# Louis Fieke, truckman on Truck No. 2
# Testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, session of Saturday 25 Nov. 1871 (day 3), as reported in the Chicago Tribune of 1871-11-26, page 1
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (lccn sn82014064): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-11-26/ed-1/?sp=1 ; OCR text 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
# Page-OCR lines 24-55; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:29:58Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. 

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.