THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE OF 1871
Chicago was a booming community with some of the finest and most modern building in the country, 59,500 buildings to be exact. Although some of those building were built from stone or brick and proclaimed fireproof. “Chicago was, in fact, a city of wood… The nearby forests of Michigan and Wisconsin made that material both inexpensive and easily obtainable.” Around two- thirds of Chicago’s building and houses were made of flammable wood. On October 8, 1871 a disastrous fire broke out, known as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It began at the O'Leary's barn, and rumors spread that the cause was the O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern while Mrs. O’Leany milked it, but that was never proven. The fire burned from …show more content…
That summer Chicago suffered from dry and hot weather, “The city had received less than two inches of rain between July and early October, which drastically reduced water levels in wells and cisterns, and hot winds further dried the ubiquitous wood into kindling.” Dried trees fell down from the hot sun, the grass and leaves dried out as well. The dry leaves were swept through the city, creeping into all the small crevices and gutters across the city. Many fires broke out during the dry season, on saturday, October 5th nearly half of Chicago's firemen battled a fire, four blocks were consumed by that fire. To ensure the safety of the people during the drought, Chicago set up Insurance Patrols, these patrols roamed the streets at night, putting out small fires at the ready. Although this system seems unmanageable back in 1871 it was considered very efficient, helpful, and fast. Although on the night the Great Chicago Fire broke out the fireman on watch dismissed the smoke as just smoldering embers from the previous night fire. Because fires were so common during that time the citizens of Chicago also dismissed the glowing fire and alarms as nothing important. “For days past alam has followed alarm, but the comparatively trifling losses have familiarized us to the pealing of the Courthouse bell, and we [have] forgotten that absence of rain for weeks [has] left everything in so dry and inflammable conditions …show more content…
“The wind coming off the prairie had been strong all day, sometimes gusting wildly, and leaves scuttled along the streets.” If not for the wild winds the fire would have been resolved much faster. When the fire first began, the O'Leary's managed to put out the flames catching their cottage yet due to the extreme dryness and strong winds that started blowing up. The fence separating the O’Leany family and the Dalton family caught fire spreading the fire to the Dalton house. They were the first to lose their home to the consuming flames. By the time the fire department arrived with the engine and hose cart, the fire had already spread to six houses and barns. The wind had begun to increase it’s velocity, carrying with it burning sparks and flaming debris through the air spreading the fire even faster. The wind blowed northeast toward the heart of the city. Firefighters continued to chase the burning flames trying effortlessly to put them out but they had no chance with the wind- driven blaze. The wind began to lift up the burning objects and fling them into the air over the heads of the firefighters. “Gusts of wind carried “fire devils,” chunks of flaming wood, which rapidly spread the destruction.” The fire was carried up into walls reaching the high buildings as it continued spreading. The people fled their homes many running to the bridges, thinking that the river would stop the
Chicago was a booming community with some of the finest and most modern building in the country, 59,500 buildings to be exact. Although some of those building were built from stone or brick and proclaimed fireproof. “Chicago was, in fact, a city of wood… The nearby forests of Michigan and Wisconsin made that material both inexpensive and easily obtainable.” Around two- thirds of Chicago’s building and houses were made of flammable wood. On October 8, 1871 a disastrous fire broke out, known as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It began at the O'Leary's barn, and rumors spread that the cause was the O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern while Mrs. O’Leany milked it, but that was never proven. The fire burned from …show more content…
That summer Chicago suffered from dry and hot weather, “The city had received less than two inches of rain between July and early October, which drastically reduced water levels in wells and cisterns, and hot winds further dried the ubiquitous wood into kindling.” Dried trees fell down from the hot sun, the grass and leaves dried out as well. The dry leaves were swept through the city, creeping into all the small crevices and gutters across the city. Many fires broke out during the dry season, on saturday, October 5th nearly half of Chicago's firemen battled a fire, four blocks were consumed by that fire. To ensure the safety of the people during the drought, Chicago set up Insurance Patrols, these patrols roamed the streets at night, putting out small fires at the ready. Although this system seems unmanageable back in 1871 it was considered very efficient, helpful, and fast. Although on the night the Great Chicago Fire broke out the fireman on watch dismissed the smoke as just smoldering embers from the previous night fire. Because fires were so common during that time the citizens of Chicago also dismissed the glowing fire and alarms as nothing important. “For days past alam has followed alarm, but the comparatively trifling losses have familiarized us to the pealing of the Courthouse bell, and we [have] forgotten that absence of rain for weeks [has] left everything in so dry and inflammable conditions …show more content…
“The wind coming off the prairie had been strong all day, sometimes gusting wildly, and leaves scuttled along the streets.” If not for the wild winds the fire would have been resolved much faster. When the fire first began, the O'Leary's managed to put out the flames catching their cottage yet due to the extreme dryness and strong winds that started blowing up. The fence separating the O’Leany family and the Dalton family caught fire spreading the fire to the Dalton house. They were the first to lose their home to the consuming flames. By the time the fire department arrived with the engine and hose cart, the fire had already spread to six houses and barns. The wind had begun to increase it’s velocity, carrying with it burning sparks and flaming debris through the air spreading the fire even faster. The wind blowed northeast toward the heart of the city. Firefighters continued to chase the burning flames trying effortlessly to put them out but they had no chance with the wind- driven blaze. The wind began to lift up the burning objects and fling them into the air over the heads of the firefighters. “Gusts of wind carried “fire devils,” chunks of flaming wood, which rapidly spread the destruction.” The fire was carried up into walls reaching the high buildings as it continued spreading. The people fled their homes many running to the bridges, thinking that the river would stop the