1858, May 18th, Another Disastrous Conflagration. Nine Lives Lost, Chicago.

About three o'clock in the morning, our city was visited by another of those disastrous conflagrations which now and then come to send a thrill of horror through the community.

On the West side of South Wells Street, between Jackson and Van Buren Streets, stood a row of four two-story wooden tenements, occupied on the street level by a bakery and the others for saloons and on the second floor by a number of families.

№ 258, the south tenement, situated on an alley, was occupied by Damiel Bates, known as "English Dan," as a saloon, and he and his wife lived above.

№ 260 was vacant on the main floor.

№ 262 was occupied by John Wilson's bakery, and his family resided above.

№ 264 was occupied by the Troy Exchange" saloon, owned by Patrick Howard. 

№ 266 was partially burned.

In the upper stories of the first four named buildings were sleeping, at the time the fire broke out, Daniel Bates and his wife; Harrison Burgar, his wife and three children; John Johnson, his wife and one child; William Reilly and his mother and three other persona, whose names have not been ascertained.

At three o'clock, the kitchen extension in the rear of № 258 was discovered to be in flames. Still, for some reason, those who first discovered the fire, instead of giving the alarm, called for the police and attempted to rescue the property on the lower floor, also neglecting to render aid to those sleeping in the upper room.

The cry for the police summoned officers Brazce and Ewing, upon whose beats the burning building was, and not until their arrival was the alarm of fire sounded. At the time, the wind was blowing the flames against the front portions of the tenements and filling the upper rooms with dense and suffocating smoke. Officer Brazee ascended one flight of stairs leading from the street and Officer Ewing another. Brazee was forced back by the smoke, but Ewing kicked open the door and immediately two men rushed out, one of them, Mr. Johnson, and the other unknown. By this time, the smoke became so dense, and the flames spread so rapidly that the policemen were compelled to retreat. However, they could hear groans from those inside the rooms.

Owing to the tardy arrival of the firemen, it being long after the flames were visible from Clark Street before the Court House bell sounded the alarm, and the cries of "fire" being confined to the immediate scene of the disaster, the flames spread rapidly, and the four buildings were soon destroyed, and horrible to relate, nine perished in them, while three others are missing.

As soon as the flames were sufficiently subdued to render it possible, the charred and blackened remains of the unfortunate victims were dug from the ruins and removed to the Armory Building. There they were laid, a ghastly, frightful row of what a few hours before had been fair types of humanity.

Coroner Hansen was in hand and organized the following jury of inquest: James E. Brown, Foreman E.H. Smith, J.C. Reinhart, Charles Partridge, M.S. Nichols, C.W. Dawson, S.W. Wallace, C.S. Burdsall, William Rennie, Remig Gootz, H.S. Hilon, and D. Bloom.

The bodies were then identified as follows, the number being those placed on the bodies by the Coroner:

№ 1. Wife of Harrison Burgar. This body was considerably burned and disfigured.

№ 2. Son of John Johnson, a ten-year-old child. This body was also considerably charred.

№ 3. Margaret Johnson, wife of John Johnson. Her maiden name was Malone, and she was formerly engaged in the business of peddling goods about the city. The body was not burned too badly and was readily recognized.

№ 4. The body of William Reilly, a middle-aged Irishman. The body was terribly burned and mutilated. He was a clerk of Van Smith, who has a lumber store and construction office.

№ 5. The body of Harrison Burgar, a carpenter by trade, and was Danish.

№ 6. Mother of William Reilly mentioned above. Her remains were so badly burned and disfigured, making her identification difficult.

№ 7, 8, and 9. The girls and a boy, aged respectively three, five, and seven. The children of Harrison and Margaret Burgar. These bodies were so badly burned their recognition was circumstantial. 

These were all the bodies that could be found, and they were placed in coffins by the coroner for interment.

The following are the more important portions of the testimony taken by the coroner:

JAMES HALL, sworn — I got to the fire about a quarter of an hour after the first alarm; the premises were in a blaze; I belong to the Fire Brigade; I did not go into the houses; I could not get in; I tried to go up stairs; they were two-story frame houses; I tried to get into the second house from the alley; I saw bodies taken out and helped to take them out; I helped to take out the bodies numbered one and two (boy and a female); helped to take out bodies numbered three and four (a male and female); I cannot say anything as to the rest of the bodies; I found the first two bodies very near the front of the building on the alley; found the others about the center of the building to the south; I do not know the names of any of the parties; I think the fire occured about three o'clock; it may have been eariler; I have had no conversation with any one in regard to the fire; when I got there the fire appeared to be in the read part of the building on the alley. There was a dance in the Illinois House, towards the end of the block, near Van Buren Street; it was kept up nearly all night, and there was a good deal of noise there; It was a "Dutch" dance; the first building was a saloon kept by an Irish boy known as "English Dan"; Dan says it is the third time the building has been set on fire.

AUSTIN BRIZEE (Policeman Star № 73), sworn — I was on beat № 9 last night; I passed those premises about a quarter before three o'clock; saw no lights there in any buildings, nor in that block; all was quiet; heard the cry of fire when  I was on the corner of Quincy and Clark Streets; got there before Ewing, I think; I came down Jackson Street; the fire seemed to be between the two buildings, in the partition; saw no fire, but the reflection from the rear; there was plenty of smoke; thought the fire was in the partition between the rear and the front parts of the house; went into the second story of the first building and burst the door open; two men came out; one was John Johnson: do not know the other; do not know that they were dressed; I asked them if there were any other persons in the building, and they said there were; when I went upstairs I heard someone groaning.

HENRY EWING, sworn — I am a policeman; my number is 78; I was on Wells street beat № 9 this morning; I am familiar with the place where the fire was, but do not know the number of the house; when I got there the bcak kitchen was in flames; there were five or six men there, who seemed to be trying to get things out of the house; did not notice who they were; I asked them if they could get buckets; I had been there on my beat an hour previous; they hollered "fire" first; heard no cry of fire before; do not know that we met any one; the fire was so close to my own house that it startled me; saw a woman and two or three men trying to get things out; had to go around to another house to get water; the hydrant in that yard was out of order the entire rear of the kitchen part of the house was on fire and the wind driving the smoke and flames into the front part of the house; I ran around to the front of the house and got a candle at Hannegan's Saloon, next door; I went up stairs; it was pitch dark and there was no fire up stairs to be seen; I opened a door and there came out smoke whichput out my door and there smoke came out which put out my candle and drove me down the stairs; it was black with smoke, and I only got the the head of the stairs; did not got to the door.

DANIEL BATES, sworn — I live at 266 South Wells Street; kept a saloon; went to bed a little after ten; slept upstairs; wife went to bed at the same time; I  rented the upper room to a man named Harrison, a carpenter, his wife and three or four children, a Frenchman, a widow woman named Riley and her son, a peddler, his wife and child. The peddler is away. The first I knew of the fire, my wife woke up and said, "My God! Dan, the house is on fire." I jumped up and opened the door, and the smoke rushed in and sent me back. I then opened the window and jumped and told her to follow, and I would catch her. She jumped and injured herself. Mrs. Riley screamed from the front window that the house was on fire; told her to jump, but she went back, and that was the last I ever saw of her. The next person I saw was Johnson, who got out; There was no fire in any place, but a back shed in the rear of the vacant rooms, between me and the bakery was all in flames; the building was owned by Smith; the landlord and I had some words a few days since, and he has sued me for rent. My property was not insured. 

Mr. Johnson states that he and his wife stood by the door when Officer Ewing burst it open and that he supposes instead of following him, she went back for her son and perished in her attempt to save his life.

Daniel Bates states that when he was awakened, he opened the window, jumped out, and told his wife to jump after him and he would catch her in his arms. She jumped, however, before her husband succeeded in recovering sufficiently to catch her, and she fell upon the sidewalk, severely injuring herself. She was badly burned, and it is doubtful if she will recover.

One of those present at the fire states that a man was seen rushing toward the stairs with a child in his arms and that he fell, and nothing more was seen of him. This is no doubt Mr. Burgar, as beneath his burned and ghastly remains, the body of a young child was found.

It is possible that most of those who lost their lives were wholly or partially smothered by the dense smoke which filled the upper rooms for some time before the flames reached them, and this accounts for the non-discovery of the fire by the occupants until it had made such headway as to render escape nearly or quite impossible.

A package of gold coins amounting to $200, was found in the ruine. It is supposed to have been the property of Mr. Burgar.

Building № 262 was owned by John Kane, and building № 264 by John A. Phelps. Building № 266 was only partially burned. The Buildings № 258 and 260 were owned by Mr. A Smith. The property was not insured, and the pecuniary loss is about $6,000.

We have given all the particulars of this disaster, which ranks only second to the "Great Conflagration" on Lake Street in the terrible loss of human life.

It is generally believed that the fire was the work of an incendiary, as the building had been set on fire from the outside twice before. Still, the intentions of the dastardly incendiary were frustrated by the timely discovery of the fire by the tenants. We trust the police will make every exertion to trace out the origin of the fire, and should the incendiary be found, if one there is in this case, he should be made fully to expiate his terrible crime.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

1857, October 11th, A Half Block of State Street Destroyed in a Chicago Conflagration.

Sunday morning, about half-past two o'clock, a fire broke out in the alley between Monroe and Adams Streets, running from State to Clark Streets, which destroyed some seventeen buildings, covering a half-block. The entire row of buildings on State Street was burned.

When the fire was first discovered, the kitchen of Mr. Blinn's residence, on the alley, and the barn in the rear were in flames. The alarm was speedily given, and a large crowd collected. However, before any efficient measures were taken to avoid the conflagration, the buildings adjoining were on fire, and the flames rapidly spread in all directions.

The following is a list of the buildings damaged and destroyed, the names of the owners and occupants, the amount of loss and the insurance so far as we could ascertain them during the confusion incident to the fire and the caring for and removal of the property yesterday forenoon:

STATE STREET

Mr. F. Parmelee's two-story frame dwelling on the corner of Monroe Street is owned by Mr. Hill. This property was damaged to the amount of about $500. Mr. Parmelee's loss of furniture is $1,000, which is fully covered by insurance.

Two-story framed dwelling south, occupied by Mr. A. Davis and owned by Mr. Hill. The greater portion of the furniture was saved in a damaged condition. Mr. Davis's loss is about $1,000, and Mr. Hill's about $2,500. Mr. Davis was not insured.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by Mr. Gilmore, was entirely destroyed. Mr. Gilmore saved the greater part of his furniture. His loss on the building was about $5,000, and on the furniture, about $1,000, which is partially covered by insurance of $5,000. Gilmore'sstable, valued at $500, was also destroyed with the contents.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by J.H. Tiffany, of the firm of James Peck &Co., was entirely destroyed, and but for a small portion of the furniture was saved. Mr. Tiffany's loss is about $5,000 on the house and $1,500 on the furniture. Tiffany had an insurance policy of $5,000. The stable, worth $500, was destroyed with all its contents.

A two-story frame dwelling, owned and occupied by Mr. Blinn, was entirely destroyed, together with the stable in the rear. Only a portion of the furniture was saved. Blinn's loss is about $5,000 in the building and $800 on the furniture. He was partially insured, but we could not learn the amount. A horse and cow barn in the stable were burned. The fire broke out in Blinn's premises, it is supposed in the barn, but this has not been certainly ascertained. A servant girl in Blinn's employ had $250 in gold in a trunk, and none of the money could be found. The trunk was not, it is thought, removed from the building. This money was her whole savings for years, and her loss is a severe blow.

The next house south was on the other side of the alley and was occupied as a jewelry and fancy goods store. We could not learn the name of the occupant. The goods were mostly removed, but the building was entirely destroyed. The total loss is about $2,000.

The next building south was a two-story frame building, occupied on the lower floor by Dr. Hatch, for a botanical drug store and in the second story as a dwelling. Dr. Hatch saved most of his goods, and the greater part of the furniture was removed. The entire loss on the premises is about $3,000.

Next south was the large three-story frame building, the Western Hotel, owned by Alderman Jacob Harris. The building was valued at $5,000 and was not insured, the policies had expired a few days ago, and Mr. Harris neglected to have them renewed. The principal part of the furniture of the hotel was removed in a damaged condition. Claus & Staver occupied the hotel portion of the building, and their loss is about $1,200. The lower floor of the hotel was used for stores and was occupied by S.A. Jenks as a stove store, whose loss is about $500; as a saloon by a man whose name we did not lean and whose loss is about $300; by Matthel as a drug store, whose goods were removed and whose loss is about $200. None of the occupants of the hotel were insured.

Mr. Woodford's grocery was next to the west, on the corner of Adams Street, and was badly damaged in a damaged state and at a loss of about $1,200. The upper portion of this building was occupied by Edward Power, an ornament manufacturer whose fixtures and materials were mostly removed and considerably damaged. His loss is not far from $500.

ADAMS STREET

The New Jerusalem Church was partially destroyed. The upper floor of the church was occupied by Mr. Snow for a school known as the Garden City Institute. The building is insured by a Liverpool Company for $3,000, which will cover about half of the damage. Mr. Snow's loss is about $1,000, which is partially covered by insurance of $500 in the Continental Company of Philadelphia.

Directly in the rear of the church and in the alley was the large carpenter's shop of Bullard & Wilcox, which was entirely destroyed together with a quantity of tools and finished work. Their loss is about $3,000, with insurance of $1,000. Scarcely anything was saved from this building.

MONROE STREET

Wext of Mr. Parmelee's residence and directly in its rear, a two-story frame dwelling occupied by Mr. Barnum and owned by Mr. Davis was destroyed. Much of the furniture was removed in a damaged condition. The loss on the building is $2,500, and $800 on the furniture. We could not learn the amount of insurance, if any.

To the west of these were two small stories and a half, frame dwellings that were entirely destroyed. The loss on these is estimated at about $2,000. We could not learn the names of the owners of the occupants.

The next building to the west was a two-story frame dwelling owned and occupied by Kweis Comstock. In the rear, Comstock, who had a number of mail wagons, kept his stable. These buildings were entirely destroyed, but their contents, except the grain and hay in the stable, were saved. Comstock's loss is estimated at $6,000, partly covered by insurance.

In addition to the buildings named above, three or four small stables were destroyed, causing an aggregate loss of about $1,000.

The large barn of the American Express and United States Express companies in the alley were destroyed. In this barn were seventeen valuable horses and a number of wagons, which were fortunately saved. A considerable quantity of hay and oats were destroyed. Their combined loss is about $2,500. No insurance.

Several dwellings in the vicinity of the fire, which escaped damage, were stripped of their contents, and considerable damage to the furniture was caused in this manner, of which we could obtain no reliable account.

This is one of the most destructive fires we have ever recorded, and the loss of so many dwellings at a season of the year when they cannot be replaced is a serious disaster, as well to the community and to the people who have suffered the losses.

The cause of the fire had not been ascertained yet, though it is generally believed to have been the work of an incendiary. When the first fire broke out, Mr. Brooks, who lived in the adjoining house to the one where the fire was discovered, head a gun or pistol shot and a cry of murder in the alley, and others living in the vicinity heard the shot fired and a shout or cry immediately after. The Police are engaged in investigating the matter.

Many complaints reached the Fire Department and were disposed to battle the flames, and also of the misconduct of several companies.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.