Year: 1871

Graphic Description ef the Chicago


Fire.


The following reliable and graphic
descr,Ption Of the hrs has been furnished
by . gentleman Who participated 10 the
the WORT of subduing the flames during
their continuance


None but an eye witness can form an
idea of the fury and power Of the fro-
fiend as he revel.ed among the pala ,ial
buildings and Warehoses on the south
side, With the wind blowing u hurricsue
At times 1t seemed but the work Of
moment for the FIRE to enter the south
ends Of buildings fronting on Randolph,
Lake, and Water streets, and reappear at
tho north doors aud windows, belching
forth in fierce flames which often licked
the opposite buildings, and then the
flames issuing forth from tho buildings
on both sides Of the street would unite
aud present q solid mass If FIRE, com


pletely filing the street from side to side,


and shooting upwured . hundred feot


into tho air above the house tops in their


mad career. Thus was street after


street filed with flames, and the exultation
Of the fire 6end wac givop over TO in


roar which con only bc equalled by com


binng the noise Of the ocean when its


waters are driven during q tempest upon


q rocky beach with the howl Of tho


blast Huge walls would topple and


fall into the sea Of fro without sp.


parently giving q sound, as the roar Of


the fierce element was so great that all


minor sounds were swallowed up, and


the fall of the walls was only pcrccptible


to the eyes. If the reader will recall to


his mind the 6crcest snow storm in his


experience, and imagine the snow to be


FIRE, as it .urged h,ther and thither before


the fury Of the wind, they will be able to


form faint conception Of the flames as


they ragged through the streets Of our


doomed city. Many Of the buildings


situated along South Water street buried


their rod hot rear walls in the water Of
the river, into which they plunged with


q hiss. The heat was SO intense at time 8,
from some Of the burning buildings, that


they could not be approached within one
hundred and fifty feet, which accounts
for the manner in which the Ere worked
back, and often against the wind. Tho
Gre, after reaching tho business portion
: Of Randolph and South Water streets,
leaped the river to the north side in an
incredible short space Of time, and
thence among the wooden buildings on
that side reached the lake shore, after
touching block after block Of happy


dwellings With its fierce blast. A scene
Of such utter powerlossness in the face oi
on enemy was never presented than that
Of this people trying to combat the
fire iend, for the combat was not Of lonp
o duration-the people bowed their head,
! in anguish, and suffered the 6end to have


untrammeled sway.


While there are many Instances O.
generous devotion on the part of rich


aud poor iu dividing with the destitute


there are painful instances of meannes 81


and sel6shness. One person was trying
to remove valuable papers from on office
$ and asked two 6rcmen to help him, bu
8 they refused unless he paid them $50
l. the papers we're destroyed. Drivers O
o express wagons have taken 500, anG
even $500 for an hours use Of thoi
e vehicles, in getting distressed people
away from danger.


u Among the sad scenes of the calamity
u was tho appearance Of hundreds of mel
q and boys beastly intoxicated around tn,
T. streets Of the North Division, wher
e saloon keepers stock of liquors wsr'
g turned into the street and furnished
l convenient opportunity for the grati6ca
- ton Of their slavish propensities; an,
:. there can hardly DO any doubt that man
Of these poor wre'chss found their deaf,
70 in the flames from which they were to
y helpless to escape. Que poor man ha
- crowded. for refuge into the water mai
J! lying in the street near the water work.
ai but tho FIRE fend found him even ther
" before he could get his body wholly i
81 safety aud robbed him Of his life.


y.