# Michael W. Conway, pipeman of the steamer "Chicago" # 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 225-441; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:29:58Z. # STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Bales: Inquiry vol. [2], pp. 2-39. 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