JOHN MATTHESON by John Mattheson

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 17, 1871

JOHN MATTHESON

By John Mattheson

From our Brethren in Chicago.

THE principal part of Chicago is a heap of ruins. Its vanity and pride have been somewhat purged by fire, its terrible wickedness somewhat punished by the flames. Saturday night about six acres burned down on the west side, from Twelfth Street northward along the river. Sunday night the work of destruction commenced again about ten o’clock, on the south side. From Van Buren Street it swept everything away clear to the lake and the river. Thence the fire spread on the north side, where it was only bounded by the river toward the west, and the lake toward the east. Toward the north it went about to city limits. This is a distance of nearly five miles long and two miles wide on the widest. In twenty hours this was all burnt down.

Such a sea of fire gives the Bible-reader a vivid idea of the last great day. Such ruins speak loudly. “The world passeth away and the lust thereof.” How sweet then the Bible promise: “But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Such punishments point to a just God, who is no respecter of persons. And such utter helplessness (for at an early hour the waterworks were injured by the fire and the water failed so that all their great engines could do comparatively nothing,) points to the great God as the only ruler and disposer of events. Now all their banks and insurance companies, in which men trusted, have themselves become a prey to the flames. How much better and safer to have a treasure in Heaven.

What a pitiful sight to see more than one hundred thousand people homeless, multitudes lying in the streets and on the prairies. The west side is mercifully spared. The large churches, halls, and schools, are crowded with people. The court is in the old Congregational edifice. The City Council in the new. Here, thousands of people are thronging to get a free pass on the railroad, which is given by the city to all suffering ones who wish to go into the country; there, clothes are distributed; in another place, food. Here shanties are being built on whole blocks to provide shelter. Many people are burnt to death, others crippled. Water is selling for five cents a pail; but yesterday they had a new engine put in and water commenced to run a little in the hydrants again.

Several persons have been caught trying to set fire also on this side; some of them have been killed instantly by the enraged people, others have been arrested.

The west side is all astir now with business, and there is much better order than could be expected after such a conflagration. Our meeting-house will soon be enclosed, but how much further we can go under the present embarrassing circumstances, depends on the favor of the Lord. The brethren have escaped from this destruction, only one of them lost his tools.

JOHN MATTHESON

21 Elston Road, Chicago, Ill., Oct. 12, 1871.