, 1879-01-05

DOiu SLlECts - 4CH tI41s0t@ 4A~Ss p~'AA~poa
| shut off, but there will be no trouble With
| points outside OF the CITY,
| The ttdines OF the fire reached the Water
Works within short time after the fire broke
out, and as soon thereafter as possible William
A. Cregier, Of the Water-Works, visited the
scene and tested the nydrants in the vicinity. It
was found that they we're all in the best possible
/ condition, thanks to the care which had been
bestowed upon them BY the Fire-Department
since the coming on OF cold weather. and Mr.
CreeieE on his return to the Water WORKS Or
dcred all steam to pe crowded on the engines.
The possible powers Of the engines arc rated at
10000, 900 gallons per day, but the West Side
works being notified, did their best and the
Two engines combined were soon delivering
water at the rate Of &C. 600 900 gallons per day
the biggest work Of the kind ever performed In
Chicago. Notwithstanding the extra pressure
there was no trouble either with the pipes or
the hydrants, and everything worked to
charm.
The fire caused great trouble to the telegraph
companies, the local lines being the greatest
sufferers. Both the American District Tele-
graph Company's wires and those used for the
telephone service we're iutcrfered with, as were
also some Of the wires Ut the through lines.
But in every case the linesmeu and repafrers
were promptly On the ground and new lines
were extemporized almost before the efficiency
of the old ones was interfered with. There
will therefore, be little. II any, interruption to
the work OF these lines.
About o'clock Mayor Heath appeared on
the scene. He had been engaged in court, but
on hearing Of the fire at once made his way to
the scene But like every one else present he
was power1ess, and after short conference
with Joe Dixon and other members of the police
force he fell back into the ranks OF lockers oD.
John T. Vance, proprietor Of q saloon im-
mediatelF opposite the burnt building, says that
be turned in the first alarm over the American
District Telegraph Company's wires. He saw
smoke issuing from the: central part Of the
building, and after an Intellectual attempt to
make one OF the fre-alarm telegraph boxes
work, utilized the means at hand, and sent in
an alarm which reached the Insurance Patrol.
An exciting incident Of the blaze was the
smashiug-up Of the flre-escape ladder apparatus
on the northeast corner Of the burning building,
shortly after 5 o'clock. The escape was in
working order and braced up BY supporting
ropes, but it became necessary to transfer it
few yards south OF its then location, and in the
process Of moving the accident occurred. The
order given to loosen one of the supporting
ropes was misunderstood, another rope was
let 60, and the whole concern came to the
ground with tremendous crash, rendering the
machine useless
Gen. Phil H. Sheriden, in his fur coat, made
| one of a party which viewed the devastation
| from the southeast corner OF Adams and Dear
born streets. He had made q reeonnaisances on
| the Army Headquarters, but found it a trife
hotter than Winchester, and, for the first time
| in his experience, was forced to bent rctreat.
| This was little before S O'Clock, and the Cen
eral opined then that the whole building would
go. No attempt had been made to save thu
| army records. with the exception Of some pa
| pefs which Gen. Sheridan carried off In his
overcoat pocket, and even then there was little
hone of rescuiug the valuable documents and
records Of the office.
| Robert T. Lincoln stood around on Adams
| street and watched the flames as they licked in
his $4,000 library. He had not a cent Of insur-
ance, but seemed cool and collected enough, and
apparently had some reliance on the ire-proo1
capacities OF the vault in which his private
| papers were stored.
| There was no lack Of fun at the fire. Once
in awhile fireman, with hat, ovcrcoat, and
nQoL6 GuEIubtCA 4E4IN51 ao 4@O sah ~ AAo1l
the scene OF his labors to be thawed out
in some adjacent saloon. Then there
we're the unfortunates who, In thei1
| haste, splashed into two or three feet o.
com1pingled mud, snow, and water, aud tne
| lunatics who determined to sec the fire and
pressed in upon the police even up to the walls
OF the bun ming building, which mon>entarilJ
threatened to crumble over their heads. Occa
l L,~-r s311.1 rr$+ Ss, 3&r
vicinity aud causing stampede. Then the po
lice, probably induced thereto BY the fact thai
standing around was cold job, would make O
raid on the spectators, and rush FOR safety
would cusue. The Dearborn street side
walks are somewhat risky at the best ol
times, aud hundreds OF hard-pressed citizens
preferred the snow-mounds in the vacant lots tc
a possible clubbing, ana jumped for dear life,
There were remarkably few Of the gentler ses
on the ground, the cold apparently being toe
much for them, and after the first Irregularities
we're gotten over, the police succeeded very
well in keeping the crowd back. Many, how
ever, managed under one prctext or another tc
get inside the lines, and once inside, became an
annoyance to the officers BY their persistent at.
tempts to get as near rs possible to the fire.
During the evening Mr., P. Aaron, OF ]. ~
| {iOetZ d Co., Tue otaLt-sllcct 5loFc 4uaH0'
facturers, appeared on the scene, and gave away
some siz dozen pairs OF heavy woolen mitts
to keep warm the almost perishing tiremen's
hands. This benevolence was gratefully ap-
prcciated.
Among those who aided in rescuing the peo'
pie from the upper stories was Capt. Bull
wnkle, OF the Fire Patrol. He went mp the
fire-escape on Marble place, and found 8
( middle.aged man on thefifth}door too frightened
tn venture on the ladder. Capt.
Ben encouraged him, and told him
| to hurry down, IS there wasn't
any time to spare. The man started for ca
uary-bird, and parrot, and dog, intending te
take them along. Bullwnkle said that would
never do, as he would fall If he attempted tc
carry them So the owner re!gys5tfully threw the
birds out Of the window, but held on to the dog,
and, with Capt. Ben's assistance, got safely te
the ground.
One of the POST Office men said that Alr. Full
lerton, the carpenter employed in the bull ilding,
had reported that he had seen the wooden cell
iur catch. fire from the hot boilers
Immediately beneath it, and which
were located in the centre OF tht
building, aud under the main entrance tron
| nuus.r, c+raot 1ha cc;1inr heinr Very drs