This book delves into the intriguing mystery surrounding the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Was it truly an accident caused by Mrs. O'Leary's cow, or was it a deliberate act of arson or even a wider conspiracy? With meticulous research and analysis, the author explores the calm before the storm, the night of the inferno, and the aftermath of the devastating fire. The narrative probes into the various theories and speculations surrounding the fire's origins, including the role of rivalries and vendettas, political motivations, and secret societies. Investigative dead ends, flawed investigations, and cover-ups are closely examined, offering readers a captivating journey into the enigma. The book also explores the psychological profiling of the culprit, the cultural impact of the tragedy, and the legacy of the Great Chicago Fire on fire safety and economic recovery. This meticulously researched and gripping exploration of a historical mystery will leave readers questioning what really happened that fateful night and its lasting impact on the city of Chicago.
The Arsonist An obsessed, twisted maniac targets the city of Chicago for destruction in retribution for the burning of Atlanta ten years earlier during the Civil War. But he has been hunted around the world by an ex-Union officer named Philip Avers who knows his true identity. Both men converge on the bustling metropolis on a hot summer night of 1871 as the Arsonist sets his plans in motion, Avers is too late to stop him. Now, with the help of a Chicago Tribune reporter names Richard Cromie, Avers will race through a fiery hell on earth to capture the fiend and bring him to justice. But only if he and Cromie can survive the holocaust themselves. Writer George Tackes spins an incredible tale set against the background of one of the greatest tragedies in the history of America.
*Includes pictures *Includes eyewitness accounts of the disaster *Includes a bibliography for further reading "The fire was barely fifteen minutes old. What followed was a series of fatal errors that set the fire free and doomed the city to a fiery death." - Jim Murphy, The Great Fire It had taken about 40 years for Chicago to grow from a small settlement of about 300 people into a thriving metropolis with a population of 300,000, but in just two days in 1871, much of that progress was burned to the ground. In arguably the most famous fire in American history, a blaze in the southwestern section of Chicago began to burn out of control on the night of October 8, 1871. Thanks to The Chicago Tribune, the fire has been apocryphally credited to a cow kicking over a lantern in Mrs. Catherine O'Leary's barn, and though that was not true, the rumor dogged Mrs. O'Leary to the grave. Of course, the cause of the fire didn't matter terribly much to the people who lost their lives or their property in the blaze. Thanks to dry conditions, wind, and wooden buildings, firefighters were never actually able to stop the fire, which burned itself out only after it spent nearly two whole days incinerating several square miles of Chicago. By the time rain mercifully helped to put the fire out, the Great Chicago Fire had already killed an estimated 300 people, destroyed an estimated 17,500 buildings, and left nearly 100,000 people (1/3 of the population) homeless. Several other theories have developed as an explanation for the fire. Most of them center on people around Mrs. O'Leary's barn, but other have gone so far as to blame a meteor shower as the culprit that started fires across the Midwest that same night. As proof, they note that the country's worst forest fire in history took place around the same time in the logging town of Peshtigo in northeastern Wisconsin, a fire that killed thousands. Mrs. O'Leary and her barn remain a part of lore, but it also speaks to Chicago's ability to rebuild that it's almost impossible to envision a farm in downtown Chicago today. Chicago suffered a wide swath of destruction, but it had rebuilt itself within 20 years in order to host the World's Fair, evidence that it was back and bigger and better than ever. Along with that, Chicago has maintained its status as the region's biggest city and one of the most important in America. The Great Chicago Fire chronicles one of the largest natural disasters of the 19th century in America. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 like never before, in no time at all.
Definitive treatment of 1871 fire — one of the greatest disasters in American history — includes eyewitness accounts and before-and-after illustrations. 70 photographs and engravings.
After an extremely hot and dry summer, Chicago got a spark that grew into something unimiginable and unforgettable on Oct. 8, 1871. On Oct. 8, 1871, what became known as "the Great Chicago Fire" was a massive firestorm that moved faster than most men could run, fueled by southwest winds of at least 30 miles per hour. The heat was so intense it melted stone and brick buildings in minutes and turned sand on the lakeshore into glass. A total of 18,000 buildings were destroyed. About 100,000 were left homeless, and over 300 lost their lives. The very same day, and nearly the same hour, both the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, suffered similar firestorms. Peshtigo's was even worse, creating an event that came to be known as "the Peshtigo Paradigm." Many people believe the three fires forming a huge triangle of destruction were related as one with cosmic causes, and it remains a mystery to this day. Authors and native Chicagoans John Boda and Ray Johnson take you inside this historic happening.
Examines the various debates the city faced after the Chicago fire in dealing with homelessness, the care and feeding of much of the population and the problem of rebuilding amidst political chaos and people working at cross purposes. Explains the events that led up to the Chicago fire: intensely dry conditions, a 20-m.p.h. southwest wind, and an unfortunate spark at 10 o"clock on the night of Oct. 8 all combined to turn Chicago into a "vast ocean of flame". The rift between the immigrant working class and the wealthy 'native-born' Chicagoans made Catherine O'Leary (and her famous cow) a perfect scapegoat for anti-Irish, anti-working class invective. Provides historical maps, plates and engravings, with an epilogue and notes.
