Box 11, Folder 3: Correspondence September-December 1871

N. Ave North to Fullerton Ave 1 mile further then maybe 4 more dwellings not much injured, N. of Fullerton Ave few of good residence are burnt. from Lake Shore West to N branch pretty much all burnt.

Yesterday commenced bringing from the ruins corpses most of them un -recognized. Some entirely burnt up

All of the above description is in the N Division. South Division from Harrison St. (Center of Sec 16) N. to Main river is nearly one mile ^ Kinzie Street is the center of Sec. 9 & from Lake Shore to S. branch river is nearly 3/4 mile Entirely covered with brick broken stone & standing columns in all imaginable forms. I will not now speak of destroyed part of Chicago. Your friend Assistant Engineer Clark I saw in his buggy (without hat) loaded with books rushing into Lincoln Park. The powerfull [powerful] wind blowing his books out behind & fire following

Saml Stone

Milwaukee Oct 14 '71

[Dear?] Brother

I received last evening your letter of 12th in which you said you were without money. And this morning send you by American express a package containing fifty dollars all small bills.

As I was about to go to the office I got yours of 13th and will send $150 more on Monday, unless I conclude to go myself to see the "Ruined City" I shall not be able to send small change - it is scarce here as well as with you.

I have a very kind letter fr [from?] Rev. C. B. Stout, regrettin [regretting] [the?] death by suffocation of Col. Stone & his daughter & c Quite a number of persons have called to know the truth of the report. You must have had a narrow escape.

I did not find the check on the Marine Bank, as mention in your letter - I t may be sent at any time.

All well Yours truly I. A. Lapham

Col Sam'l Stone

[Left Page]

J. W. Milner

Oct 13 1871

Ans'd

[Right Page]

Waukegon, Oct. 13th, 1871

Dear Doctor,

Your letter was received and is lost, with nearly all my summer's correspondence, in the fire. The Academy, I suppose you know, is a total loss, collections, library, manuscripts, and everything. My summer's collection of [field?], tent, dredges, lines and the whole apparatus were in the Academy, with what I shall miss the most, one note book. Fortunately, I was to prepare a paper for the Tuesday night meeting, and I had taken home all but this one note book, with some other books.

I have not seen Dr. Stimpson since the fire, though I looked for him all day Tuesday. It is a heavy blow for him as he had lately moved all his manuscripts into the building.

Probably, you have visited the city since the fire. It is a hard

[Left Page] thing to describe. If you can imagine a forest fallen and consumed with the smoking stumps sticking up out of the ashes, that is what Chicago is to day.

Our friends of the [Revenere?] Steamer were in the city on Tuesday, and we walked through the [worst?] of the ruins. The Captains kind heart overflowed for the sufferers and he filled his ship up with women and children and set his cooks at work distributing tea, coffee and biscuit, as long as his supplies held out.

My report will be crippled, a little, for the lack of the note book and the loss of the shipments will detract from the success of the [illegible?] work. The dredging specimens, I think, are safe at Dr. Stimpson's home.

Would you take the trouble to ask that gentleman, I have forgotten his name, [Inspector?] I mean, if any report as ever been made of the number and kind of [nets?] in

[Right Page]

Wisconsin, and by whom?

The stories in the Sentinel, about the "[illegible]" and the "insanity" of the people, are altogether sensational. The city is oderly and though there has been a fight, here and there, and a few attempts at incendiary, by drunken men, that [met?] a swift and severe penalty from the polise [police], there have been no disorderly gatherings, or anything approaching riot. The people are cool and cheerful, to a surprising degree, under the circumstances.

Your state has suffered, in the north, from this same scourge. I was all through the region of the fire, along the shore, during my boat tour, and am acquainted with some of the people that have suffered. Fortunately for them, they have had heavy rains and are out of further danger.

To Dr. I. A. Lapham Milwaukee

Yours truly, James W. Milner