Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-29

the building collapsed. The old building, 50
Kingston street, now began to light up, and
the Brainerd & Armstrong Co.'S building at
IS was just catching. \ group of desperate
fire-hghters were being forced to recede inch
by inch Startling stories were aiioat that
men had been caught in the falling walls and
OF other fatal accidents, but there was no
time to verify these reports.
Assistance from Cambridge.
The building occupied by Bradford Thomas
and the Ames building were involved in the
general destruction. Eastward the fire
at ESQ had reached the Freedman building
on the corner Of Lincoln and Bradford
streets. while towards Washington street its
limit at the same time was Chauncey street
Just before 10 o'clock assistance reached
the scene from Cambridge both in engines
and hook and ladder trucks. From the build
ing Of Brown & Durell. where the fire
caught, it spread across the street aud back
through the burning building into Chauncey
street. In less than ten minutes the flames
were tearing into the mammoth store building
occupied by Williams & Co. ON the next cor
ner south, and into Cluett, koon & Cos.
building.
A Threatening Confagration.
From the other side II caught almost at
once upon the buildings on Rowe place, and
the wind favored the superstition that the
| whole dry goods district was doomed. Al
ready every building had gone from Bedford
street, along Kingston and Chauncey streets,
and the flames were eating up all those ON
the south side Of Rowe place On the east
side Of Chauncey street were buildings, all Of
the mammoth structures occupied as whole
sale houses in the dry goods and fancy goods
trade, and every endeavor was made to keep
them from catching fire This endeavor was
| futfla hoyeysr and the Hamf-s rnShai nv, in
both directions
Two Acres Bu rned over.
About Il 80 view from the top OF the
Adams house showed that the fire was under
control About two acres OF property had
been destroyed. a subsequent walk around
the section roped of by the police confirmed
this estimate At p. N. seventy-five steam
ers surrounded the fire. The flames burned
nearly up 10 the edge OF the burned district
Of the great fire Of 1872, but did not enter it.
The fire did not quite reach Sumner street
nor Lincoln street, but it burned half way
through the block bounded by Kingston,
Sumner and Bedford streets, and also that
adjoining. Showers Of sparks were driven
ahead u the flames, principally toward the
/ great dry goods stores on Washington street
The Heavens Lent Assistance.
The soaked condition Of the roofs. how.
ever, and the pouring rain, extinguished the
| sparks before they could do any damage. A
strong in-shOre WIND was blowing all the
| morning, and the storm signals were dis
| played from the signal Office roof There Is
little doubt but that for the deluge which
| poured from the clouds the fire would have
swept through to the Common. The heat
| from the fire in the earlier hours was strong
enough TO he painful 10 the face OF Specta-
tors hundred yards or more distant, and
the flames reached as high again as the tops
| Of the six and seven story buildings which
were being consumed.
FIre-Proof Buildings Licked Up.
Scenes witnessed by the writer during the
great fire here In 1872 and in the recent Lynn
FIRE were re-enActed at 10 a m, and there
scanned no reason to hope that the conhagra-
ton could be checked until II had swept the
entire district Modern 'fire-proof" build
ings like the handsome stone Ames building
at Bedford and Kingston streets, built only
four or five years ago after the most approved
fire resisting plans, were licked up with q
rush and a roar at apparently the same ap-
paIling speed that accomplished the same re-
suit with the wooden shoe factories at LYNN
on Tuesday.
Geography of the Fire.
The geography Of the fire is Us follows:
Starting IN the six-story granite building
owned by Jordan, Marsh & Co, and occu-
pied by Brown, Durrell & Co, dry goods
dealers at Bedford and Kingston streets, it
spread 10 the shoe and leather exchange
| building, another large granite structure
| adjoining On Bedford street thence across
Bedford street to the opposite corner; thence
across Kingston street and along Bedford 10
| ChAuncey street, where IL was stopped in the
store Of Farley, Harvey & Co, the upper
stories Of which were burned. Three stores
along Chauncey street toward Summer were
burned On the south side of Bedford street
the flames jumped ssross Kingston street
from Brown, Durren & Co to big sand
stone building owned by F. L. Ames, and
occupied by Taylor Bros and this was CON
| stunned
Granite Block Destroyed.
The great granite building known as the
| Nevins block, at the corner OF ChAuncey
| street, was the next victim of the flames and
the entire block clear around Rowe place
! TO Kingston street was consumed. Crossing
Chauncey street. the fire soon had a good
hold ON all the stores which are inclosed In
Exeter place, a small street running from
Harrison avenue 10 Chauncey street Here
the hremen got control At Rowe place the
fire WINS partially checked from going toward
Essex street, but quickly moved toward the
opposite side 10 the immense Allen and Lar
rabee buildings, occupying the square between
Bedford strsrt, Harrison avenue extension
and Exeter place, at which point their fur
Their progress was checked.
Terrible Loss.
The loss by the fire Is estimated at A. Co.,
OOO. There are about 200 firms burned out
and 100 agents OF New York and western
drms hive their headquarters destroyed
The seventy nine insurance companies nown
/ To Ia int fa1 q. inn
ance Of e., G0O, 900 on the property.
Two fremen, Daniel Buckley and Frank
p. Locker, have been missing since early In
the morning. They were last seen on the
Brown, Durrell building. Several firemen
who save them ON the building report an ex-
| plosiOn Of hot air and their own narrow
cape, and are OF the opinion that the men
were overcome and unable 10 save them.
selves.
| Great Damage To Overhead Wires.
All over the burned district ran the wires
OF almost every electric company in the city
and on the higher buildings especially the
wires were perfect net work before the
fire The damage done TO these can hardly
be estimated. Gables Of electric wires, single
wires and whole poles Of wires are now
hanging in every street alley, and area along
Essex street For block back from Wash
ington the wires are mostly standing and In
good condition, but within the territory
bounded by Summer, Lincoln, Essex and
Chauncey streets every one is down OF hang
Ing In long festoons from the gaping and
blackened walls
Brave Rescuers at Work.
Police Sergt. Kimbal, Patrolman Maynes
and ex-Councilman Barry rescued six
women and a man from the upper floor Of
the building at Kingston and Bedford streets
The seven persons lay unconscious on the
floor. overcome by smoke. The three rescu-
ers, learning Of the fact that all the occu-
pants Of the builning had not escaped, CROPPED
their way up the stairs through the thick