# Chicago Tribune, 1871-11-26, page 1 -- Session of Saturday 25 Nov. 1871 (third day): Louis Fieke (truckman), Catharine McLaughlin, Patrick O'Leary, Daniel Sullivan, Michael W. Conway (pipeman), and others
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America, lccn sn82014064; page URL https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-11-26/ed-1/?sp=1
# OCR full text from https://tile.loc.gov/text-services/word-coordinates-service?segment=/service/ndnp/dlc/batch_dlc_clark_ver03/data/sn82014064/no_reel/1871112601/0001.xml&format=alto_xml&full_text=1
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# STATUS: newspaper report of the testimony, mostly in reported speech with some direct quotation -- NOT the stenographic transcript.

a
THE GREAT FIRE.
Third Day of the Investigation
hy the Board of Police.
Testimony of the Man Who Bes
cned a Burning Calf from
Leary’s Barn.
Interesting Statement of Mr.
Conway, of the Steamer
Chicago.
ilt< Ijollc Appearance nf the Flames as They
Burst from the Basements of South
Side Buildings.
Tho Board of Police, consisting of Messrs.
Brown, Sheridan, and Chadwick, yesterday con--
i limed hearing the testimony of witnesses, in
their effort to “investigate” the cause and pro
gress of tho great cunllagration which destroyed
Chicago. The InquL-ition was held in Captain
Millet's room at the Union Street Police Station,
and tho testimony was taken in full by a short
hand writer. The following is tho substance of
yesterday’s operations:
LOUIS FIEKE,
truckman on No. 2, was sworn, and testified that
a man came into their house and said a grocery
I store on the corner of Jackson aud Jefferson
I streets was on fire. They took the truck to that
r place.; but, finding no fire, continued on
I down Jefferson street, having seen a
blaze [in that direction. They stopped
e. opposite an alley between DeKovcn and
Taylor streets, and he went Into the alley and
I found that a small barn fronting on it was an fire.
I He chopped a bole In the fence so that tho lirc
rmen could get through when they came. In a
I little while the Little Giant’s men arrived and
S directcd the water from their engine on tho fire.
|Bc was positive that only one building was on
■fire at that time. There were several barns in tho
valley opposite the one-on fire. He thought tho
Rtmruing barn could nut be pulled down, so he did
Baxot attempt it. It was very hot in tho alley. Ho
■could get within six or seven fectof the barn, hue
Kcould »iot r* main there very long. The llames
fn-coii.uumk-at'd to the adjacent bums a few
Ismomeiils after he reached the scene. He
rethought the Giant’s men were there
itJH-fme the lire caught tuo other
Mbiuldings, but could not tell positively. No watsr
®jras being thrown on the bam when ho got there.
W&s soon'as he got there water was thrown
mu. He couldn’t say whether or not it was a
Beavy stream. Wut*r was thrown on different
'■Barts of the structure.
H c.vm.vHixE ii'L.vnr.in.xx,
-fir No. 137 Dekuvcn street, testified that she had
.Hived iu the front part of Leary’s house, but did
iSotret-ide there now. She knew nothing about
-She origin of the fire. Some one cried out Fire,”
Snd she looked around the side of the house uud
*aw Leary’s barn was burning, aud the rear part
of Mr. Dalton’s house Just igniting. There were
r five young men uud two young women at her
.'.house that night. A “greenhorn cousin of hers
IT had just arrived from Ireland, and her friends
and cousins came iu to see him. Her husband
pbived two tunes on his fiddle, and one of the
vjt- women danced a “bout” and another u polka.
That was all the dancing that was done. Uue of
the company went out once or twice during tho
4 ev\ niug, and brought lu half a gullou of beer.
J They dien't cat anything* and she did not cook
anything—did not start the stove. “Before God
f this dsiv,” she didn’t cook anything. The company
J was in the house at the time the lire broke om. She
I got along pleasantly with Mrs. Leary, uud
1 assisted in saving the home from btiug destroy
1 cri. Boys could go into the alley near the bara,
a ss there wtts nothing to prevent them. She did
ns.t notice any engines when she went to look
H where the lire was; hut a few miuutes after
waul there was a steamer ou the corner of Juf-
B’ fer.-on end DeKuvcn streets. She could not tell
B exactly how long a time elipsed between thodls-
B ei>M-iy of the lire and the arrival of the engines;
B Inn die thought about tin minutes. She did nut
H know whether Mrs Leary was in th-' habit of
milking her cows at night- She hved iu tbo front
B part ol the house, and the burn could have been
B turned upside down and she wooldnot have known
B it. Mrs. Learv generally did tho milking about 5
B -Aleck. Tho *bavn was about 40 feet from tho
B house. None of the company went out to get
K milk for punch. She never had sucha thing in
B the house. .She did not know, of herownknovvl-
Bcdge. that Mrs. Lcaiy had saved a calf from tho
Bbaru.
S PATRICK LEARY,
whose wife owned the alleged kicking cow, said
■he waft in bed and didn’t know anything about
Blip start of the fire. When ho saw it, only his
Bi u was ablaze. He got on tho roof of Ids house
Bupjotcct it, hut not “before his barn and the
Bvhulc city was burned down.” Dan
Bullivan colled him out of bed,
Biial told him his barn was on fire. Bo put his
B hihlrcu into the street, and then threw water on
Bii* little house until after 1 o’clock in the morn-
He didn’t see any engines for u little while.
me fireman, with a stream, asked him if bo was
-■aai-urcd, and ho said “No,” and tho water was
g*:ikcn away from his house. Ho could not tell
'rryrii..t time thn engine* arrived. Water waa
-jxfthrown on his housoby the plpemen. They had
.-W iunmh to do beside that.” Ho did not know bow
Vr'tU- tire started- He had no knowledge of
'■bit- “If he was to be hanged for it he
couldn’t tell. Ho didn’t blame any
x man In America for It.” Hie woman
went to bed about 8 o'clock, aud bo
-■i fallowed her half an hour afterward. Ho was
vr- asleep when Bnllivan woke lilin.orhe would have
saved a cow. Both doors of the bam were open
'aL the alley door and tho one on the south side of
building. Tne latter was nailed buck so that
*3l it could nut be shut. On the right hand eido of
.’’fjthc barn, going north, there were souio shavings
and wood, and in a shed outside were some cool
.'4 aud more wood. He sometimes sprinkled shav
\«mcß in the barn for his horse to stand on. lie
‘.jßrh'ought the neighbors had shavings la their
dwellings. The wind was very high, and the lire
;jß>pread very rapidly.
mm DA.SIEL SULLIVAN,
t sß if No. 134 DeKoven street, was in Leary’s house
SB about 8 o’clock in tbo evening, and remained
there about one hour. Leary, and all his young
once,” cxctqit two, were in bed. Ho asked the
M old woman why she went to bed so early, and
.1 «hes:Ud sbo didn’t fed well. While ho was there
ia Leary tola the two children who were up to go to
!J. Be left the house, and, while on the op
site side of the street, at twenty or tweuty-flvo
uutes past 9 o’clock, he saw tiro in Leary’s
ru. He r*n across the street as fast as he could
ic bos a wooden leg—aud crisdout Firtj” as
id as he could, which was very loud,
he has strong lungs. He cu
red the barn. intending to cut
e ropes with which the cows were tied. He cut
•o ox them loose, but as they did not seem lu
ntd to leave, and the lire was increasing, ho
uught he lud better depart. As ho was making
r the door, his wooden leg went between two
ards, and ho half fell over, catching himself on
sound leg. He caught hold of tho wall ami
died himself out, and just then saw a calf with
tope around Its neck. The hair on its back
its on lire, and when he caught hold of the ropo
ja’i’pcd six feet into the all*. Ho pulled it out
Use bam; and, when ho reached the yard, he
oked back and felt like a whipped dog,” be
ans he hadn't saved the cows. Leary’s uou»o
as, by this lime, on lire, and amannamedltagiu
us e along and shoved m iho door, and awoke
ur inmates. Leary came to the door, and
ratched his head as if there was a foot of lice
it.” IHs wife came out also, and clapped her
:uds for grief on account of her cows being
.nu d up. The fire appeared to be on the right
:ic of the barn [where, Leary said thu shavings
>n* kept—KEi’.J Ho did not notice any one
iviug McLaughlin’* house. If any oue had
:i he would have seen him. Ills mother kept a
<w. cud he frequently went to Leary’s baru to
teed; and thus knew how the cows were tied.
had never nutced sliavlngs on the right
vla-ii.e of the baru. Wood and shavings were
vjupt in the shed adjoining the baru. There
no lire iu the shed when ho got there.
-HJiiite a time elapfcd before the engines arrived—
£rr«m ten to intern minutes. There was any
quantity of shavings in llio houses of tbeßoho
I f.mians in the vicinity. The barn uoor was open.
I* The lire did not spread very rapidly. Two barns
Mk wci«* on lire when the engines came. There
'W might huve been more, but ho was positive two
jr were burning. The Leary barn was 10x20 feet
*jE mid 14 feet high. There was a vacant aUvd,front-
B inu- on the alley, opposite Leary's bam, in which
9 tl;c bays of the neighborhood were in the habit
B ot congregating, in front of It, facing Tavlor
P .Muet.was u vacant house, which, ho understood,
v.;;* often occupied by vagrants and loafers os a
fj iTtxlging-place. The alley between the shed and
-rLarn was about twelve feet wide.
LOUIS nWE
recalled. The Little Giant’s men kept the
ire from coniumuicatlng to the adjoining bam
Jtv r a time. When It did the hose led through the
jltirn, and the shed on the opposite side of the
lollcy was was cooled off with water. When the
-.‘V'-Tu through which the hose was led was bum
ifc:g rapicly, the men backed down, and when
got through, one of the houses on DeKoven
«ct was found to be on llttj. The flumes “soon
under gimd headway.” and the roofs of houses
the vicinity ignited. Fire was then observed
the roof of a row of buildings on Jefferson
ect, north of DeKoven street and
and several citizens west on the
if and put out the flames with backets full of
ter. All ut once the building at the south end
the block caught lire inside, and In a short
u* the whole row was burning. He did not
nk the lire from the bam started it, as the
ad was not blowing that way. He did not see
lire cross to the South Side. Ho couldnottell
w long it was after ho reached the bam until
Lime Giant came. The Chicago’s nipemon
Unseen after her men. He saw no liquor In
uek Two’s home, and did not see a fireman
link during the conflagration.
MICHAEL W. CONWAT,
lonian of the steamer Chicago, was next oxam
■d. He worked on the Saturday night Arc un
half-pact 4 o’clock on Sunday afternoon, and
eyes bilug full of cinders and his physical
edition such as to render him unlit for duty, ho
nt home and retired to rest. About 1! o’clock
5 wife awoke him, and said she was afraid they
mid be burned out. Ho went over to the on
ic house, nnd eaw the steamer in front of tho
jluing. The lire was then near the comer of
irrifon and Jcffiraon streets. Tho Chicago’s
use is on Jefferson street,-near Van Buron.
mo one told him that the flro was on the South
ic, hut be did not believe it, as ho
:,t l£ *ei i iho reflection from
got Side fire. The engine was short of hoso,’
he took the cart and went down Desnlaluos
cct to see if he could find nay that had been
;t behind l*y the engines. He found two or
rcc lengths, and went back to tho bouse. Tbo
gine was not working. The company had had
ull reel—noo feet—of hose on Sunday afternoon,
tit had been lost. The Tlstaworth was at that
no drawing water from a plug on Jefferson,
ulii of Van Eurcn street, 110 did not know
iiei c the Chicago had been. Ho asked tho forc
;.n what lie Intended to do with the engine, and
replied that he was “played out,’and ho
ouway) could take charge of her. He told
c foreman It was “all right,” and that
would go on tho South Side. There
as no one present to give him directions. Ho
nr tod and attempted to cross Madison street
id go. but could not. Ho crossed Hand Iph
bridge and went cast. Ho saw an engines
VOLUME 25.
Nt Yells and Madison streets, another at LaSalle
and Madison streets, and another at Clark and
and when he reached the corner
of Clark and Washington ho conclude!
that u line was being formed on Madison street
to cut oil* the lire, and. as there was no cnjr.no on
Franklin street, In* thought bo would gotia plug
tm-re. While passing tho Court House, he notic-d
a lire on the i o«-f, and asked the engineer if ho
thought water could ho tin own up
there. Tho reply was Yes.” and
he was about to attach the suction
to a plug, when ho noticed several men
tome out of tin* cupola with buckets aud brooms.
As tin* lire was very small, ho thought they
oulcl manage it, amt he continued ou his way to
Franklin street. He took a hydrant on Franklin
street, mar Washington, aud Jo I south iuioau
j lley nenr Barber's building. lie hud then about
liw hundred feet of hose, having procured a lead
Bom the llrc-iseupc hose, and worked two
streams. ’He remained at work there until Mar
shall Williams crdeied him t:» pick up and go to
fcehutiU-r’s building. Hu led up Randolph street,
and threw' water ou the buildings on the
smith side of tlie street. The fiames came fr.uu
the ba*on.ents of the stores, while there wa? no
sis.ii of the in any other part of the building-*.'
Once while going from the engine to tho pipe.a -u
he saw n woman with a “duster” on her head
looking out of a fom th story window. He threw
up a sti ne or piece of wood to attract her atten
tion, and told her If she did not leave tho build
ing at once she would be burned up. She had
baldly got into the street before the tunics burst
out of the basement windows. The tiro came
fn m tlie cast down Randolph street. Tho light
of the lire In the cellars was a strange oae.
It looked us if whiskey or alco
hol was burning. He heard a great
many loud reports during the night, but thought
they were caused by falling walls. He did not
know of any buildings being blown up taut night.
The only Marshal ho saw until Tuesday after
noon was Williams. Ho went from Schuttler’a
to the corner of Randolph aud Market streets,
aud remained there until the rear walls of the
Washington House fed iu, and tho shanties on
the noith east aud Bt.utU east corners wore burn
ed down. Ho saw the Metropolitan Hall burned,
and did nut think it remained standing a
minute after the lire took hold of it. Tho dome
iu the Briggs House caught lire. While tho en
gine was walking at Franklin and Randolph
tliccts, he took a walk down to South Water
street, and saw the Williams at workou tho cor
ncrof Fifth avenue and that street. The air was
oppressively warm and lull of sparks, and there
wm* a perfect gale. His eyes were in a wretched
condition. While working ou Barber's building
the window frames of tlie upper Hour caught lire,
and, alter he hud kicked open the door, two
policemen went up and subdued tho Humes,
lie wn« familiar wTth many of the
buildings that were burned. vrero
generally of felt, saturated with tar and cohered
with pebbles. Tho cornices were uenoruliv of
wood. Now and then there was a tin roof.’Tin
made the best roof If people did not walk on it.
After he left the foot of Randolph street he went
across tlie bridge and to the foot of Washington
street. There ho saw tho Richard’s engine throw
ing water on tho iron wurks. They hadn't enough
hose, so he let them have two or three leugtns,
by order of the Chief Marshal. Tuo bullihugs
were not on lire, hut were being cooled otf. Ho
alterwaids went to the lootol Franklin street,
ou the North Hide. This was ab utt daylight on
Monday morning. He went llrst to Ohio and Welts
streets, but us ho could obtain no water he went
to The river. Tho Coventry was there when he
arrived, aud tho Winnebago came up soon a’ter.
He threw water on tho oast Elevator, and tho
j ipemen of the oilier engines paid attention, to
the Ga'cnu Depot, by order of Marshal Williams.
The tiro was at that time cast of Wells street,
end as fur north as he could seo. He was uol at
work on the South Side over four or live hours,
and did not fail to obtain plenty of water while
there. The fire went diagonally from the river
East, and then eat its way West. Ho kept a
look-out to the WtS'f&o as to prevent being cut
off. lu cahc of au emergency he intended to ran
the engine Into the ijiSallo fttreet tuuuol. He
did nut see a member of :he Fire Department
dinuk, but saw several citizens with ilremeu’s
Luts ou who were. Tho citizens got the hats
from the hose carls. Inn hut tire, such as that,
a slouch hat was preferable to a fire hat, as
the eyes and face could ho shuffled
Horn the heat. A man stile mi
fire hat, and a policeman shoved tho thief into
the river, and the hat sunk. [Marshal Williams
stated time he took Uiu huts rrom two cit zeu
wl.o were diuuk.l While Conway was at the
Chuagu’b homo, he Raw now liquor. A citizen
who w;is there was Intoxicated, but he did not rc
rui.lu long <n tie house. No extra h.us were car
ried on the Lose cam lie did not know of uuy
money being pah. to firemen for special services.
Money was offered him. Mr. Baker, who
owns a wood yard, came to him at
the corner of Randolph and Market
streets and offered him S2OO It ho would order his
plpemen to change their position so as to save
some of his wood. He told him ho could not
work lor uny oue individual, but bo wont to look
at the place where tbo water was wanted, and
told Mr. Baker it would do no good. He insisted,
and to satisfy him tho position was changed In
a few moments Mr. Baker became convinced that
it was uttlcss to attempt to save tho plies of
wood, aud the pipemtn were ordered out. He
had received compensation for that service.
Commissioner Sheridan (eagerly). Wbatwasit
Conway. Two cigars. He had heard that
money hud been given, hut did not bciievu it un
til he saw it in the newspaper*. The boys” in
tlie house had Joked him about receiving £2OO,
and giving it to the Firemen’s Association. Many
promises were made during the tiros, but they
were not fulfilled, ns far us ho knew. One prom
ise hud been made to him and fulfilled. Two
years ago, while nt a lire, a building near tho
bimiiug one ignited, uud tlie owner said he would
pay handsome!}* to have it put out. Ho intended
to turn the stream on it at that moment.
and did so. When tho fire was out, tho boys”
told him he hud lietter go aud collect tho money
promised him. Ho wanted one of tbo others to
go, us ho was a German, the owner being of that
nationality. He went in and thu German hand
ed him two lilt}* cent notes,” with the remark
Here, treat tho boys.” Ho saw buildings on
Wubasb avenue blown up ou Monday afternoon.
After tho elevators at tho foot of Frunkliu street
had burned ho returned to tho house, and having
only two or three lengths of hose left, ho wont
over to tho South Slue to find a Marshal and
Irnm If ho had any use for tho engine. Ho found
Benner, and asked him, and was told
to wait a minute.” Ho waited half
on hour, and saw ox-Alderman Hildreth and souio
others blowing up buildings. He did not seo
Philip 11. Sheridan blow any up. He thought
the blowing up was a good thing, but that tho
buildings on tho corner of Congress street nnd
Vabash avenue could have been saved by a single
stream of water. 'While going back to the engine
house, ho met a Springfield or Bloomington
steamer, and, noticing that they had a largo reel
ot nice hose, ho told the foreman ho was u fire
man, and askeibim to divide. The foreman re
lufed. and while ho was arguing with him a hook
and ladder truck came up, and tho stranger
was induced to go to [ho Chicago's house.
They would not part with their hoso then
unless they w*mt with the steamer. The truck
horses wore hitched to their engine, and the two
steamers shitted for tho North Side. This was
between liulf-past 7 and 8 o’clock on Monday
morning. They stopped at Division street bridge
and played on a pile of tan bark south of tho
gas works. He did not sco the foreman of tho
Chicago, as he was played out,” and had gone
tubed. He did not think tho lire on tho South
Side could have been stopped unless tho
buildings were picked up aud thrown into the
lake. Everything was unusually dry and burned
very rapidly.
ADJOURNMENT.
fe The board then adjourned until 10 o'clock on
Monday momiug.