Within the Moody – Sankey mission , Moody preached and Sankey sang . Late in 1871 , mission work was interrupted by the Great Chicago Fire , which destroyed 18,000 buildings , killed around 300 people and left a third of the city 's population homeless . Sankey watched the conflagration from a small boat in which he rowed out into Lake Michigan . The fire destroyed Moody 's church , and Sankey returned temporarily to New Castle . However , he soon received a message from Moody asking him to come back to Chicago and resume the partnership . He did so , and worked with Moody in the revival of churches in Chicago , Springfield and elsewhere . In October 1872 Sankey moved his family permanently to Chicago
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Ira D. Sankey