# William Mullin, foreman of the steamer "Illinois" (OCR "WILLIAM AIULLKS"), followed by a badly garbled OCR passage that appears to be a further fireman's testimony (mentions $25 paid by the foreman of Ryerson's lumber yard) # 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 87-239; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:29:58Z. # STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Name of the second witness in this segment not recoverable from the OCR. WILLIAM AIULLKS, foreman of the steamer Illinois, testified that lie heard the gong ft like 343, and started for the lire, lie Trent to Cnnalp6rt avenue and Hdlsted street, •where that box is located, but, being unable to find any fire there, he k«*pt on to the place where he saw a blaze. He took a plug on the corner o! Dcsplalncs and Taylor streets, and worked on the burning buildlugs until he was ordered to go un th of the fire, Ha took a hydnuu at the cor ner of Van Burcn and Clinton .streets. The lire on the east side of him was somewhat in advance of whcie he stood. He led out 500 feet of hose south on Clinton wroct, between a largo and a small building. The heat be came so intense that he was obliged to move, so he uncoupled the branch pipe and went hack a hundred or two feet, and, after uncoup ling, screwed on the pipe again. Some citizens helped him gather up the hose as ho retreated back tothe engine, lighting the flro all the way. He remained on the corner mentioned until Itbe eamc so hot that he became oon vinced if he didn’t move his engine she would be burned up. After the block wlimh run from Canal to Clinton, on Van Burcn street, was destroyed, he moved his engine north on Clinton to the corner of Jackson street, and was then ordered to go to the elevator at the foot of Adams street. Adams street bridge, ho found, had been burned down, tro drew water from the river, and throw it on the Tbit Wayne freight depot. The buildings in the locality where the fire broke out were mostly of wood, and the tiro went through them rapid'y. lie was ordered to go to the elevator by Marshal 'Williams. The structure caught tiro on the roof, and. be could not save 1L The flro had crossed to the South Side before ho took a position ut the foot of Adams street. Ho did not know what time it crossed the river, ns ho did not see it. ITo thought there were vessels In tho river, but did not know whether they took tiro. His engine wo« in good order daring the lire, hut tho flues got choked up, and had to be cleaned out. He und his men worked from the time the Are broke out un til Tuesday morning, stopping only when they chunked the position of the steamer. lie toot up then and went home. He worked on the Sat urday night lire until 8 o’clock ou Sunday morn ing. AH his men were on duty at both tires. He had plenty of bos'*. He had part of a reel at tho engine house, hut. did not have any occasion to eend for it. He lost about 300 feet of hla best hose while changing on the corner of Clinton and Van Bonn etxect*, but picked up enough ou tho street to fill hla reel. lie siw all the Marshals around the flro attending to business. None of his men were intoxicated, and ho had no liquor in his engine house on Sunday- H uny of them had been drunk ho would law known It, He did not see an olQcor -or a tire-man In i n intoxicated condition. Two ht ltiisof ine usul two of older were given to liini fur!.!.* men while they were working on the ni-uht Brandy was offered ttnni. but tl t y *],a«l:ji had »«u> thing to eat for so long they j. p;-vo t-.? take iU He. uad i rci lvcd a donation f fj«-us site IVjt W'ayn- Iltihoad (lomp-uiy ,-r. del'll B i-,- 1— Ith the r*v»ip ::i". add d;d p-dvro*’: vulM't- rr*u n t.f md; ng onyriiing Ho I ii,., I;. im-u*-> l>«: Hg •OIOn d l«i til i'oVO lid. 1. t«* c/ariie ii\<‘ locutions of U.vh •J _ c •v r t-c* *U> ti-5 «»is ••tiur-rn f" Uj.U.u s?tn;> u*. 110 u.-lU-t: v.;rm that f**r ft CM-:, v. i j J n't N iU v. tv.l i H* --'.l' tu*raU of IV. :\W. :i i U Oia.il strmit, rd !n‘ h n i.«i n .-tiln en i?«n«- wrr s -h» lUe litter with i.. m 'ti fur s «u lirn.*, ml.-v.-re f. it ;t« it .»f i'*u m;?n>o 1m;*!. ‘rvy tcuk Mili m oa tar v :;.i r t.f w:: ,r ;.iUc r::l r;;:*hu* ir.-o*, uu«l rr ft.•»it*: n»;l he '.vr« or;trnMl «ut. The l.t ihm»t t T.alci telly la the m.raiag. fia.v .-.11 tho Ji:» JJi.i'L:.:?*,'—\cr; J- V.’.*i!c;s, .»l too lire. His «r.*;i:.c v:::> :!i “ood worhlug order, mil all hl3 T: V r-a tin* v Xu o'.K; left online until sW ..n‘. H*'D n m them were into r:i sated. i:m iiidJi* fit? nuv firemnn or officer who was -