ipl-logo

Analysis Of The Great Fire By Jim Murphy

695 Words3 Pages

Everyone knows about the huge fire that was happened in Chicago in 1871 right? Well if you haven't, why are you reading this first? Go read "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy! Done? Okay then let's get started! So, In paragraph 13, the author says and I quote " Chicago had been built largely on soggy marshland that flooded every time it rained." When the people who were first building the city had this problem, they came up with a pretty good solution ( at least that's what they probably thought) They decided to build the whole city out of wood, this includes the sidewalks, houses, outhouses, (yuck!) sheds, and a lot of other things. ( see paragraph 11) The thing is that wood can catch on fire very easily, even the author said " the 23,000 acres …show more content…

( see paragraph 14) So, let's take a minute here and brainstorm some ideas that could have first of all reduced the fire rate, and could have lessened the damage in the great fire of Chicago. Hm, well one thing they could've done is enforce and encourage that people stored their highly flammable items in a safe place such as in a stone storage building, underground, or somewhere where the fire would have a hard time reaching because in paragraph 9 it says this. " A shed attached to the barn was already engulfed by flames. It contained two tons of coal for the winter and a large supply of kindling …show more content…

There were probably other sheds like this too, filled with coal and kindling. Now, let's think of one more, hm. How about having small or large reservoirs all around the city? Because according to the presentation that the Clackamas fire district made, which was titled "The History of Fire and Fire Codes" stated that in 1871 in Chicago there was only one central reservoir of water that could be used, but it burnt down or got destroyed. This is a very large problem because water was the main thing to put fires out and still is. If they decided to put some sort of system in which water is spread out throughout the city, they could've had more water quicker than going to the central reservoir to get it, which would cause them to go back and forth and lose a lot of precious time. In summary, the two main things that could've changed the outcome of the great fire in Chicago in 1871 is a place that is safe to store highly flammable materials, such as coal and kindling, as well as small or large reservoirs throughout the city so that the firefighters could have more water in less

Show More
Related
66 Words | 1 Pages

The Great Chicago Fore changed construction of buildings forever. It was the fastest growing city in the United States and it had been built with wood. The fire burned two-thirds of the city and wiped out the north side. Approximately 300 people died and millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed. Chicago was reconstructed, but with much more thought of fire resistant homes and

Read More
864 Words | 4 Pages

Another result of the fire was the creation of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Which was Designed for all buildings to fall under the code to make them safer? The American Society of Safety Engineers did just that, and there has not been any other building tragedy fire not caused by arson as severe as the shirtwaist fire. I will now like to return to the original question.

Read More
880 Words | 4 Pages

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire The Fire And Its Causes The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one of New Yorks deadliest work place fires. It happened on March 25th, 1911 and would end up destroying the upper three floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Many people would die from being burned alive or jumping out of the building trying to escape the fire thinking they could maybe survive the fall. This fire would take many lives approximately one hundred and forty six people. Out of the one hundred and forty six people, one hundred and twenty six people were young women who worked at the factory.

Read More
1454 Words | 6 Pages

In this report I will explore the book Fire in The grove written by the author John C. Esposito. The book specifically describes the event of the fire, the reasons behind it, and who was responsible for this horrific disaster. The author explains that the main reasons of the fire were the structure of The Grove and the layout it was portrayed in. Later giving solutions on how to react if such incident happens as I explain further in the report.

Read More
351 Words | 2 Pages

To save money, the mayor decided to use wood to build the entire city. Even sidewalks were made from wood. The summer of 1871 was abnormally dry. Chicago received less than half the rain they received the year before.

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

Later, Beatty explains how Firemen were designated to aid, and says, “‘They were given the new job … of being inferior; official censors, judges, and executors,’” (Bradbury 88). Once the book has been burned, many people resume their normal life. They begin to announce their reviews and highlight accurate points. It is necessary for the government to affirm its dominance, and select firefighters to help.

Read More
417 Words | 2 Pages

Actually Chicago holded 59,500 buildings back then (not all of the 59,500 buildings were made of wood.) at that time. Back in 1871, most people had flammable items. In that time they didn’t have as much skill with buildings like

Read More
61 Words | 1 Pages

What started as a small barn fire turned into a major catastrophe for the citizens of the city of Chicago. The fire burned rapidly and destroyed over two-thirds of the city. The city officials and residents were left with multiple questions in the aftermath of the ashes. Despite the devastation, the citizens of this great city vowed, "Chicago shall rise

Read More
901 Words | 4 Pages

The wind was no help in the situation, blowing burning sticks and leaves everywhere causing it just to spread quicker. When the fire department heard what was happening they sent horse drawn fire-wagons. Due to communication fails the fire was not even tampered with for about forty-five minutes. With the wind blowing everywhere neighborhoods started catching fire and that was not good because the houses were so close, the fire just kept spreading through all of them.. At this point it was out of control one of the firemen stated, “You couldn't see anything over you but fire.

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

The chief had specifically requested larger water mains throughout the city, updated and increased numbers of fire hydrants, more manpower and 2 fire boats. They even tried to implement fire inspections to local businesses. All of these requests were denied by the officials on grounds of being too expensive. Even with the updated buildings the streets and sidewalks were still made of wood. City blocks were lined with an abundance of small wooden buildings packed closely together.

Read More
802 Words | 4 Pages

he industries that surrounded a river n addition to the agricultural fields and trade kept the city’s finances as stable as possible, and where able to give jobs to thousands of people. The Chicago fire was a catastrophic historical event with an even more drastic aftermath. Chicago experienced a type of great rebuild, after the fire more laws were passed for example buildings had to be constructed with fireproof materials and had to have the necessities to put out a fire quick ass possible however these materials are much more expensive than wood. However, many poor people couldn't afford the fireproof materials or the necessities for the materials they need. Many people didn't have money or materials they need to build these types of homes.

Read More
1183 Words | 5 Pages

“Late one night, when we were all in bed, Mrs. O’Leary lit a lantern in the shed. Her cow kicked it over, then winked her eye and said, ‘There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!’ (Abbott)” In 1871, a disaster arose in Chicago and reshaped the city permanently: a fire scorched around three square miles of land, leveled thousands of buildings, and stole hundreds of lives (“Chicago Fire of 1871”). Although the effects of this tragedy were harrowing, it actually served as the catalyst which allowed Chicago to become one of America’s largest, most influential cities.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

The first point that needs to be addressed is the fact that the book makes people think. In the book firemen are the government censors and they burn any and all books. This makes the people in the story fear both books and opposing the government. As a result,

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

The Great Fire of 1910 lasted for two days and spread from hurricane winds that shot trees up like flying torpedos ( 4

Read More
1453 Words | 6 Pages

California has one of the most severe wildland fire problems in the world. Population, vegetation, topography, and climate all play key roles in the probability of a wildfire occurring. In other words, it’s not a matter of “if” a wildfire will occur, but it’s a matter of “when.” In California, more and more people are choosing to live in communities near wildlands. These wildlands are composed of highly flammable vegetation which can be explosive.

Read More

More about Analysis Of The Great Fire By Jim Murphy

Related Topics

Open Document