# William Fraser (OCR "WILLIAM FUAZEK")
# Testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, session of Friday 1 Dec. 1871 (day 8), as reported in the Chicago Tribune of 1871-12-02, page 4
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (lccn sn82014064): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-12-02/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/1871120201/0004.xml&format=alto_xml&full_text=1
# Page-OCR lines 1681-1729; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:28:05Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Bales: Inquiry vol. [3], pp. 238-42.

WILLIAM FUAZEK,
a citizen, was the next witness, but beyond stat
ing that Omnipotence could not check the tire,
and that ho rode down to it ona hose cart, he
informed the Commissioners of nothing.
A recess was hero taken till 2 oclock.
CHARLES G. KUO?r, A _
of the Insurance Fire Patrol, stirteu to tlio
tire when it reached Van Burenstreet. Aid. Hil
dreth went to him to get soois powder. Ho too.:
a Babcock to extinguish awnings, etc.,
■which caucht tiro from the sparks.
The powder was in kega aud
tin cans, and was covered by <ftnvaa and tar
paulins. Ho save a brief account ot the blowing
up of buildings, not differing irom that of ex-
Aldeiman Hildreth. Commissioner Sheridan and
Mat. Benner seemed to be directing things. Ho
did not know Hildreth ve.y veil, nor did ho
remember seeing him. nor coild ho .ecouect
hearing citizens express any des.ro to blow tuo
church down. He did not knowwlmt was done
with the powder after he gave it up to Commis
sioner Sheridan.
HENRY J. ItITTORFF.
watchmaker and jeweler, was next called. lie
did not know anything of the progress or origin
Of the fire. But he endeavored tosavc the steamer.
Fred Gund. Tfthe firemen had oiiyonscrewedtha
hose from tho plug, they could have saved her
easily; but no effort was made to do so. There
were only three firemen arpua4tUssil£ttfcJ£ atl
they were hiding from the heat behind it. They
had plenty of time to remove it. It rtm under a
burning building, and it was too hot t* save her,
and she burned up. It was fully hal! an hoar
after Williams gave orders to remove her. He
(Williams) went away soon after. He called on
citizens to help move the engine. Th« firemen
w ere working all the time. As he was net in their
heads he did not know whether they thoight they
could put the fire out or not. He did not think it
bravo in them to continue using their
She did not run down the grade until
her hose burnt. The budding burnt half an hour
after she ran toward it. They did not save any
thing, except they ran a way. M The hose caught
fire from the sidewalk; tho men were driven
away by the heat of tho coal-yard fire.