GREAT FIRE AT CHICAGO.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 265, 9 November 1871, Page 2

GREAT FIRE AT CHICAGO.

A large part of the fine city of Ghicago has been destroyed, and a number of lives lost. Thousands of the inhabitants are homeless. The area of the fire was three miles in length to a mile and a half in widtb, and every hotel, bank, public office, theatre, newspaper office, and all the wholesale houses, and the churches and chapels are totally destroyed. The loss is estimated at 150,000,000 dollars. Provisions have been sent from all quarters. By later news (Chicago, Oct, 10) we learn that the remaining part of the city, occupied by wealthy residents, has beeu purposely fired. Two men were caught iv the act of firing the buildiDgs, and instantly shot, and two others led off with ropes round their neck. About 100 people are said to have been burnt, among whom were several prisoners in one of the gaols. The latest accounts state that " the wind is blowing a perfect gale, and the end now cannot be foretold."

Steel Steamboats. — A great many engineers and shipbuilders predict that a few years hence iron steamship will be as obsolete and old-fashioned as wooden ones are now. Steel, they say, will be ihe material which will be used in the shipbuilding of the future, the substitution of which for iron will be an improvement almost equally as great, and add as materially to the strength and buoyaucy of vessels, as did iron when that was first made to lake the place of pine, oak, and teak. But the improvement will not cease there. Liquid fuel will be introduced to take the place of coal, thereby reducing ihe cost, and adding to the carrying capacity, as it will do away with the bulky coal-bunkers, only requiring flat taoks at the very bottom of the vessel, from which it cau be pumped up by machinery as it is needed in the furnaces, which will also do away with the stokers and save expenses in construction of the boilers. Unmaruied Ladies may take comfort from the fact that they are likely to live about ten years longer than wives, if Dr. Hertmuller, a German physician says what is true. For remainder of news see fourth page.