MATTHEW SCHAEFER AND THE CHICAGO FIRE. Matthew Schaefer (a relative, but not a blood relative, as my father always pointed out when he told us about him) was a fireman who was up in a tower directing other firemen at the time of the Chicago Fire in October, 1871. The results were obviously bad. One of the questions that historians of the Fire have to address is whether Matthew Schaefer made a mistake. Robert Cromie, author of a major book on the Fire, concluded that he made the best decision he could under the circumstances.
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I always wonder how much people could possibly do to counteract major fires prior to ~1910, and wonder how these were not more common occurances. Household materials were much more flammable, and fire was a much more common light/heat source.
I’m disappointed that this Matthew Schaefer is not a blood relative of ours. It’s a special distinction to be related to one of the people involved in one of the best-known disasters of our country. Ah well, it still makes for a good story.
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