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The "prelude" to the Great Chicago Fire, plus the most devastating of them all...
The "prelude" to the Great Chicago Fire, plus the most devastating of them all...
Item # 693238
October 09, 1871
NEW YORK HERALD, Oct. 9, 1871
* The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 beginning
* Very early report plus Peshtigo, Wisconsin fire
Page 7 has most of a column taken up with reports on a fire in Chicago. This would seem to report on the 'Great Chicago Fire', but they do not. That event would happen 24 hours later.
These heads include: "THE CHICAGO FIRE" "The Flames Finally Extinguished" "Four Blocks of Houses Burned" "The Entire Loss Over a Quarter of a Million" "List of The Losses" with the text noting it started at Lull & Holmes planing mill.
Note that the last two heads are about the "Great" Chicago Fire, with very early reporting: "Another Immense Conflagration Breaks Out in the City" "Its Loss and Extent Greater Than in the First Fire".
Since it was just reported there is limited text, but the bottom of the report has a subhead: "Another Great Fire Raging in the City--A Repetition of the Disaster of Saturday Night--Four More Blocks Destroyed" with the text beginning: "A fire is now raging in the Western Division which appears to be as large as the great fire last night..." with a bit more.
Curiously, the next page has a report on what is now known as the Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin, which took "2nd billing" to the Chicago fire despite being much more devastating. It claimed 1,500-2,500 lives while the Chicago fire claimed some 300.
Twelve pages, a few discrete archival mends at margins, a few margin tears, generally nice, clean condition.
Category: Post-Civil War
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