The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-12

Gn0 plaster IN the wall at the bottom OF
the elevator. A mass of infiammable
stuff was inserted, which was fired,
and was only extinguished with
the greatest difficulty. Still an
other time a fire was started on the first
floor, near the west side of the elevator
These all had incendiary origin, were start
ed at night, and were also near the eleva
tor so as to preclude any idea of saving
the house; but each time luck held SWAY
and the blazes were blighted.
With each recurring fire the regular
boarders would say some one had a spite
against the building and would vet burn it.
They would avow their intention of leay
ing. but as time would elapse these ideas
would be erased, only to recur with another
attempt to burn the building
This time the fire fiend was successful,
as the theory seems to leave no doubt of
incendiarism. The building was lily con-
strCcted. Only few weeks ago a fire ig-
nited in G. A. Hendy's room from bad
CRATE and burned considerably before put
out. This was supplemented by another
slight fire in Hendy's quarters last week,
but no special damage was done.
William Mckenzie, night watc bman of
the hotel, makes the following important
statement. On the night of the fire | had
made my rounds as usual. visiting the
different lodging floors and basement
rooms. Nothing unusual was observed
The barroom was open till 2 o'clock in the
morning. George Scheller the proprietor
was there for about three-quarters of an
hour. After I had been to the wood
room, about 2 o'clock, and in opening the
door leading to the bar-room, / saw that
the place was still occupied. At a late
hour I had to run the elevator down to
the bottom landing to take up a gentle
man, who came from the bar. Nothing
like smske was detected then. At $50
O'Clock in the morning, I. B. Elliot came
on late train, while l was in the Office.
He asked me if the elevator was running,
told him I would take him up, and did
SO, letting him out at the third floor.
taking railway conductor up from the
third to that. I looked around the halls
and got into the elevator to go down.
This was few minutes past $50 O'Clock.
As | got into the elevator [ noticed a little
smoke. [ Immediately started down to see
where it came from, and by the time |
reached the Office floor, the smoke was so
dense that l could 60 no further in the
elevator. Throwing open the door | rush
ed out and started for the stairs shouting
to the night clerk that there was a fire
down below and l was going to see about
it. By the time | reached the bottom of
the elevator shaft the smoke was so in
te nse and stifilng that knew something
must be done. / called to the engineer,
who was in the eine room, told him to
rouse the servants, and then | started back
to awaken the people. for [ knew there
was no chance to stop the fire alone. By
the time | reached the first floor above
the office, and had raped at Mr. .Cramers
door the flames had cracked the glass
doors to the elevator, and in a moment
the flames poured out In the meantime
rushed into the back of the building, and
aroused as many of the dodgers in that
portion as | could. Afterwards l render
ID what service / could in saving people.
hardly know what TO say about the com
of the fire, but I know it
caught at the bottom of the elevator and
not on the upper floors There was moth
ing anywhere around the elevator that
could burn SO quickly, and at half past
o'clock there was no smoke in the elevator
or either Elliot or myself would have no
iced it.
After the smoke was observed there was
scarcely time to do anything before the
whole thing was ablaze. It might have
caught in some of the shops of the base
nent that back up to the bottom of
he elevator; but on the bottom floor of
he hotel there was nothing that could
,urn that way, and that could have
'een smoldering throughout the night.
This is shown by the fact that so few were
round until such short time before the
ctual blaze occurred. I don't know That
be fire was incendiary, but there is a very
ueer look to it.