# Christopher Schimmels (foreman of the steamer "Chicago") -- 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 17049-17167 of greatconflagrati0000shea_djvu.txt (https://archive.org/download/greatconflagrati0000shea/greatconflagrati0000shea_djvu.txt). Uncorrected OCR. Fetched 2026-09-14T06:03Z; written 2026-09-14T06:36:06Z.
# STATUS: extract/summary in reported speech (not verbatim transcript), with a few direct quotations.

Christopher Schimmels, foreman of the steamer
Chicago, said the first he knew of the fire was the
striking of the gong. He thought it was about
9.30. Box No. 342 was struck. This box is about
a mile southwest of where the fire was. He went
directly to the blaze, and took a hydrant on the
corner of Forquar and Jefferson streets, and led
the hose south. His was the only stream there.
After working from three to five minutes, the
engine was “ shut down,” and upon making inquiry
as to why it was done, the engineer told him that
a spring in the pump had broken. He told the
engineer to start up again, and run the risk of
breaking the pump to pieces. He did not see the
marshal or the assistants, and he asked the foreman
of the Illinois, which had come up, which side of
the fire he would take. He replied “ north,” so
Schimmels remained on the south line. He worked
there until Assistant Marshal Benner ordered him
to move and cut off the fire in the rear of some
buildings. The next thing he knew, a row of
buildings on Jefferson street, a little south of Tay¬
lor, were on fire. After working on them ten
minutes, orders came to move and put on two


APPENDIX.


437


streams. An order subsequently came to go further
north, and try to cut off the fire. It was impossi¬
ble to go up Jefferson street, so he went over to
Halsted and up to Harrison, and took a plug on
tae corner of that street and Jefferson. He led the
hose south, but was driven from his position by the
heat and nearly lost his hose in retreating. He
attached another lead of hose to the engine, and
kept the ground near her cool. He then started
for a plug on Jefferson street, between Harrison and
Van Buren, but the Titsworth was there, and he
went around to Jackson and J efferson streets. After
being there three or five minutes, he saw that the
fire was not coming that way, so he sent his men
over to the south side. He went to his engine
house, as he was completely played out, having had
no sleep for thirty hours. He had worked eighteen
hours on the Saturday night fire, and four of his
men were nearly blind. When the alarm came m,
these men, who had been at home, ran around to
the engine house, but as they were useless on
account of the condition of their eyes, he took
three volunteers and started for the fire. None
of his men were intoxicated. They all worked

faithfully.

He did not know what time the fire crossed to
the south side, but thought it was about 2 o'clock
on Monday morning. His engine was in good order
at the Saturday night fire, but they had to knock
her suction from a plug to prevent her being burned
up, and the “goose neck” being out of oidei, s re


438 THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION — CHICAGO:

could not draw water very well on Sunday. He
was short of hose. Two lengths were lost on Har¬
rison street, and there was none in reserve. There
were eigteen lengths in the engine house on Satur¬
day night, but some companies had taken it all out.
His engine was also on the north side. The engi¬
neer, who had charge, came back to the house about
i o clock on Monday morning, and said he came
near losing her three or four times. He met the
Chief Marshal about 11 o’clock on Monday morn¬
ing, and told him he had no hose. He was told
that there was some expected at the Milwaukee
depot, and went there to get it, but none had come.
When he returned to the engine house, a small boy
came in and said there was a Springfield steamer at
the xoot of Taylor street, and the men with it wanted
to know where to go, as they could not see any fire.
He brought them up to the house, and asked them
for half of their hose— they had 1,000 feet— and
the foreman said lie would let him have it, if he
would bring his engine out and work with him. He
iAid all light, and hitched the truck horses to the
Springfield engine, and with his own steamer, started
for the north side, crossing Division street bridge.
The two engines worked on the gas works from 6
o’clock that evening until 7 o’clock on Tuesday
morning, when the Springfield steamer gave out.
Hie fire was then so as it would not spread any
more, and they returned to the house, finding two
strange companies in possession when they arrived,
lhe steamer was fixed up, and he slept until noon,


APPENDIX.


439


wlien orders came to go to the foot of Taylor street
and throw water on some coal. He was not offered
any money to play on any building, and did not
think anything more could have been done to stop
the fire. If there had been plenty of hose on at
first it would have made a difference.. Coal was
scarce, and* the citizens tore up the sidewalks to
furnish his engine with fuel. All the hose he had
had for three months previous to the fire was very

poor.