THE CHICAGO FIRE Fortunatelyfor students of relief measures, the Chi cago Relief and Aid Society was constituted the almoner of the fund of some $5,000,000 contributed to alleviate the sufferings of those who were rendered homeless and destitute by the disastrous fire of October 8 and 9 of 1871. Three years later the society issued a voluminous report of the manner in which this trust had been dis charged. The society did not, in making this report, overlook the possibility that the experiences of the Chi cago fire and its relief fund might be of value in the case of similar calamities in the future.
In 1871 the population of the city was about one-third of a million. To some extent, at that time, the small, in secure wooden buildings which had sufficed for the city's needs in the thirty-four years since it had been incorpo rated had been removed, and more pretentious permanent buildings were rapidly being constructed. The wooden and inflammable buildings, however, existed side by side with the new ones, giving to the city "a unique and, in some in stances, a most grotesque appearance " ; nor were the newer buildings by any means fire proof, even in the loose and inaccurate sense in which that term is commonly applied. From the wooden tenements where the fire started it swept into the central quarter of the city, and thence into the heart of the section which contained the more substan tial residences. The streets were soon filled " with an indescribable mass of fugitives," and the night of Octo ber 8 is remembered by those who witnessed it " as a pic ture of appalling horror, distinct in its outlines, weird in its dark shadings, but utterly incapable of verbal repre 361 sentation." One hundred and ninety-four acres were burned over in the west division of the city, where the fire originated, and 500 buildings were destroyed, inhabited by about 2500 persons, chiefly of limited means. In the south division the burned area comprised 460 acres, in cluding the business centre of the city. " All the whole sale stores of considerable magnitude, the daily and weekly newspaper offices, the principal hotels, the public halls and places of amusement, the great railroad depots, and a large number of the most splendid residences, and, in short, the great bulk of the wealth and the chief interests of the city were located in this district. In this division alone there were 3650 buildings destroyed, which included 1600 stores, 28 hotels, 60 manufacturing establishments, principally of clothing, boots and shoes, and jewellery, and the homes of about 22,000 " In the north division 1870 acres were burned over, destroying 13,300 buildings, the homes of 75,000 people, about 600 stores, and 100 manufacturing establishments.
This area contained about 73 miles of streets, 18,000 buildings, and the homes of 100,000 people." 2 The total area destroyed by the fire contained the homes of 100,000 people, the value of the property destroyed being estimated at $192,000,000, after allowing a salvage of $4,000,000 in foundations and available material for re building. This was about one-third of the total value of property in the city, real and personal, taxed and untaxed. About 300 persons perished in the flames.
Residents of the south side who were made homeless by the fire were, for the most part, received by their neigh bors ; those on the north side spent the first night on the sands of the lake shore, in the small parks, and on the adjoining prairie, comparatively few finding shelter. On the west side those who were left homeless were, to a large extent, sheltered in the churches and schoolhouses, al though some of these also spent the night on the prairies northwest of the city. Many were without food for two days. The "greatest terror of all," however, was the separation of families. It was not until October 12, four 1 Report of Chicago Relief and Aid Society, 1874, p. 9.
2 Ibid., p. 10.
days after the beginning of the fire, and the third day after the fire itself was over, that the temporary relief commit tee was able to say that " from reports from all parts of the city, it is believed that every person rendered home less by the fire was placed under shelter and supplied with food last night." The mayor appealed to neighboring cities for fire en gines and for bread to feed the homeless and destitute. At 3 P.M. on October 9 the following proclamation was issued "whereas, In the providence of God, to whose will we humbly submit, a terrible calamity has befallen our city, which demands of us our best efforts for the preservation of order and the relief of suffer ing : — "Be it known, that the faith and credit of the city of Chicago are hereby pledged for the necessary expenses for the relief of the suffering.