Year: 1874




CHICAGO was called upon, on the l4th,
to endure another great calamity, only
less in magnitude than the first which
visited it in 1871 A part of the fairest
portion of the city was devastated by
fire, and larger portion cleansed by fire.
The former is that portion of Wabash
and Michigan avenues and State street
embraced within the area bounded by
Van Buren and Twelfth street The last
is that portion Of Clark street, Third and
Fourth avenues left over from the fire of
1871, and inhabited by the filthy and
criminal population that naturally grav-
itates toward large city.


The Chicago Times Of the 18th thus
editorially describes the event:


"At about half past four o'clock yester-
day afternoon little spark was discov-
cred in junk-shop near Twelfth street,
between Clark street and Fourth avenue.
A pailful Of water would have extin-
guished it had it been properly applied.
But the shanty was in flames before an
alarm could be sounded; a long delay
ensued before the arrival of the engines
upon the spot; and still further delay
occurred before stream could be turned
on the burning mass. But the fire did
not await the pleasure of the firemen. 1t
spread rapidly, first to an oil-refinery ad-
joining the place where it originated,
next to the surrounding buildings; and
almost before single stream had been
turned upon it half a square of buildings
were enveloped in flames. Even then
a well-directed effort in the face Of
the fire might have checked its
career; but the iremen were blind to
consequences, and expended all their
energies to save the old rookeries that
were already half demolished, and al
lowed the flames to reach forth their
serpent tongues and lick in new victims.
From house to house it sped; from block
to block it madly sprung, and urged for
ward by brisk southwest wind soon
made its way down to the most southerly
limit of the fire Of 1871.


1.-The area embraced by the fire was
from Twelfth street northward to Van
Buren, street, and from Clark street east
ward to Wabash avenue, nine squares in
length by one to four in width. Most OF
the buildings were small frame structures,
built score of years ago, with a few
brick and stone stores and dwellings in
terspersed, and here and there church
or mandatory Of considerable value.
The buildings were dry as tinder, and
when once under Roadway the fire be-
came uncomfortable. 1t sped on the
wings Of the wind, and often, ere the
fire-engines had been brought to bear
upon its more northerly limit, house
far in advance Of their position would be
found in flames, and the engines would
be forced to retire to avoid being hemmed
in on all sides by the confagration. Thus
much valuable time was lost, and it was
not until the stone and brick buildings
at Harrison street were reached that
firm and effective stand against its fur
ther progress was made. Here the en-
gines-or few of them-were deployed
apparently to good advantage, and
although from that spot it spread to
some extent, its malignity was mastered
and the main business portion Of the city
was saved from the ruin that SO recently
engulfed it."


This, in brief, sketches the rise and
progress of the fire. From four o'clock
until midnight the Fire Department,
aided by such help as could reach the
city from Racine, Milwaukee and else
where, battled the flames with more or
less judgment, before it was able to hold
them in check. At the latter hour all
danger of the destruction of the better
portion of the city was over. The loss,
according to the estimates Of the Chicago
morning papers, would reach from a.
100000 to 97O0O,0 600. Over 1000 houses
were burned and probably 10000 people
made houseless