# George Rau, foreman of Hook and Ladder Truck No. 2
# Testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, session of Friday 24 Nov. 1871 (day 2), as reported in the Chicago Tribune of 1871-11-25, page 6
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (lccn sn82014064): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-11-25/ed-1/?sp=6 ; OCR text https://tile.loc.gov/text-services/word-coordinates-service?segment=/service/ndnp/dlc/batch_dlc_clark_ver03/data/sn82014064/no_reel/1871112501/0006.xml&format=alto_xml&full_text=1
# Page-OCR lines 386-446; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:29:58Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Bales: Inquiry vol. [1], p. 179.

GEORGE RAU,
foreman of Truck 2, said ho received a still alarm
for the lire, and was leaving the house wheu tho
cong struck. lie stopped lua truck ou JclTo.-son
street, opposite the alloy on which O'Leary's
bmn fronted. Ho went into the alley and ho had
hia men commence tearing down the fences, so
that tho pjpemen, when they cam«; could "Zt
the fire. Only iao burn was ou fire then. No'
pipe-men Vi-retl-dbls, nur was uuy water put on
tho ham for several minutes after he got there.
When water was put on, two other buildings
were on lire. He put up a ladder on a bulhliug
nortli of the fire, and Ids men put out two fires
on the roof with a Babcock. A ladder, which
ho found In a yard, was put Hg linst
St Paul’s Church, corner of Mather and Ciiucon
streets, ami two of tho men, thinking it would
burn up. In attempting to take it down,let it fall,
nnd broke it. He saw there was no use lor lad
ders, so he assisted the pipomen, and at different
limes bad hold of several steamers’ branch wipes.
He thought the fire was about a block distmt
when the church ignited. He did not know what
time tbe-flro crossed to the South Side, as ho did
not see it. barn was about twenty feot high,
and there were not men enough urouuil to pull it
down. It could not have been dune anyhow
on account of the heat. When the West
Side was safe, ho went to the South
Side, and helped tho Chicago’** pipomen. Ho
did not sec liny of the Marshals on tho South Side.
The Chicago’s men took up by order of Williams,
and he must have been around somewhere. He
subsequently went over to the North Side, and at
Market and Kiuzic street met the Coventry.
Water was very scarce there. At Weils ami Cal
cago avenue some men came to Idm and said ho
wus the first fireman they had seen and asked
him to tear down two or three blocks. He told
them he could get no men, and they said plenty
could he found to help. He told them to ••fetch
them along” and he would direct them howto
work. Several men were obtained and they com
menced at n building on Franklin street, but
afur working a few minutes tho men lert. H i
saw all the Marshals at the place where
Iho lire Mnrtnl, and rceclred or.lo»s*
from Williams, Sobank aud Benner. His mou
were in good condition aud on duty. Ho had
slept but five minutes during Sunday. None of
his men were Intoxicated, aud ho did not see a
fireman who was. lid saw several engines that
were, nut working. Ue thought they were wait
ing for ho>e. ami that a good deal of hose was
lost on account of the engines moving so quickly
to escape destruction. Ho did not know of any
firemen who received money for services. He
had board that one company, which was sta
tioned on Jefferson street, hud been paid 915 for
saving a building.