Read this excerpt from The Great Fire. How does the structure of this excerpt illustrate the
central idea that a series of individual mistakes
contributed to the spread of the blaze?
Schaffer's first signal went out at 9:30. Several minutes
later, Schaffer realized his mistake and ordered Box 319
struck. This was still seven blocks away from the
O'Learys', but close enough that firefighters could see
the flames and alter their course. Unfortunately,
Schaffer's young assistant, William J. Brown, stubbornly
refused to strike Box 319, saying he was afraid it would
confuse the situation. Brown was so stubborn about his
decision that even after the fire he was able to write
arrogantly in a letter that "I am still standing the watch
that burned Chicago."
O by comparing and contrasting different people's
decisions and abilities
O by comparing and contrasting the most effective
firefighting techniques
O by clearly explaining the reasons for the misleading
alarm and its impact
O by clearly explaining the reasons the fire started and
the way it was put out
These errors had two fatal consequences. The most
obvious was that a number of engines and dozens of
firefighters were sent on a wild-goose chase and did not
get to the fire for many minutes. More critical is that it