever vacant space north Of the fire can
be found it is at once filled with goods
Of ali descriptions and variety. Men,
women and children are doing their ut
most to save their little all, and bring
ing it to some place OF safety. The
work OF the fire from this on will burn
up as much in one five minutes as it has
previously in fifteen, considering the
value in dollars aud cents. The heat is
very great, and there is no doubt that,
in addition to the pecuniary losses, we
will have to mourn


THE Loss OF LIVES,


as il is next to impossible for a FIRE of
this magnitude and fury, and burning
through as closely a settled district as
this has, without calling for many
human sacrifice. As the p0stoffice is
directly in the line Of This conflsgrRtion,
It's employees will have all they can do to
save the mail matter in the buildings,
and consequently there will no mails
leave the city this evening, and there
can, by no possibility, be Que sent before
tomorrow evening should the depart
ment be successful IN saving their valus-
bles. The principal lines oil the Western
Union telegraph company, running
through State street, have been burnt
some forty wires-bUt as the lines on
Canal street are out Of all possible dam
ger, there will be no interruption Of tele-
graphic communication. The fire has
burnt over. so far, about half-mile in
length, and some four blocks in width,
and although the explosion of gunpow-
der still is heard every little while, there
is but little hopes Of staying the fire
short Of the limits given above.


As predicted in a previous dispatch,
the fire swept into and over the elegant


FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH,


on Wabash avenue, and what
was, this evening before sundOEn,
one Of the most elegant and cost
ly church edifices Of our city, is now
but a smculderiBg heap Of ruins. As it
was very evident, from the course of the
fire and the strength OF the wind at
about half past six O'Clock, the pOstOffice
building was, in all probability, doomed,
General Macarthur, our postmaster, made
arrangements at once to remove the
mails to place Of safety, and all need
ed teams were pressed into service, aud
by eight O'Clock the last loaded wagon
LETT the bGildiDg, and the place that had
been the depository of the United States
Dlakl tEuAElAIA nCAC " a. NN5NANEA AA4-
ever, for at ten minutes of eight the
building first caught, and by hslf-past
eight the building was mass Of flames.
The wind by eight o'clock had almost
died away, which assisted our fire de-
partment


TO HOLD THEIR POSITION


at the corner where the post
Office was situated. At Wabash
avenue and Harrison street, the
very point where our previous fire
was stopped, cur tremen seemed to be
inspired with superhuman efforts to pre-
vent its spreading into the rebuilt dis
trict; and here il was that all their ener-
gies were concentrated to bar its further
progress. The building on The
southeast corner was a large brick
dwellinghouss, and by making
bulWark Of this against the
ever oncOming sheets Of 1ame, the
prospect Of holding this building and
saving it, and thereby preventing the
progIess Of the fire through to Michigan
avenue, was quite promising at half
past eight O'Clock, whereas the north
east corner Of these streets, occupied by
our pOstofiice, was then mass Of flames.
However, Is very high and heavy
brick building sdjOined the pOstoftice on
the north, there is no doubt that the
spread Of the fiJe north on Wabash
avenue from this point has been checked.
Among the buildings destroyed on the
east side Of Wabash avenue was
the church building formerly occupied
by the congregation OF Robert Laird
COllieT 1t seems somewhat singular
that this-conhagrstion should be check
ed al the same place where our pfevi-
Gus blg IRE was checked, and that the
very building spared by the previous fire
should now be one Of the last to sue
cumb this time.


THE MAILS WERE ALI. REMOVED


to the sub-station on the corner
OF West W ashingtop and Halstead
streets. Between Eldridge court and
Harrison stIeet=i On the east side of
I Wabash avenue, some dozen handsome
/ buildings were destroyed. wbiie the
whole Of the west side Of the straef
/ between these limits every build-
l ing was leveled with the ground ard
] looking westwaTdly the same q sad level
! Of ruins was presented 60 vividly en-
gravtd on The memory Of our iuhabi.
I tants in 1871. The losses entailtd by
| this FIRE ia the destruction and removal
I Of goods and furniture is, in all probabil


ity, the sctual loss 10 buildings ant


property destroyed upto eight O'Clock


FOR il takes but a moderate sized fir


nowadays to set Chicago people Z


clearing out their goods and ehattels


and about every store along Wabasl