The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 Essay - 1465 Words

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Practically overnight the great city of Chicago was destroyed. Before the fire there was a large drought causing everything to be dry and flammable, then a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn and spread throughout the city. Many attempts were made to put out the fire but there were too many errors and problems in the beginning. After the fire many people were left homeless and had to help build their city again (Murphy, 39) Before the fire broke out on Sunday night, October 8, 1871 there had been a large drought causing everything to be dry and extremely flammable. Many fires had been breaking out in Chicago. Records show that in 1870 the fire†¦show more content†¦An anarchist group called the Societe Internatianale was blamed, and even a fire extinguisher salesman was accused because people say he was showing people how his product was useful. The editor of one paper said that a higher being was responsible and that God was balancing the acts done by the North to the South in the Civil War. No one is sure how the fire started, but the O’Learys were the scapegoats and got a lot of bad treatment after the fire (126). The fire spread from the O’Learys’ barn to the yards nearby. Soon it was spreading throughout the neighborhood. William Lee, a neighbor a block away, saw the fire and ran to Bruno Goll’s drugstore to turn in the fire alarm. Bruno Goll refused to turn in t he alarm because he said the fire truck had already gone past. So instead of arguing, Lee went home to his family. At the courthouse the lookout on duty saw smoke, but thought nothing of it, thinking it was just Saturdays fire and there was no reason to be alarmed. Then he looked up and noticed it was a different fire and had his assistant strike the Box 342 for the fire department. Soon fire trucks were at the scene and attempted to put out the fire. The fire department’s Chief Marshal, Robert A. Williams got the engines to circle the fire to contain it. They got as close to the fire as they could until their arm hair was being burned and theirShow MoreRelatedThe Great Chicago Fire of 18711752 Words   |  8 PagesThe Great Chicago Fire was a major milestone in the city’s history. The fire started on October 8th, 1871 and did not end until October 10th, 1871. People never saw this fire coming which might have made it even worse. The only reason it spread so far was b ecause everything was made out of wood, the ground was parched and the wind was blowing that night; the reason it stopped was because it had started raining. Although the fire destroyed most of the city, it was a positive turning point in historyRead MoreDid Mrs. O. Leary ´s Cow Really Start the Chicago Fire?1250 Words   |  5 Pagesreally start the Chicago fire? Some might say that the cow did start the fire, but there are other theories that disprove this theory. The Chicago fire happened in 1871. It was a catastrophic day in Chicago. Even though it was catastrophic and did some really bad things, it also led to industrialization in Chicago, and made Chicago what it is today. Without the fire Chicago might not be the metropolis it is today. What is the Great Chicago Fire? The fire started on October 8, 1871 (Chicago HistoricalRead MoreThe Great Chicago Fire By Robert Cromie1470 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Chicago Fire was a historical narrative written by Robert Cromie in 1958, a little less than 100 years after the fire took place. Robert Cromie had many accomplishments to be proud of, since he was a war correspondent, a sports journalist, a columnist, a book editor/author, and a radio and television host. His radio and television shows were about books and authors, and they gained him numerous writing and broadcasting awards. In 1936, he joined the Chicago Tribune staff as a writer (Struzzi)Read MoreEssay about The Chicago Fire Of 1871544 Words   |  3 Pages The Chicago Fire of 1871 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The summer of 1871 had been an unusually dry one in Chicago. Between July and October, only 5 inches of rain fell. In addition to twenty-seven fires in the first week of October, on Saturday night, October 7, a blaze broke out in a planning mill on the West Side and destroyed almost every building in a four block area before it was brought under control Sunday morning. They lost a hose and other fire-fighting equipment, including one of seventeenRead MoreBoston Fire And Chicago Fire1611 Words   |  7 Pages27, 1678 the first fire engine company went into service with its captain Thomas Atkins. In 1736 Benjamin Franklin established the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia. George Washington was a volunteer firefighter in Alexandria, Virginia. Simple fun facts. Since the beginning of America’s independence firefighting has played a huge role in our history Surprisingly, the name Chicago Fire has a plethora of meanings. There is the Chicago Fire American drama series, Chicago Fire professional soccerRead MoreThe Great Chicago Fire983 Words   |  4 PagesOn Sunday, October 18, 1871 the largest fire Chicago has ever seen broke out. Hundreds died and thousands of homes were annihilated. Devistation towered over the city, ashes floated gracefully through the air as bodies, houses and cherished items burned. People ran in fear, holding their young, crying for the gone, searching for saftey. Searching for life. Searching for hope. The past few weeks had been hot, dry, and rainless. A drought. Rain had not fallen for three months. Though, despiteRead MoreThe Chicago Police Department Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesLeading up to the establishment of the Chicago Police Department, the first rank of â€Å"constable† was created in 1830. Authorization of Chicago’s very own police force occurred on January 31, 1835. On August 15, 1835, the Chicago Police Department was born. The department’s mission reads, â€Å"The Chicago Police Department, as part of, and empowered by, the community, is committed to protect the lives, property, and rights of all people, to maintain order, and to enforce the law impartially. We will provideRead MoreSummary Of Erik Larson s The Devil s The Red Devil And Where Is The White City1176 Words   |  5 PagesWhite City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America . The Devil in the White City is set in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1890s. The book entwines two true stories that, at first glance, don t seem to have much to do with each other: First, the story of architect and urban planner, Daniel H. Burnham, who masterminded the 1893 World s Fair in Chicago; second, the tale of Dr. H. H. Holmes, who has been called America s first serial killer. By now, you ve probably guessedRead More Great Chicago Fire Essay1788 Words   |  8 PagesGreat Chicago Fire I have no passion or desire to write about a thunderous destruction of a city or the death of hundreds of people. Yes, I have no connection to this topic, besides my home being 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, but that does not mean that this fire does not pertain to me or anyone who lives in a completely different state for that matter. So, just because I have never experienced a disaster of this magnitude does not mean that my lips should stay shut regarding the topicRead MoreThe History of Building Codes and Construction2118 Words   |  9 PagesThe History of Building Codes, Construction, and the Aftermath of September 11 Jhimelle I. Sepulveda Columbia Southern University Abstract There have been many catastrophic incidents involving fire throughout history with countless of lives lost and billions of dollars’ worth of damages. The lessons learned from these incidents have led to changes in the way we plan and how we build high-rise structures. These changes evolve into codes and building standards with people’s safety in mind.