Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-23
SAVED 10000 HUMAN LIVES.
One of the Most Thrilling Incidents
of the Chicago Fire of Nineteen
Years Ago.
Prevents a Bridge-tender From
Cutting off the Retreat of People
Seeking Safety.
1t Was Merely an Exhibition OF Cheek.
But Served a Rare Good Cause.

At IL O'Clock Monday morning, Octo-
Der 8, 1871. the flames of the big fire which
dlsmantled Chicago had leaped from Dek-
oven street across the south side and the
main branch of the river. and the north
side was doomed Burning build
ings were falling, the smoke grew
binding and with nothing but the clothes
on their backs. and perhaps few trifles
that had rapidly been gotten together, III
their hands, 10000 people-men, women
and children rushed westward to cross the
| Chicago avenue bridge.
There was at that time 40 means OF
crossing the north branch of the river at
| Division street. There was no bridge be-
tween Chicago avenue and north avenue
1t was on this account that the panic
stricken people pressed onward from both
sides to cross the bridge, the only one by
which they could reach safety in that part
of the city where the fire had not penetrat-
ed.
The crowd was densely packed and still
covered several blocks. All were going to
cross the one narrow bridge at the same
time. Those We're fortunate who stood
nearest the edge OF the river; and as they
looked backward and saw the solid mass OF
humanity hemmed in by flames and choK,
ed with smoke. they struggled the more
madly to reach the bridge.
At length the lumber yards adjoining
the docks on both sides of the bridge were
turned to furnaces. The helpless crowd
was paralyzed with fear, but the worst dan
ger was yet to come.
The bridge was their only salvation. On
they pressed, fearing that it might be
burned before them, leaving them to the
mercy of the fira
Suddenly all eyes were turned to the
south. There were two vessels In tow OF
tugs. They signalled for the bridge tC
OPEN The bridge tender rang his bel
which sounded like a signal of execu ion
to the fierce crowd pushed on by smoke ano
FIRE.
It was evident that the bridgetender
was to stop the stream of people TO open the
bridge and let two vessels, whose sails were
already scorched, reach point OF safety
far up the north branch.
There was one man who retained his
presence of mind. It was Captain john
Prindiviiie. He saw the policeman start
to hold back the human maelstrom. Wo-
men broke down and children screamed
with fear. The bridge-tender put his
hand on the lever. Captain Prindiville
rushed forward and said: Would you
burn and murder all these people? This
bridge can't be opened until they are all
safely over"
The bridge-tender hesitated. He knew
that the speaker was brother of the com.
missioner of public works, and i'm
agined he has been invested with some
authority. He did not swing the bridge,
and every man. woman and child IN the
vast concourse heaved a sigh of relief
It was otherwise on the two fleeing YES
sells. The sails of the Butcher Boy caught
fire. and brand falling on the deck Of
the Gienbula kindled her hull. Her masts
were Immediately shrouded in flames The
men on the tugs left the hot air from the
burning ships and cried out to the bridge
tender:
"Have we any rights? Open that
bridge"
Captain PrindiviIe replied:
"You have no rights that we are bound
to respect to-day This bridge will not
be opened until all these people have
escaped
At length the long procession of fugi-
t1ves had filed over the bridge. 1t was
swung open, the tugs towed the burning
vessels through the draw and they set fire
to the woodwork as they went by. There
was desperate scramble on the part of the
bridge tender for the West Side. He saw
the bridge destroyed before his eyes, and
the Glenbula was burned down to the
waters edge. The hull Of the But
cher Boy was saved and after
being rebuilt, she sank to the bottom of
Lake Erie off Point au Pelee some years
ago.
Captain Prindiville reached the other
side of the river Just as the vessel caught
fire, and his relief in knowing that all of
that great mass of people was saved from
the fire was clouded by fellow feeling for
Captain McGill, the underwater who had
the insurance of the Glenbula. In the
course of an hour the man who sacrificed
two vessels to save 10000 people received a
telegram stating that his vessel, the Major
Anderson. had foundered on the quicksands
off Twin River Point. She was total loss,
and he was unable to recover his $25, 900
insurance.
The captain has always looked on this
loss as retribution for the loss he caused
on the Glenbula.
If he takes the true view of the coinci-
dence he should on the other hand be re-
warded for saving 10000 lives. Law looks
on a life as worth about $1,000 At this
figure Captain Prindiville is entitled to