Great Chicago Fire only of rain from July 4 to October 9, causing severe drought conditions before the fire, while strong southwest winds helped to carry flying embers toward the heart of the city. In 1871, the Chicago Fire Department had 185 firefighters with just 17 horse-drawn steam engines to protect the entire city. The initial response by the fire department was quick, but due to an error by the watchman, Matthias Schaffer, the firefighters were sent to the wrong place, allowing the fire to grow unchecked. An alarm sent from the area near the fire also failed to register at the courthouse
Great Gale of 1871 Great Gale of 1871 The Great Gale of 1871 was a severe storm in the North Sea which struck the north east coast of England on Friday 10 February 1871. Shipping near the town of Bridlington was severely affected by the storm, and, in an attempt to rescue seamen, the RNLI lifeboat RNLB "Robert Whitworth" was put out of action and the fishermans lifeboat "Harbinger" upturned with nine locals on board, killing six of them. A memorial obelisk in Bridlington Priory Churchyard commemorates 43 burials there. 28 ships were wrecked on the north east coast, and total fatalities are estimated