# William Musham, foreman of the steamer "Little Giant" (OCR-garbled name line "WILLIAM HUE CRAM")
# 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 14-56; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:29:58Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. Bales: Inquiry vol. [1], p. 29.

WILLIAM HUE CRAM,
foreman of the little Giant, testified that tho first
intimation he had of the flro was from the watch
man in the tower on the engine house. He hitched
up his horses, and was about leaving the house,
when Box No. M 3 was struck. He paid no atten
tion to but went directly to tho fire,
and took s ping on the corner of Jefferson
"-and HeKoven streets. Ho led hla hose up
DcKovan street into an alloy running
north, and commenced throwing water on tho
fire. Beromamed In this position until about
half-past U o’clock, when he was ordered to go to
the river at tho foot of Taylor street. He re
malned there working for a long time and until
ho was ordered to go to the South Side —to the
corner of Jackson street and Michigan avenue,
where, with the assistance of another engine,
water was drawn from the lake basin. Tho Water
Works had been burned down at that time, and
no water could be obtained from tho hydrants.
It must have been after 3 o’clock. His engine
worked at tho comer mentioned juntil the men
were driven away by tho heat. He then went to
the comer of Congress street and Michigan av
enue, and played on tho fire there—which was not
vciy long time—until ho was ordered to return
to tho foot of Taylor street by Assistant
Marshal Benner. Ho took up his old position,
and worked on the Chicago Hock Company’s
building. When at Michigan avenuo and Con
gress street the stoker left the engine, and eamo
back while the engine was at work on tho Dock
Company’s building, having becnnbsent about an
hour and a half. He accounted for bis absence
by saying that he had been assisting somo men to
blow up buildings. The engine remained at the
foot of Taylor street until ordered to go homo.
None of bis men were drunk on Sunday or Mon
day, end there had been no whiskey In the en
gine home on Sunday. Ho saw only ono of the
Marshals—Benner. He wasalmoataltogether on
the south line of the fire.