Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-10-26

li-r headquarters and waited for the
Mayor to- return.
wien he arrived I presented the sit
untior To him rs previously arranged
with Fire Marshal Robert a. williams.
aud requested him to authorize the
marshal to destroy the buildings ieccs-
sarg to stop the fire. lie then wrote
proclamation. calling upon the PEG.
ME To assist the Fire Marshal In the
dcu.clitiou Of buildings to stop the
sl,'ead of the fire.
81 took the proclamation and started
ont To- find thr Marshal By this time
the fire had crossed the river and was
making rapid progress toward the cen
tor OF the city. I found the Marshal
OH the west side of La Sale street, be-
tween Madison and Washington. I
handed him the proclamation of I'd"
Mayor. AMI told him had load OF
pov.,ler stored In the city Hall. We
discussed blowing up the Coolbaugh
Bank building on the. southwest cor
nor of La Sale and Washington
streets. at which time he was called
into the alley. and when hc left me he
said Go ahead I Immediately went
10 the city Hall. and with the assist
nncc of Sergeant Lull and other OH.
GERS. carried several kegs Of powder
nna placed them under the bank In
th, Office Of the Western Union Tclc.
graph Company. Sergeant 1.ull kept
watch nj the door to assist me In my
escape after I lighted the fuse.
1--WE next went into the building NJ
tho corner of Clark and Washington
streets ana placed powder In the base
mrnt of. | think. the Smith 4 Nixon
building. From there we placed pow
der under two buildings on Washing
ton street. between Clark and state.
Next we placed powder under the
building occupied by Lord 4 Smith.
Wholesale druggists. 81 Wabash ave-
| nue..
AT this point I received Information
that the fire was turning south, ana !
directed the wagons londed with pow
der to make their way to Harrison ana
State streets. where We commenced
blowing up the O'Ncll Block on the
north side Of Harrison street to the nj
ley east Of state street I: then two stone
front buildings east of the alley, next
70 the Wabash Avenue NJ. Il. Church.
Here ! desire to recite a peculiar
circumstance. When going Into one
OF the stone front houses, the people
were trying to get their piano out
| They had wagon In front of the house
| to load It upon. When ! told them to
get out quick. that ! had load or
| powder and was going To blow up the
buildings. they demonstrated with me-
hut 10 no avail. The fire was In full
| blast In the back part of the house
and there was no time to spare: the
prople left, ana sooner than 1t takes
me To tell II, the building was leycled
and the fire at this point was cut OF.
"SOme years later, while In CONVEX
sution with II party of gentlemen, one
Of them told me the experience his
| folks had M the time Of the big fr"
AMI related the story of how someone
blew M his folks house ana how they
Ind the piano M the door when n brute
Of II man told them he was going TO
blow up the building and for them 10
get ont M once. He said they We're all
scared Ia death, ana did get out, and
all they ever found OF the piano after
was one of the legs. ! told the young
hn hn IA
them To lcavc the premises,
after this we placed powder In the
| buildings north of the church on the
| west side of Wabash avenue, owned by
Mr.. II. u. Brown; then In Ike Sass
mans. then u. r. smiths. We next
blew the buildings on the north side
| Of Congress street. east Of Wabash
avenue, To ana with the buildings OF j.
*. &. Forrest ana John Beers, 10 the
alley west Of Terrace Row,
Through the courtesy Of Frank w
| smith. author of the early history Of
| Chicago. | 0m indebted for the names
| MI ownership of many of the build
iu-s mentioned herein.
~ this time the fire had crossed
| 'nIlless street and caught in the cor
| %! %! the brick row on the soGtheas'
uru"r Of Wabash avenue and Con.
| ,r"ss street. known MS the Turner
| building. Then we put the powder in
| hr Third building. This was the on v
| building on Harrison street, Wabash
avenue or Congress \ "crt that the FIST
| 'harge did not completely demoi,h.
| In this case the center brick walls re-
manned standing. This supported the
! roof which was burning quite rapidly.
! when took a keg Of powder up over