Storm and Fire
- On July 10th, smoke rises from the Cold Storage Building. It's the same one that had the earlier fire incident. You know, the one nobody told Burnham about.
- The building's like a house where the chimney ends inside the attic, not on the roof. This is bad, very bad.
- The fire department arrives on the scene.
- Captain James Fitzpatrick enters the building with no idea that he's leading his team into a "lethal trap" (3.15.18).
- The superheated building becomes explosive, and what happens next is horrific. Those at the top of the Ferris Wheel witness everything.
- Flames erupt fifty feet below Fitzpatrick and his men.
- Fireman John Davis leaps for a hose while others remain fixed.
- Men tell each other goodbye and jump to their deaths.
- The blaze kills twelve firemen, including Captain Fitzpatrick, and three fair workers.
- The next day, attendance exceeds one hundred thousand.
- To Burnham's shock, he's charged with criminal negligence.
- Shortly thereafter, the Retrenchment Committee is established. It has unrestricted powers to cut costs.