1857, October 11th, A Half Block of State Street Destroyed in a Chicago Conflagration.

Sunday morning, about half-past two o'clock, a fire broke out in the alley between Monroe and Adams Streets, running from State to Clark Streets, which destroyed some seventeen buildings, covering a half-block. The entire row of buildings on State Street was burned.

When the fire was first discovered, the kitchen of Mr. Blinn's residence, on the alley, and the barn in the rear were in flames. The alarm was speedily given, and a large crowd collected. However, before any efficient measures were taken to avoid the conflagration, the buildings adjoining were on fire, and the flames rapidly spread in all directions.

The following is a list of the buildings damaged and destroyed, the names of the owners and occupants, the amount of loss and the insurance so far as we could ascertain them during the confusion incident to the fire and the caring for and removal of the property yesterday forenoon:

STATE STREET

Mr. F. Parmelee's two-story frame dwelling on the corner of Monroe Street is owned by Mr. Hill. This property was damaged to the amount of about $500. Mr. Parmelee's loss of furniture is $1,000, which is fully covered by insurance.

Two-story framed dwelling south, occupied by Mr. A. Davis and owned by Mr. Hill. The greater portion of the furniture was saved in a damaged condition. Mr. Davis's loss is about $1,000, and Mr. Hill's about $2,500. Mr. Davis was not insured.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by Mr. Gilmore, was entirely destroyed. Mr. Gilmore saved the greater part of his furniture. His loss on the building was about $5,000, and on the furniture, about $1,000, which is partially covered by insurance of $5,000. Gilmore'sstable, valued at $500, was also destroyed with the contents.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by J.H. Tiffany, of the firm of James Peck &Co., was entirely destroyed, and but for a small portion of the furniture was saved. Mr. Tiffany's loss is about $5,000 on the house and $1,500 on the furniture. Tiffany had an insurance policy of $5,000. The stable, worth $500, was destroyed with all its contents.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by Mr. Blinn, was entirely destroyed, together with the stable in the rear. Only a portion of the furniture was saved. Blinn's loss is about $5,000 in the building and $800 on the furniture. He was partially insured, but we could not learn the amount. A horse and cow barn in the stable were burned. The fire broke out in Blinn's premises, it is supposed in the barn, but this has not been certainly ascertained. A servant girl in Blinn's employ had $250 in gold in a trunk, and none of the money could be found. The trunk was not, it is thought, removed from the building. This money was her whole savings for years, and her loss is a severe blow.

The next house south was on the other side of the alley and was occupied as a jewelry and fancy goods store. We could not learn the name of the occupant. The goods were mostly removed, but the building was entirely destroyed. The total loss is about $2,000.

The next building south was a two-story frame building, occupied on the lower floor by Dr. Hatch, for a botanical drug store and in the second story as a dwelling. Dr. Hatch saved most of his goods, and the greater part of the furniture was removed. The entire loss on the premises is about $3,000.

Next south was the large three-story frame building, the Western Hotel, owned by Alderman Jacob Harris. The building was valued at $5,000 and was not insured, the policies had expired a few days ago, and Mr. Harris neglected to have them renewed. The principal part of the furniture of the hotel was removed in a damaged condition. Claus & Staver occupied the hotel portion of the building, and their loss is about $1,200. The lower floor of the hotel was used for stores and was occupied by S.A. Jenks as a stove store, whose loss is about $500; as a saloon by a man whose name we did not lean and whose loss is about $300; by Matthel as a drug store, whose goods were removed and whose loss is about $200. None of the occupants of the hotel were insured.

Mr. Woodford's grocery was next to the west, on the corner of Adams Street, and was badly damaged in a damaged state and at a loss of about $1,200. The upper portion of this building was occupied by Edward Power, an ornament manufacturer whose fixtures and materials were mostly removed and considerably damaged. His loss is not far from $500.

ADAMS STREET

The New Jerusalem Church was partially destroyed. The upper floor of the church was occupied by Mr. Snow for a school known as the Garden City Institute. The building is insured by a Liverpool Company for $3,000, which will cover about half of the damage. Mr. Snow's loss is about $1,000, which is partially covered by insurance of $500 in the Continental Company of Philadelphia.

Directly in the rear of the church and in the alley was the large carpenter's shop of Bullard & Wilcox, which was entirely destroyed together with a quantity of tools and finished work. Their loss is about $3,000, with insurance of $1,000. Scarcely anything was saved from this building.

MONROE STREET

Wext of Mr. Parmelee's residence and directly in its rear, a two-story frame dwelling occupied by Mr. Barnum and owned by Mr. Davis was destroyed. Much of the furniture was removed in a damaged condition. The loss on the building is $2,500, and $800 on the furniture. We could not learn the amount of insurance, if any.

To the west of these were two small stories and a half, frame dwellings that were entirely destroyed. The loss on these is estimated at about $2,000. We could not learn the names of the owners of the occupants.

The next building to the west was a two-story frame dwelling owned and occupied by Kweis Comstock. In the rear, Comstock, who had a number of mail wagons, kept his stable. These buildings were entirely destroyed, but their contents, except the grain and hay in the stable, were saved. Comstock's loss is estimated at $6,000, partly covered by insurance.

In addition to the buildings named above, three or four small stables were destroyed, causing an aggregate loss of about $1,000.

The large barn of the American Express and United States Express companies in the alley were destroyed. In this barn were seventeen valuable horses and a number of wagons, which were fortunately saved. A considerable quantity of hay and oats were destroyed. Their combined loss is about $2,500. No insurance.

Several dwellings in the vicinity of the fire, which escaped damage, were stripped of their contents, and considerable damage to the furniture was caused in this manner, of which we could obtain no reliable account.

This is one of the most destructive fires we have ever recorded, and the loss of so many dwellings at a season of the year when they cannot be replaced is a serious disaster, as well to the community and to the people who have suffered the losses.

The cause of the fire had not been ascertained yet, though it is generally believed to have been the work of an incendiary. When the first fire broke out, Mr. Brooks, who lived in the adjoining house to the one where the fire was discovered, head a gun or pistol shot and a cry of murder in the alley, and others living in the vicinity heard the shot fired and a shout or cry immediately after. The Police are engaged in investigating the matter.

Many complaints reached the Fire Department and were disposed to battle the flames, and also of the misconduct of several companies.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.