The Chicago Fire Chicago is one of the biggest cities in the United States. Several tall buildings made
of stone, metal, and glass currently dominate the famous downtown skyline. However, the
buildings weren't always like that. Majority of the buildings in Chicago were actually made
of wood until the big fire happened and changed the landscape.
The fire began on the night of Sunday, October 8, 1871. A man named Daniel
Sullivan went on a walk to visit his neighbors. When he arrived, he saw that the barn was
on fire. As Sullivan ran away from the barn, the fire spread quickly because everything
was very dry from the intense heat and the lack of summer rain. Many people noticed the
fire and starting frantically shouting, "Fire! Fire!"
A few miles away, there was a man named Mathias Schaffer who had the job of
spotting fires. From the top of the courthouse building (the tallest building in Chicago)
Schaffer sent out an alarm alerting the firemen to the south side of the city. However, the
fire was actually on the southwest side. Therefore, by the time the firemen arrived to the
scene of the fire, it had already been blazing for over an hour spreading far distances.
The firemen bravely tried to contain the fire, but the strong wind pushed flames
toward the center of the city. The winds were even strong enough to blow burning cinders
across the Chicago River causing buildings such as the Courthouse, one of the oldest
gs in Chicago, to catch fire. The fire continued to ravage the city until rain fell late
it evening, finally putting the flames out.
Despite the devastating loss of lives, homes, and buildings, most of the citizens
decided to stay in Chicago. The city, with help from all over the world, was rebuilt. Ta
uildings were constructed out of brick and steel and equipped with more modern
hnology, such as the elevator, shaping the city we know today.
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