The Chicago Fire of 1871
Introduction The Chicago fire of 1871 was a very devastating and controversial event. A lot of things contributed to the fire in Chicago. These many factors were the drought and lack of rain the town had been having for 100 days before the fire. It was such a controversial event, because of how many people think it started. Some thought it was because of the lack of rain and dry weather. Others thought it started because of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. Few people thought that Mrs. O’Leary herself started the fire.
O’Leary Legend Legend states that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the fire. People that said they heard her ‘confess, ’ presented conflicts, because of their conflicting versions of why she had been in the barn that night. There were many rumors going around about Mrs. O’Leary after the fire. They said that she had been in the barn, when one of her cows had kicked over the lantern. Some say that she had sworn to others that she was in her home, asleep in bed when the fire started. Other legends state that she told folks that she was milking her cow early in the morning when the fire started, …show more content…
An estimated 300 people were killed in the blaze and over 100,000 people were left homeless. At the time of the blaze the population of the city was approximately 324,000, it was the second largest city in the United States. Nearly one third of the people were left homeless. The terrible blaze destroyed 17,000 structures, including the central business district of the city, damages were estimated at $200 million dollars’ worth of property . The blaze caused pandemonium and there were many instances of theft and looting in the city. The Great fire went on spreading all that day and night and continued into the next day. The fire spread across an area of about 4 miles long and almost a mile wide. It took 17 hours to control the
Introduction The Chicago fire of 1871 was a very devastating and controversial event. A lot of things contributed to the fire in Chicago. These many factors were the drought and lack of rain the town had been having for 100 days before the fire. It was such a controversial event, because of how many people think it started. Some thought it was because of the lack of rain and dry weather. Others thought it started because of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. Few people thought that Mrs. O’Leary herself started the fire.
O’Leary Legend Legend states that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the fire. People that said they heard her ‘confess, ’ presented conflicts, because of their conflicting versions of why she had been in the barn that night. There were many rumors going around about Mrs. O’Leary after the fire. They said that she had been in the barn, when one of her cows had kicked over the lantern. Some say that she had sworn to others that she was in her home, asleep in bed when the fire started. Other legends state that she told folks that she was milking her cow early in the morning when the fire started, …show more content…
An estimated 300 people were killed in the blaze and over 100,000 people were left homeless. At the time of the blaze the population of the city was approximately 324,000, it was the second largest city in the United States. Nearly one third of the people were left homeless. The terrible blaze destroyed 17,000 structures, including the central business district of the city, damages were estimated at $200 million dollars’ worth of property . The blaze caused pandemonium and there were many instances of theft and looting in the city. The Great fire went on spreading all that day and night and continued into the next day. The fire spread across an area of about 4 miles long and almost a mile wide. It took 17 hours to control the