The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-31
HEAVY FIRE.
The Davenport Soap Works Consumed,
With u Loss OF lO,OOO-.Yhe
Insurance.

An alarm of fire WAS sent in from the
glucose works at Davenport ut $50
o'clock last evening. A general alarm
Immediately followed. and was responded
to by all the companies. When the cons
panies arrived ON the ground il, was found
that the soap works of John g. Mathes &
Bros, was all ablaze. The. structure
was two stories IN height, with a 50x70
oundation. Attached to the main
building, which was made of brick, was
the shipping shed, about twenty feet long
and one story high, This remains un-
touched. The main building was entire
ly ablazc, lighting up the heavens for
blocks around. The ro of gave in shortly
after the arrival of the fire laddies, and
the only thing that could be done was to
contine the fire to the soap factory The
factory lies on the southeast end of the
Glucose works and the two are separated
by an alley of more than ten feet wide
The wind was blowing from the north
east, causing the flames to go clear of the
Glucose works. II was narrow escape
for the sugar factory, for had the wind
shifted around and blown from the east or
southeast the Glucose works would have
suffered fate similar to that of the
soap factory. The fire boys worked hard
and by their efforts the fire was limited to
the soap establishment. The fire. it is
stated, originated IN the boiler room, and
from there easily spread over the creased
floor to the main room, which contained
three large tanks full of lard, three rem
dering kettles and ether appurtenance be-
longing to such II factory. Besides this
there were 1000 cases of soap, 300 of
which were saved. the remainder being
consumed The engine room contained
two large boilers and a lO>hurse power
engine, all Of which wore lost 10 the fire
The entire loss is placed between $4,000
and $40, 900 and the entire coucern is
fully insured in eastern companies
The alarm was sent ia by the watchman
of the Glucose works. Since the erection
of the latter structure, the soap factory
has had no watchman, always depending
upon the one who watched the neighbor-
ing works The articles OF manufacture
were washing soaps, soap powder' tai
low, grease aud lard oil. The institution
has been in operation for over twenty
years and has always been u paying con
Germ. There was at one time four streams
playing upon the burning building, which
was surprising, as the waterworks COM
pany do not guarantee fire protection TO
either OF the factories. There was one
hundred and forty pounds pressure put
90, which, owing to the smainess Of the
pipe, it being only six inch. and the great
distance. great deal OF power being lost
by friction, the waterworks company
could only warrant two good streams,
The lucky escape of the Glucose works
this time will no doubt act as warning
for the company to put ia fire protec
ton.
The insurance on the factory amounts
to 81 $50 while that on the furniture and
stock will reach IS. 700, and policies are
held with ihe Scottish Fire Insurance as
sociation, Citizens, German and Du-
buque There are rumOrs of incendiar-
ism, as the institution has been declared
a nuisance by residents in that part of
town who feel very bitter towards it,
and have threatened to get it out OF the