The Chicago Fire-Does anyone know how the Chicago fire started and the story of it?

Question

I wanna know how come they didn't call the fire department, I have always thought about how the Chicago fire started, I remember reading about it when I was little, but that was so long ago.

This question was posted March 22, 2008 at 11:59 P.M

Answer 1

from my understanding, it was MRS.Olearys cow in the barn, kicked a lantern over. But this is probably an old wives tale.

Answer 2

Like the answer above, my parents alwaws said it was a cow that kicked over a lantern, started the Chicago fire.

Answer 3

There is plenty of information here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1871_Great_...

From that article...

The fire started at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, in or around a small shed that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street. The traditional account of the origin of the fire is that it was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican reporter who created the cow story, admitted in 1893 that he had made it up because he thought it would make colorful copy.

The fire's spread was aided by the city's overuse of wood for building, the strong northwesterly winds, and a drought before the fire. The city also made fatal errors by not reacting soon enough and citizens were apparently unconcerned when it began. The firefighters were also exhausted from fighting a fire that happened the day before.