1858, July 7th, Fire on East Kinzie Street, Chicago.

At about 3 o'clock in the morning, a fire was discovered in the unoccupied two-story frame building, № 224 East Kinzie Street. The fire was extinguished after the building had been damaged to the extent of four or five hundred dollars. It is owned by Michael Lantry, and the loss is covered by an $800 insurance policy. 

The № 1, Long John Steamer, was put into service in Chicago in 1858. It was the first steam fire engine in the city, and it helped to revolutionize the way that fires were fought. It was a 40-foot long, 14-foot high, and 8-foot wide vehicle. It weighed 10 tons and was powered by a 100-horsepower steam engine. The Long John could pump 500 gallons of water per minute.

From the fact that combustibles, saturated with camphene, were found on the upper floor, and the building was fired in several places, there is no doubt the fire was the work of an incendiary. The scoundrels obtained an entrance by climbing through the second-story back window. The house adjoins the Parmalee Hotel on the east, a four-story brick structure, and on the west and rear are a number of wooden structures, and on the west and rear are a number of wooden buildings. It was a narrow escape from a widespread conflagration.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.