BISMARK GOES DOWN

                                                     NORMAN  V.  KELLY

 

It was a glorious Fourth of July, 1879 in Peoria, Illinois and the town was crowded with local and visiting folks. For weeks, volunteers and city employees were busy putting up bunting and American Flags all around the courthouse.  The population was well over 28,000 but it appeared that maybe three times that number was in Downtown Peoria, Illinois.  There would be a massive parade, a lot of bands and fun for everyone.  That is except of a few that would be injured and at least three that died on that wonderful birthday of our nation. I’ll tell you about one of them because his ‘fireplug stone’ is such a curiosity here in the cemetery where he is buried.

 

His name was Albert Schlack, but his friends called him ‘Bismark.’   He was part of the throng downtown but not on duty. He had marched in the parade with his fellow-firefighters but was off having some fun with his pals.  They were down on the site of the old woolen mill on South Adams Street making some holiday noise.  Since they didn’t have a cannon to fire off, they were using an anvil.  How all that worked is not exactly clear to most folks. 

 

Albert had taken a quantity of gunpowder out of a can and packed it in a cigar box, which he tucked under his arm. Somehow a spark got to the gunpowder and a thunderous explosion erupted severely injury the man.   He lived for only a short while before he succumbed to his injuries.  Three of his friends were also injured, one seriously, but they survived. Albert ‘Bismark’ Schlack was a member of the new Peoria Fire Company Number Four.  The entire fire department, led by Professor Traubetter’s Band and the company’s fire fighting equipment turned out for the burial of their fallen comrade over at Springdale Cemetery.

EDITORS NOTE:   Norm is a local historian and author of 10 books on Peoria, Illinois.      norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net