# William J. Brown (fire-alarm telegraph operator) -- CONDENSED (reported-speech) summary of testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, Chicago, Nov. 1871
# Source: Sheahan & Upton, The Great Conflagration: Chicago (1871), Appendix 'The Origin of the Fire', pp. 419-439 (testimony 'thus far (Nov. 27) taken').
# Internet Archive item greatconflagrati0000shea, OCR lines 16487-16551 of greatconflagrati0000shea_djvu.txt (https://archive.org/download/greatconflagrati0000shea/greatconflagrati0000shea_djvu.txt). Uncorrected OCR. Fetched 2026-09-14T06:03Z; written 2026-09-14T06:26:37Z.
# STATUS: extract/summary in reported speech (not verbatim transcript), with a few direct quotations.

The Fire-alarm Operator.

William. J. Brown, the operator in the fire-alarm
office, testified that he was on duty in the fire-alarm
office, in the court house, on the night of the 8th of
October. Mr. Schaffer, the watchman in the tower,
notified him, about half-past nine o’clock, that there
was a fire, and told him to strike Box No. 342. He
sent that box over the wires to the engine houses,
and then looked out of the office window facing
south, and saw the reflection in the sky. In a short
time the watchman piffled him again, and said he
had been mistaken — that the fire was not so far off
as he had thought when he gave him Box No. 342,

which is located on the corner of Halsted street and

(419)

420 THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION - CHICAGO I

Canalport avenue. As the box was on the line of
the fire, Brown thought the firemen would not be
misled, so he did not strike a nearer box. If he did
so, confusion might ensue. About ten minutes after
the first alarm he struck a second, giving the same
box. A few seconds afterwards several boxes were
turned in, and thinking they were for the same con¬
flagration, he did not pay any attention to them, as
a second alarm had been given. Observing from the
window that the fire was increasing, he sounded a
third alarm, but did not cause the court house bell
to be rung. He was relieved by Mr. Fuller, about
quarter after twelve o’clock, and left the office. Fie
went to the corner of Randolph and Canal streets,
and, after remaining there a few moments, started
down Canal to Madison street. He crossed the
bridge and went south on Market street and saw
that a number of shanties near the gas works were
on fire. The gas works were not ignited up to that
time. He saw one steamer at work near the corner
of Monroe and Market streets, the pipemen having
their hose lead into an alley near Far well’s ware¬
house and playing on some wooden buildings which
were ablaze. He saw another engine, the Coventry,
he thought, while he was going through the blocks
to get to Madison street. He could not tell whether
she was working or not. When he reached La Salle
street, near Madison, he saw that the rear of the
Oriental Block was all on fire. The air wa sfull of
cinders and burning material, and he made his way
to the court house, where he remained until the

APPENDIX.

421

watchmen were driven out of the cupola, and the
office was on fire.