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From: "Sally Rolls Pavia" <>
Subject: "History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871"
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 06:29:16 -0700

The complete text of James Goodsell's
”History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871.”
Published 1871 by J.H. and C.M. Goodsell
(25 pages, including a map of the area affected by the fire)

On Dearborn street stood The Times and The Journal newspaper offices, the
Dearborn theatre, and a considerable number of banks and large office blocks
La Salle street was built up with many of the finest buildings to be found
in the city. It was largely occupied by insurance agents, real estate
brokers, lawyers, etc. Between Washington and Randolph streets, stood the
court-house, which, of course, shared the general ruin.

These details are only given to aid the reader in obtaining a proximate idea
of the losses. Little was saved except from those houses which were not
attacked by the flames until several hours after it was seen to be
inevitable that the city was doomed.

Immense quantities of goods were piled upon lake park and on the grounds of
the Chicago Base Ball club—pyramids of clothing, boots and shoes, dry goods,
and furniture from the houses of the rich dwellers along Michigan avenue—all
of which fell a prey to the destroyer.

THE LOSS OF LIFE
The loss of life, though smaller than could have been predicted in such an
extended and such a rapid fire, can yet never be fully estimated. There have
been charred remains at the morgue which were almost unrecognizable as human
bodies, and as the ruins are lying from two to ten feet deep in places, it
is impossible to say how many have been buried under them. The fact that but
few of those who are prominently known are missing, must not lead any to
believe that there have not been many lost who would be missed only by an
exceedingly small circle of friends, too obscure themselves to attract much
attention.

The greatest loss of life was in the north division among the wooden
buildings where the billows of fire rolled along so rapidly that the victims
were engulphed before they were aware that the fire had reached their
neighborhood. The flames often jumped two or three blocks at once, as was
the case at the water works and Lill's brewery, which were on fire a long
time before any of the adjoining buildings. At the waterworks one man
crawled into a 20-inch pipe, which was lying in the street, and was burned
to a crisp.

Continue reading the article at:
http://chicago.about.com/cs/history/a/16_history_fire.htm


Sally Rolls Pavia

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