Chicago, a history and forecast . ele-vated upon stringers, were combustible, almost, as apowder fuse, and the citys single pumping station, whichsupplied the mains with water, was covered with a roofof wood! If ever a city invited its fate, surely Chicagodid in 1871. The season was one of excessive dryness. Up fromthe plains of the far Southwest blew week after week ascorching wind which withered the growing crops andturned the smiling green of the prairies to a dull brick-red. In the forests of Wisconsin and Michigan confla-grations of unexampled magnitude raged, desolating en-tire districts
Chicago, a history and forecast . ele-vated upon stringers, were combustible, almost, as apowder fuse, and the citys single pumping station, whichsupplied the mains with water, was covered with a roofof wood! If ever a city invited its fate, surely Chicagodid in 1871. The season was one of excessive dryness. Up fromthe plains of the far Southwest blew week after week ascorching wind which withered the growing crops andturned the smiling green of the prairies to a dull brick-red. In the forests of Wisconsin and Michigan confla-grations of unexampled magnitude raged, desolating en-tire districts and slaying hundreds of human force which consumed the living pine in the forestswould not long be balked by the seasoned pine ofwooden-housed Chicago. Destruction Spreads Fertile Ashes About the Great Fire volumes have been written, whichhere must be condensed to a page. Where it startedis clear; how it started no man knows. Living in a shack 29 X Zj rt ^ r/! bf) OJ ~ S ^ .S C rf! ni <U ^ t^ o r ca N n — i; ^%^. CO >^ —I 0-5 ^^ = a; i^ 3 o o u -^ CO CS 0^ c -^ -^ 5 > Oi (U a; z C ^ r, o I o ?:3 3 1^ -s li l- c r boo 30 at the corner of Jefferson and De Koven streets, was apoor Irish family by the name of OLeary. The storycommonly told is that Mrs. OLeary went out to the barnwith a lamp to see her cow; sometimes the detail isadded that she proposed to milk this family pet. What-ever her intentions, the lamp was upset and cow, stableand Chicago were engulfed in one common ruin. Oneveracious reporter even assured the world that the cowaccidentally kicked over the lamp; apparently the animal
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectchicago, bookyear1921
