The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-27
THIS MORNINGS FIRE.


rooms of the second floor OF the Turner
building in what is known as Palace Row,
| Second avenue, was awakened BY the odor
| of what seemed to be burning waste. He
/ got out of the bed and went to the window
on a trip of discovery, but the only light
he saw was that shed by the moon. Not
satisfied, however, that everything was all
| right he went to the head of the back stair
way communicating with the rear room
below, Occupied by Joseph R. King. of
| Davenport, as furniture workshop and
| storeroom) where he found that the odor re-
| ferred to was quite overpewering Return
] ing to mis- own room he partly dressed and
then hurried into the street and cried out
fire" Two policemen, officers Bunker
and Bresnahan, happened to be passing
along and one sang out. ''What the d is
| the matter with your" Mr.. Webster replied
| that there was fire under his rooms some
where, and all went around to the rear of
| the building and saw the fire burning
| briskly, in the southwest corner of the
| King Workshop, above referred to. A
general alarm was; then sounded, and
Wide-Awa<e hose company (true to its ex-
pressive nancy made quick response. At
| taching hose first to the hydrant
on the corner opposite Ohlweil-
ers saloon it was soon ascertained
that the hydrant wass"out of whack" and
it was necessary to go elsewhere How
ever the boys had water on the fire a few
minutes after their arrival and worked like
heroes and to them belongs most of the
credit for combining the flames to the build
ing in which they originated. Subsequently
the Third Ward company arrived and ably
assisted the Wide Awakes in the work of
extinguishmeHt Then came Phoenix hose
and after the Phoenix the Holly bows re-
ported but it was not necessary for either
of the last named companies to take a
plug"
SURVEY OF THE SITUATION.
This morning an ARGUS representative
visited the scene OF smoke, fire and deluge
and is enabled to make report thus: The
rear room of Kings second hand furniture
store and the living rooms directly over |
il
burned out windows. charred and partly |
burned furniture and we'll watered floors
telling too plainly of this mornings un-
welcome visitation. To use printers ex-
preston Mr.. Webster's apartments were
pretty badly pied" the floor being strewn
with plastering and glass and other debris,
windows burned out etc. Unfortunately |
Mr. Webster. who had no insurance. is out
about $50 by the fire.
The front rooms of the second floor are
by Minnie Germond who sustain
ed but little loss. The rooms were badly
smoked up however and a few articles of
minor importance were broken or torn
Joseph R. King occupied the first floor
the front part thereof as a furniture
salesroom and the rear as a workshop, as
heretofore noted. In the southwest cor
ner of the shop, where the fire started.
there was a box it is said, which probably
contained oily waste, or something akin to
I, and other combustible material
therefore, the fire was the result
If spontaneous combustion or was started
- 80 ScNACSo AuSOh0idAy Is Ii 1
II it was the work of firebug and it
could be clearly proved. no punishment
would be sufficiently severe for him, es-
Decially in view of the fact that the upper
door was a lodging house. Mr. King was
insured for 81, 900 in the Newark and New
Hampshire companies represented by
Cranes agency, Davenport He estimates
ais loss, (by both fire and water at seven
Or eight hundred dollars
The building was owned by Mr. E.
Turner, who had an insurance upon it of
b. 100 in companies represented by E. w.
Hurst and Hayes & cleveland. He has
lot yet estimated his loss but it will prob
IDLY be not less than four or five hundred
iolars
All in all it was a narrow escape from a
disastrous fire, for had it burned its way
nto Mr.. G. A. Doellingers extensive furni- {
ure ware rooms. Immediately adjoining on t
he east. full of extremely combustible ma t
erial as they were, Palace Row this morn 7