# Robert A. Williams, Fire Marshal
# Testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, session of Saturday 2 Dec. 1871 (day 9), as reported in the Chicago Tribune of 1871-12-03, page 4
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (lccn sn82014064): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-12-03/ed-1/?sp=4 ; OCR text https://tile.loc.gov/text-services/word-coordinates-service?segment=/service/ndnp/dlc/batch_dlc_clark_ver03/data/sn82014064/no_reel/1871120301/0004.xml&format=alto_xml&full_text=1
# Page-OCR lines 1055-1169; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:28:05Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Bales: Inquiry vol. [4], pp. 241-85.

ROBERT A. WILLIAMS,
Chief Fire Marshaled not know anything of the
origin of the lire. Ho did not go down until tlio
second alarm. He did not go to bed till 7 o'clock
on Sunday morning. He crossed Randolph street
bridge, and went down Desplalncs street. hen
ho cot to Harrison he found ho had gone tho
wrong way, and had to drive to Hoisted street,
thence to Taylor. Two houses, two barns, and a
lot of little outhouses were on tiro. There was a
regular nest of fire there. Ho encouraged the
boys, saying, “Hang on to her, she’s gainingon
us.” Tho Illinois being short of men he helped the
boys with their pipe. It was hot. He ran to
the oast side and saw the America hose. Tho
buildings were smoking and ready to light. Dor
sey was then sent tQtum in a second alarm.
Before they could get tho water on the building
it was tut off. He found tho foreman of the Wa
bonsia had dono it. Before it was on again tho
whole centre of the block, between Taylorand
Forqucr streets, was on fire in about a minute
and a half. Four streams were on Ewing street,
and ho thought it was all stopped, when tho
church got allre. That was three blocks away.
Tho wind was blowing so hard ho know he could
not throw a stream there. Accordingly ho
gave orders to have the longest ladder up.
Sweeny came up and asked him what to do. Ail
the near plugs were occupied, and ho had not
hose enough to take any other. He told Sweeny
to do his best. Tho ladder No. 1 was broken in
half and lying on tho ground. The smoke was
very dense. Sweeny said ho could get on tho
flat roof of a house and play on tho church. Tho
steeple dropped right down Into tho church.
There was a drug store on tho corner of Clinton
which took flro several times. Ho went down to
Batcham’s mill. Tho yard was full of sharings,
and the tiro fell thicker than any snow
flakes. and the mills caught soon after
ward. On hearing of tho fire on* the
South Side he went over by Madison street bridge
and began working north of the Gas Works. His
statement differed in no way from that published
in The Thibcne, or the testimony of Mr. Hildreth
and others, (except in length.) When the Water
Works burned ho gave up all hopes, and meeting
the Long John boys who told mm their engine
was burnt, ho set them to work to savo his piano
and carpet, and his $46 stove until It was too hot
to stay. He was on tho corner of Lake and Mar
ket streets, when some one told him the flro
would cross to tho North Bide. He
sent tho engines to the North Side.
Tho Northwestern Railroad people asked him
to savo their depot. Wliilo working there ho saw
a great blue mass rolling down on them, which ho
subsequently found out to be chemicals from the
telegraph battery. Ho could have saved tho
depot if the water had not given out. He was
satisfied that, if the Water Works had not been
destroyed, the fire could hare been checked on
the South Side. Ho did not know what kind of a
roof the Water Works had, or what facili
ties there were there for extinguishing fire.
Mr. Cregier’s assistant told him that they
had some hose there but no pump.
The water was obtained from an adjoining plug,
but the pressure from a plug was only absut
twenty pounds. But for the destruction of tho
Water Works tho fire never would have gone
west of Wells street. Cisterns in the streets
would have been of great value. They had often
been recommended, bo, also, would fire hydrants
connected with the river. Ho had recommended
a floating fire engine, when he was made chief.
The board had asked an appropriation of $2,000
for a floating engine, capable of throwing a
dozen streams, with a regular house.
Ho had seen the river frozen up so that asteamer
could not move about three months, but oven
then tho steamer could he located where the
most dangerous fires were likely to occur. Ho
did not think the fire apparatus was aufliciently
large to protect the city. He believed they had
homi very successful in extinguishing fires. Cin
cinnati had 21 engines ho believed. Some of their
engines were more powerful than those hero, hat
bethought smaller and lighter engines wore more
serviceable. If a fire had the start of one, they
had to work hard. Tho success of the Fire
Department In this wooden city was attributable
entirely to their promptitude and alacrity. A
number of companies were tired oat with their
exertions on tho previous night. Ho went round
to several houses on Sunday, and found the men
sober Many of them looked pretty hard. Their
eves were bleared. Some people might think they
were tipsy, hut ho didn’t. Some may have been
taking a drink. They wore not in very good con
dition for work. He saw a num
ber of citizens around tho fire who
were tight, but bo didn't like to turn citizens
out because they got down on a company who
would do that. Ho saw several citizens with
flro hats on, who were tipsy, and so the im
pression got abroad tliat the firemen were in
toxicated. The firemen found their hats hot
sometimes and laid them aside. He did not op-
prove of that conduct. He had ho recollection
of seeing Schank at the flre on the West Side.
The witness concluded at G;23
The board then adjourned till Monday morning
at 10 o’clock.