Year: 1871

relentlessl v against every obstacle and


forced channel through even the solid


est walls of stone Little boys and


girls dragging trunks through h the streets


with one hand, holding on with the


other to some cherished picture Of the
loved and lost. Huge Irishmen leading


goats through the crowd, carrying the


kids in their arms, and leaving the


children to make their own way. Wo-


men loaded down with bed-slats, and


carefully bearing them to places Of
safety. Big men carrying mirrors for
squares, and laying them down only to


be shivered in a moment. Bare-footed
and almost naked women and children
gathered around their piles OF furni-
ture, many of them falling asleep in
tine streets, from sheer exhaustion, only
TO be reused to gather up their goods
and rush farther away from the ap.
preaching danger. Millionaires of yes.
terday, looking in pale silence at the fire
demon sporting recklessl y with their for
tunes, and whitening to ashes in half
an hour the tolls OF half a lifetime past,
and the only hope OF the best half
Of life that lay vet in that future.
The air is filled with sparks and burn
ing splinters, which the cruel winds
in their wild wantonRess3 lash into
fury, and send them leaping and
darting, with fiery tongues, like enraged
serpents, to strike at the first object in
their way. Some light on roofs, some
stick their fangs into wooden cornices,
or window frames; others dart as If
with demoniacal intelligence, after
awnings, and directly another magnif-
cent block is wrapped in flames. Soon |
the gas lights 60 out-the gasworks
being destroyed; the winds start up
with fresh bowling vengeane just as
mems hopes revive Of checking the on
ward sweep OF the fire; the moon looks
out OF the sky with q hue as OF death-sick-
ness, utterly woe-begone-the sickliest,
deathliest hue | ever detected on her
halfhidden face; sullen roar Of an
explosion adds to the horror OF the |
scene; and the crash Of falling walls !
and timberS, and the frantic leap OF
flame high up into the air, to burst into
a deluge ofSparks and blazing splinters,
aud descend in torrents on some near |
object Of vengeance, make up scene OF
tumult and desolation and awful mag
nifcence that no words can describe.
Then word comes that the Court House
is in fames-that the fremont and |
the Sherman are gone-and when you
lit up your eyes, look which way you
will, it is evident that the fire tiends
are holding high carnival and that
no earthly power can arrest them.


The burning of the new Honorc
building, one OF the most magnificent
business houses on the continent, and
of the new hotel on the opposite corner,
was terrible in its grandeur. The new
Mansard roof, not yet completed, on
the Honore building. no sooner caught
spark than it burst forth like sup
pressed fountain, and the fire leaped
high into the air with an exultation
fury that seemed sublimely diabolical. !
Then, beaten by fresh gale Of wind,
it rushed in a river toward the Post
otfice-a turbulent river-wave sue
ceeded wave, dashing against stone
walls, beaten back for a moment in
sullen defeat, then gathering strength |
for q more furious onset, and breaking
in spray OF fire that rushed like an
army to scale the walls and carry the |
torch within the ramparta. The new
hotel, whose name | forget, almost
ready for occupancy, furnished new
material to feed the fury OF this assault.
For time column of flame rose up
from the north side OF this building
from the ground TO the roof. perhaps
thirty or forty feet in breadth, which,
in its occasional spiral curving5 and
with the quickened motion impaired by
every fresh conquest OF fire within the
wallr, seemed like an enormous fiery
serpent writhing in agony, and frantic
ally struggling to make a terrible leap
into the air. But it is useless TO at
tempt description 1t was sublime
the noble and daring struggles to beat
back the flames and save the buildings
but the wisest and bravest efforts OF
men were the struggles Of Liliputians,
and the engines seemed absolutely
contemplate in their feebleness, even
when doing their best. A broad river
of flame, reaching miles in length,
could not be resisted.


At ! o'clock | took walk over the
business portion o. the south side. The
Postoilice still detied the flames The
Tribune building stood grand!y and
stubborpIy out in dogged resistance
that was encouraging. The grand
house OF Field, Letter ii Co. was still
biddin- defiance to the flames 1t
looked a if. in this quarter, the fiery
foe was about to be conquered, and we
returned TO Mr.. Honores, weary and
sleepy, and ventured to lie down for
nap assured that the danger in this
direction was over. We were reused
in the course OF an hour with tidings
that the house was On fire The wind
had risen to n very fierce gale, and was
sweeping along the avenue northward
with great fury. We Lad just time TO
snatch up coat and satchel and descend
from the third story TO make our
escape over piles OF burning carpets
and blazing furniture before the house
was surrendered to the flames. Then
We saw that the portion OF the city
which we had regarded as saved was
doomed A far along as the Michigan
Avenue Hotel it was evident that the
fine residences must 60 and some OF the
churches on Wabash avenue aDd the
Palmer House were already in flames.
Making our way through clouds Of dust
and throngs OF frantic people, We
reached quieter region in the southern
portion OF the CITY.