A Night Of Terror

f'oiiwstKmr'enoe Üufroit 1'rfO Fur. Chicago, Oct. 0. TUE EVEN'ÏXG OK THE OUTHREAK. At half-post nine last ovcning a fire broke out in a stablo on Fourteejith St., on tho west sidc. Tho wind was blowing from tho southward a peifoct gale. A person could not stand agaiost this fiorcc wind without bracing biinself iiriuly, and hats had to bo held beneath tho ann or crushod upon the head and held thore by tho hand. ïho night was clear, and the twinkling stars wero plainly visiblo through.thc hazy atmosphere. THE ALARM. The dread alarm bells struck terror to the citizens in the immcdiate vicinity. The firemen were exhausted from thoir labora of the previous night. Cousequently before the drowsy firemen had reached the scène of the conflagration it had spread with such rapidity that threo entiro blocks were scething in flames. Tho firemen, all worn out as they were with the weary labors of the night and morning before, worked inanf ully to extinguish the flames. Tlie engincs took various positions in the front and on the sidos of tho fire. They poured unceasing stieams of water upon the burning buildings - they wetted the roofs and sidos of buildings in tho ad vanee of the flames, and as they retired from one hydrant to another they still üept working vigorously. But with all these best efforts the flames kept gainiug rapidly. The air was filled with flying einders which- hmled aloft by the flerce intensity of tho breezo - eddied and floated in the firmament, and feil again to tho earth threo and four blocks distan t. These einders drifted about tho corners o: streets and alleys Hke snow under the effects of a winter's breeze. They ignitec the sidewalks and wholo rows of buildings at once. It was impossiblo to protcet tho city from theso advauce skirmishers of the firo-fiond. They rattlot upon roofs and against windows, iinpelled by the gale, and wherevcr ono struck in an instant a flamo appeared Terrified at the rapidity with which tho fliimes spread, tho people hastily threw out into the streets what household good they could, and with valuables in their hands stood gazing as if stupofied at thu destruction of their homes. At about the hour of ten, it being then teen that the flames, despite the efforts o the firemen, could not be held in check every bell in the city. fire bells, church bells, sohool house and engÍB6 bells be gan ringing. Tho object was to arouse the sleeping populace that thoy migh bring, as best they conld, their goods to a place of safety. Drays and expres ■wagons hastoned through tho streets, ladenod with all imaginable sorts o goods, and drovc hurriedly toward the lake side near the park. Sick and decreped parsons wero un ceremoniously thrown upon the tops o beds and alniost battered to jiicces by Kurling of bandboxes, china ware, port manteaus, clocks, looking glasses, doll babios, poodle dogs, umbrellas, bird oages, musical instruments, silver ware, smoothing irons, ind all sorts of household truck. Fainting women, half ciad women, screaming women, and even laughing and dancing women, lined the walks. Shouts and yells for express men to transport these helpless women and childron, mingled witli the indescribable noise frora the roaring of the flamea, the whistling of the engines, the bowling of tho wind, clangor of bells, trumpet sounds of the firemen and tho hurly burley in the streets we re the noises that added to the confusión of tho scone. Tho saloons all closed at elcvon o'clock a measure that met with approval from all citizens. Aiuoug all this confusión the pólice forcé were every where to bc met ■with. Human nature in its most selfish aspects, and in glaring contrast, the most self sacrificing heroism was displayed on every street. Undoubtedly a considerable araount of thieving was carried on, bat public atteDtion was not called to it, e :cept in one instancc on South Clark Btreet where a party of three ruffians having a fourth confedérate in an expresa waj;on, entered a house and began carrying out various articles which they depjaitod in their wagon. ïhe owner of the uouso, taken by surprise, thought they were sympathizing neighbors who had come to his relief, but, on seeing thein aboct to drivo off, he raised an outory. The thieves were captured and summarily kieked by the indignunt crowd, and the wagon taken boeaeaaion of by a patrolman. Many dealers in articles of olothmg aud of grocerio.s seeiug it was impossible to save their stocks, gave to tho crowd free periuissioii to help thomselves, a privilege niany availed thomselves of to secure a suit of clothes or a hat. After all, tlie mü'.n impulse of the public seeined to be a des re to save what they could of the city. B ..idings were torn down in the vain effort to btay tho flamea, but as was said beioro the flying einders were driven in advanee by the burricane, which apparentlf increased in force, rendered all efforts liseless. By ïuidnight the flaines had spread in a direct line forward over three miles of housos. ís'othing can bc said that would describe adequately the unparalloled iutensity of tho fire. A building seeuungly fire-proof would cateh liro and ia ten minutes tiiuo the roof, with a foarful oxuah, would fall in, sending upa thi jkeniug storm of sparks ■ and einders, that, ulig'.ituig on fresh torritory, would B o i givo lutiee of th-ir rapidly gorniiniting sjoii by immense volumes of name. JL'ii j rirmament. glowed with them. Tho Í3;v ling flamea, as they licked up some m 'Ie ihan usually inflammable substanee i-i diug stores, would urise to steeplo .Lcightsm the hcavens and shed a lurid giure uyon the whole city. The clouds of auolce rollfid away to the northward, and uil around the sphere of fire the intense darkness of the sky added, by contrast, to the terrors of the scène. On. Clark street a new pavement of ceddr blocks and tar had just been put down and the str-ot waa ouly partially open to the public, although the pavement was completud. It caught firo and instantáneo i iy from one end of the street to the Ovier iorce flames broke out. It was a p ixfeot ehannel of fire. 8011: of the moro fortúnate pedestria:i i upon that stroet made their escape int 1 allnys and cross st reets, somo of thoin h iving tho clothes burned off their backs, so suddeii and violent was, tho ignition of the pavement, aud so spuntaueously fierce wjro the flumes. It is kuown that some persons in tuis street were unable to esoupt), and aaphyxiatodund rendered sonseless, feil naexpeoted victima to the flames. In the taü buürtings on either side many clorks had thoir lcxlgiugs. Somo of these made their escape half ciad. Others, who had duriug the day iudulged in dissipation and liad rctired to bud, stupefied by execsses, did not awakun in time, and pcrished beforo aaaiatánoe could be i-endorcd. Two young men, it is said, appealed from a t'ourth story window to the impotent bystanders for rescue from the furnuco of lierce heat that wrapped the the building. No relief was posaible. In another moment the roof feil upon them, tho walls totterodin, and they found thoir death and burial place in the hoapa ut' aühes. Just how many persons met their fale in this manner it is impossible to say. Tiie wildest rnmoi8 were cunent, but aniid the unparaU'üed excitement ererywheio turrouiiiliiig the scenc but little heed was given to these stories, und no ofiort made to asoertain their truth. The aproa incrfiv&ed, the flamea spread, the tiremen beeaino despairing, the shouts and clamors of the women and childron and the roar of the flames fillpd the air. Two fire engines in the South División became surrounded by the llamos, and were laft to their fate, tho jaded firemen being unable to biing them out. As tho danger beciwme imminent, and hopes of s iving the business portion of the city lying between tho rivei-, the south branoh und tbclaUe, were abandoned, tho pioprietors of hotels aroused their guests and wanied them that tho only prospect of eseaping v ith their lives lay in iuuucdiaUi flight This wus botwecn tin? hours of' twulvo and one. Now to addfresh terrora to the oene were heard repeatod explosiona, oundinc like a continua! o inn made. frug aml liquor stores, and placas whera oil was stored, bnmed and buret, md fear of po wdep- happily but afear - took po ossion of the multitude. At the Tromont ïouso the elovator beoame usolr ,■■, and be sleeping guostS) f lai'gu nutnber bcing rabies, hurried down st:iiis. The olatter of the removal of trunks and the huvr ing Dfdomestios Loipedod the pa lagi ways. s,.V(ril persons in theii ea i j tropea Lown the etaire and horried and lii away. Othen in their hoste luit beoeath their pillo ws watohee and uioncy, only discovering their losses when thoy had reaohed tho Michigan Central depot- then supposed to bc aperfectly safe place. A crowil of persons hastened thither, carrying beds, soine sowing machines, and ono lady had six canary bwda i: a o one hand, and iu the otln r im immens family Biblo. She said, "I wm peter minea to bring these off if I lost nll tïip icsf." Anothei young woinun was scon oarrying two largo jmiritiii};, ovidently thosc of her father and mothcr. She was but partially olfld, and amongst all her housohold weatth sonfht to preservo thest filial .xifincntoes as being to hor most precious. The tug boats wero busy towifig reseteli outinto the lako whcre they anchored oi the burning city. Mnny per?on sought refngo on these vessels, and tho littlfi picas ure boats kept about the newly made ];rk between the Michigan Centrsl Kailroad track and tlie original lake ehore were many of them eraployed in triinsportinf persoiïe and goods to the veswls'ancborec without. One large bnrk being towod ou was caught by sonio ilying einders and went down the rirer her mata and cord age envcloped in llames. She was drawi out into the lake and there, it i supposei scuttled, as in a sliert timo 110 vcstige o her was seen. The shower of einders increascd as the wind grew in power after midnight, auc einders as largo as apples were hurled for a distance of half n inile bofbre strikin. the oarth. The air had the appearanoi of being f uil of fiery rockets aud shoutinfr flamts. The fiia at tliis hour had acqnired a circninference of ovor two milos. I writhed in and out in íinuosities like a serpent. If tho crowd of safety-seeklng wretches had been Inrge bofore, it now appi ared to bo doubled. 'VfoBxtfñ nppe(l ed to passengers upon the wlks tor as sist.i to r.'morfi thsir goods, nd nu merous hivo.ks tnd cxpreM wagons csn j ing faiñting woinen r.nd firii pOfBOB! hurrierlly drore by. Thehorses Wen will with affright, and lertjr-!-ï nod pranced ani1 shyed as if coneciou of the miwry n devastation thit the plcments were hpping on the city. The fire worked toward the lake down Michigan Tonn, nd from thence to the north hid of the rirer. A 2 o'clock all the bridffW wtr The showers of partiaHy consnnxid spfvrk and dust nd ashes ff 11 pon the multi tudes tintil not fnoe but wm bUckeno: to an Ethiop'i hue. The Cro.-iy Opera House, the Tromont the herman, W.oV Maseum, Hooley1 Opera Hoiw, nnd nearry eTcrytliing on the north side of Likko streot was oom plètely licked tip or gnfclfd by the üumf s The court house, lmving tui i ron rooi', wathought to be ftre-proof. Between sixty and sevonty prironprs wcre ooafltted in the cells in the bawment. At tliis tim it was known t-hat the water snpply h;Kl failed, the water-works being gone. The firemen had ceasod their Inborst, and apftthy and deipair had taken pos.Jsion of the citizens. The jproprietor of t lfvrg jowelry store on Lake street, oraaed a' the prospect of his inevitable lonaes, un locked the door of his building and cal'.ti on the crowd to help hirn can y hú stoe into the street. The rushing tlirong hust encd into the store and oarried out ric silver ware, costly eloeVs and triiyi o various kinds of jewels. These wcre de podited in the ceutef of the street, bu there is too much groimd for belief tli:v the coveted booty was more the purpose o the crowd than any desire to save the je-n elcr's stock. A larga number of poople had gathorec about the court house and clamorcil f( the turnkey to appear and release th prisoners. He showed himself and ai uouneed that the building was perfoctl fire-proof, no hann could result to thos contined therein, and he should not rt leaso the convicts. An individual de nounced in a shrill voioe, this barbarit of the turnkey, and at oneo a terribi roar of " lynch the damnedrascal" ou bellowed the bowling of the wind, th flamea, and the momentary explosión that had grown so frequent sa to be aun gardod. The turnkey fled in dismay an could not bo found, although pui-suit w. made. In answer to the tunmltuoi roaring of the mob the prisontrs Bet up howl, subdued by the tiiick walls, bu none the loss appalling. In twenty mii utes faom that time tlie cutirt house w in flamee, and without doubt the sevent convicts were burned. [The convicts wer afterward released. - Ed.] What was done at the other iiistitu tions in which prisoners were confined could not ascertain. The niglit wore slowly away. It seem ed a3 if morning would nerer lawn. A moro and more a suiise of the terrible c. lamity boc.uno apparent, as the wind con tinued imabated, and as the turid flami spread in an impregnablo line of raile in length forvard„ many persons thre themselves on theil knees in the street and prayed for hearonly succor. A hal mad entliusiust niounted a pilo of furn ture in Dearborn street and began a ram bliug disoourse, in which he prophesie that tho day of judgnicnt was at hant and called on all to mako their peac with God. He was regarded by som practical uitizens as a crazy man esoape trom confincnient, and a hose was direc ed upon him. A sudden dronching ií lenced the fanatio, and he departod t find a more complacent audienco. At 4 o'clock tho gas works blew u] and every house was left in darknes Tho explosión shook tho whole city anc arousod new terror. Down at the variou depots, all night long the locomotivt were busy drawing out rolling stook ani freight. Most of the freight gtored i the Michigan Central depot s to a place of safety, and all of their tol ing stock brought boyond the rcach o the üames. No breakfast could be had in tho etitir city, as the means of cooking had boe destroyed with the hotels, and prival families gave no thought to what tho should ent, being bent only on savin their effects. Ten thousand people, with immens piles of household gooda, were congrega ted on the lako sllon; as tin; mornin dawned. These people had saved bu very little provisiuns, aud the cries o children arose in ono long lamontin wail. No newspapers wero isr.ued from an printing office this morning. The cif was without news - nor needed it an; It was a scène of miscry. The Humt still roaring, the air full of einders, tii explosions still constant, 1 10 water n, ply exhausted the fin men worn out, th tiro engines idle, the throng of floeing citizous increasing, the wind stül blowing fiorcelj , the smoko still drifting to the northward, the roar of tho flames still hearcl abore all, the cries and complaints of the populace still resounding, and noogbt sileneed butthe bella. Wherefore sliouM they add their olamor? Wherefore, indeed, when the olectric fluid was i md ing through tho length and breadth of the land the news of tho wocs of ChioagO, and awakening in othor citis chqrda of svmp:itby - why should the toUing bolls seek to startle tho mouming pcpulaoe t So the bells alono wero silent a tlio morning dawned, and all othor noúes rathei' increased tlian diminlshed. ANOTHEK PB80EIPTI0K. None but an eye-witnese can forman idea of the fury and powir of the flre ftund as he roveled among the palatia] liuildings and warehouses. With the wind blowing a hurrioane at times, it seemed but the work of a moment for tho fire to ntor the sout.h ciuls of tiiu buildings routing on Randolph, Lake and Water ivi' i ;::il reappeax ai the north doora ml viii'lows. tn-'i'-.íiiii.'í fort li fi'-rco ■' ■iie!i oftcn lickod the opposite building , od tUf.n the fUmes belohing frotn the uildinga on both sidos of the stroel would nite nK'l present a Bolid mías of firef amplBtt ly alliug tho stro. 'is frum g'd ■ ;O ide, and shooting itp a hundfed foei into i above tho house-topa in their mud Ibas w ■ ftot $tr oi ölled fith flame and lire. The wnlls wonld topplo and fall into ui' fire without apparently giving a sound, as the roai ot' toe ftery element wae so great that all tho union of tiio sounds was Btfallowed up, and the i'uïï of walla was perceptible onfy to the eyo ■ : not to the (Mr. If the reader wil rccall to hi.i mind the fiorcest snow storm in his experienoe, imthe snow tobe flre, m It surged kuthet and thither befofe tho fury ol' the fiendi tbey will bc '.blo to forïn a faint oonoeption af the flamea at they raged tlirough tho strrots of our dooTned city. Tilany of the buildings situated along Bonta Watear street buried their red hot rer walls in the rivcr, into whioh therf plonged v,-ith i bisa likft unto nothing èarthly, throwing up a billow ot' water which wou ld gradually srabsido uittil otber wn wonld fall over. The heat Wit so intonso at times from some of the burning buildings that they oould not hu approooaed witkin 160 foet, which accounts for the mminor in which the fire worhed back and often against the wind. Tho flre, nfter roaching the business pertions of Randolph and South Water ülrcsts, leapod acrosg the river to thi North Sido in nn incredibly short srptice of time, and thence, among the woodon buiiling!t on th,t ido, reachod the lakc shore, aiter toucliing block aftor bloek A scène of inore powcrlcss cffort to iilit an enemy wm ever pnsented. The peotle WOTe trying to combat tho fiie fiend Bat tlie coutbnt was not of long duration for the poople bowed tlieir heads in anguisb of spirit iind suffcred tho fire to nare nnrestrained sway.