, 1874-07-21

u. 1uD Qil-H1l, 4u11u LuFGG-htUTY GElCk-uuHulHbs
e. Sheds and rooherlrs belonging to tho oil-mll.
.. q. burned frn1,obuildlngB, nothing but asllcs.
h. h. F.ame-builanga, ia yet unburueds
The testimony Of tho neighbors Ia, that from
twenty to thirty-fiyo minutes elapsed from tho
first appearance Of tho blaze till Engine No. Al
WAS posted. Considering the anxiety Of people
in such cahos, 1 will aBsumo TINT It was twolyo
ninutos. a c0lorc1 fireman guarding the ro-
mans of.Engino No. 81 tho next morning inform
cd mo that they arrived ut the spot just thirty
two seconds aftor hearing the alarm, and that
then they found six buildings In full b]azo.
In spite Of this,-and with great courago,-they
placed the engine right under tho fro. within
thirty foet Of the burning buildings. They sB-
sort that, Ind they boon roady but five minutes
soouer, thoy could have mastered tho fro
without other assistance No doubt Ind son,e-
body been th1ra fifteen minutes Boonor he might
haso smotlered it with tho loose rugs lying
minutes lost 2 because pcople woro ,ndifrercn,
about going to tho alar!n-box, and because thoro
| WINS no dny-watch upon tho hoBa-towor Of the
! engine-houso. MARSHAL Donnor says that day.
watching Ind to ho abandoned but latoiy On no-
count Of tho small number Of mon (cighs) to m
| ongue. Another engine (No. l0). due upon the
| first aarn1 WAS posted on tlocornor Of Cark Qnd
Taylor Btreeta. 1t arrived but . few sccoNda
lougth Of hoso required Il, Judge il took about
4DD feot) to roach tho spot, from five to oight
minutes voro lost In stretching md coupling,
and whom the pipe1nau arrived ut tho roar OF
tho om o was too a ao nod W. wds topng oppgod M =
hold within tho oil-rni!l, apattcring tho burning
oil in every direction (ns indicated by tho orclo
upon the diagraln). hitting tue men Of Englna
No. 81, and forcing them to basty retreat nidet
abandonment Of their engine. Had tncro been
tre-plug OH C!nrh street midway between Tay-
lor and Twelfth, Engine No. 10 would havo
gained live minutes, and found it possible to OK
tho burning oil could hnvo becn Bpattercd: 1hia
would llnvo aayed Engine No. II, and the tira
would havo boon mastered nt once, Lot us,
therefore, noto tho scarcity Of tiro-plugs as opa
of tho causes.
The Other engines duo upon tho first alarm
woro ongago1 upon tho West Sdo. 1t il not
likely they would llavo arrested the fire. had
thov been thore, for want Of flro-pluBs.
Nov. what il the state Of things Immediately
aftor tho abandonment OF Engino NO. 2l3 For-
ty to fifty Of tue worst sort Of rookcries arc in
full blaze, and ahead Of thom wholo neat Of
buildings Of tho sarno character! No wonder
riyod found oonilngration wholly beyond con-
troll Tho whole Fire Department, as now Or
gauizcd, was poyyorleas until tho fro reached tho
newly-buiIt part Of tho city, whero many oEen
causes, tIou mny be rocapitulatod rs follows:
i. Delay and caroessneBB on the part OF tho
people in giving alarms.
2. Tho want Of day-watch on tho onginc-
houses.
8. Tho criminal indifference OF the authorities
In permitting an oil-mill in TINT sort Of locality.
tThere is q Iookory used al distillory iu the
ncxt block to serve as powdor.magazino in to-
nlorrow's flra).
4. Tho Hcarcity Of fire. plugs,
5. Tile ezistonco OF whole squares Of rookerioe
without intervening brick walls.
G. Tho wretched organization and insufficient
RESOURCES of tho Firo Department..
Much las boon said about lighting fres from
tie front. LII cofnulon-sonss view tha is un-
doubtealy tho true way, provided it eau be done.
10 reduce lro to this possibility IL. or ought
to be, eyer tho aim j, for, once reduced to tnia
protty much IN tho form OF . fan, aud the battle
IL naturally at both lnnk-points Of tue front. in
order to close the fal, whlo largo vanguard Ia
trying to secure tho impossibllity Of further ig-
milton ahead Of the fire. That would DO system.
But tho lato contagration was fought without
this or any System whatever. There Was too
much fighting on the front. aud tho consequence
WAS the loss Of two engines and mile OF hose.
There was no vanguard, and the fire flow
oyer the hoads Of the 1remen on build
i,.gs opposite. But lot, for all this, the
smallest blame full on our bravo tiromon. They
hayo dono all III their power under fearful odds.
Put rather I'LL tho blamo Oh tic Bys.om unies
worry organization makes order aud system An
imrossbility. And this blame hits our our
selves, Oh cltizous. for permitting the organlZa-
ton to remain u its present statets>Let us bear
} in mind that i'll our city tho oARnces for oon-
Gagraions are tonfold, as compared with othox
stcaa Of boing In proportion bettar. Is poorn1
than any other, Wo must improve (as urged by
mo in several lottoEa soon aftor the great Ooto-
ber firo) tLis stale'of things in both directions
and homo We shall this timo. 7. DESMAsa.
CHICAGO, July 20, 1874.