Horace White & Alexander Frear
How did Horace White escape from the fire?
He traveled by wagon.
How did Claire become separated from her family?
When a man tried to steal her bundle, she was distracted and lost sight of her family in the crowd.
These glowing pieces were carried by the wind and started new fires.
Embers
Small glowing pieces of wood or coal left after a fire.
How many children did Alexander Frear's sister-in-law have?
three
James Hildreth
How did Frear and his nephew become separated in the crowd?
They were in the St. James Hotel trying to find his sister-in-law when the crowd began shouting that the bridges were burning. The crowd inside jammed the doorway and Frear lost sight of his nephew.
Where was Claire trapped?
She was trapped in an alley with fire on all sides.
To leave a dangerous place for safety.
Evacuate
Families had to do this when the fire moved toward their homes.
What caused the "fireproof" buildings to burn?
When the Waterworks burned down, they had no water to spray on their roofs.
What was the hotel Alexander Frear and his sister-in-law were told the children were moved to and safe at?
Why did Frear start running for his life?
He couldn't find his sister-in-law or her children.
The Chicago Evening Post
People used this word to describe the roaring flames in Chicago.
Inferno
An extremely large and dangerous fire.
Name two of the HUGE problems and destruction caused by the fire.
1. Formed columns of fire hundreds of feet tall
2. Giant bubble of gases rose into the air and exploded
3. Winds could be hundreds of feet wide and have speed like a hurricane
3. The whirlwinds could rip off houses, furniture, etc.
How far did Horace White travel to escape the fire?
4 miles
How did Horace White's experience differ from that of Claire, Chamberlin, and Frear?
Possible answers:
He traveled by wagon.
His office building was a "fireproof" building.
Servants helped him pack.
White did not feel terror.
What did Chamberlin use to protect himself from the sparks?
a large blanket he found on the floor of a store
This adjective describes how many people felt as they fled the fire.
Desperate
Feeling hopeless and willing to do anything to survive.
What was the estimated velocity of the wind?
a steady 30 mph with strong gusts
How many men ran by Claire Innes as she was sitting on the barrel in the alley?
3 men
What happened to Frear after he lost his nephew?
Mentions some of the following: He began looking randomly for a street that was passable, seeing many horrible sights along the way. He found a bridge where people were crossing. He was one of the last across before the bridge began to burn. After he got across the river, he began looking for his relatives again.
Name one sight Chamberlin saw while sitting on an arched railing of the bridge?
1. Coffins being carried across the
bridge
2. an explosion of fire overhead
3. the destruction of the Nevada Hotel and the Garden City House.
This word describes the massive fire that destroyed much of Chicago.
conflagration
A large and destructive fire that spreads quickly.
What was James Hildreth's scheme for stopping the fire?
He planned to use explosives to create a firebreak.
Why did Alexander Frear and his nephew stop at Wright's Restaruant?
They were tired and needed a break and a drink of coffee.