Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-02
Raging Destruction
Sweeps Over a Section of Buff
faIo, New York.
THE FLAMES FED BY WILD WINDS
Lick Up Great Amount of Valuable
Property in the Business Por-
tion of the Oity.

The Fire Department Poweriess to Stay
the Furious COnHagratiOn-1wO Hotels,
a Six-Story Business House and Several
Other Buildings DestrOyed--The Whole
City Illuminated by the Kavager and
the Streets Crowded with Excited Peo-
pIe--No Loss of Life.
CHICAGO, Feb 1.-The following kilograms
were received here this morning;
BUFFALO, n. Y, Feb. Is a m.-Fire
just broke out i'll the large Jewett block, run
ming from Seneca street through to Carroll
street The structure is a six-story brick
block occupied by Root & Heating, large
dealers in leather. The fire department has
been obliged to desert an engine and hook
and ladder on account of the excessive heat,
and the latter is now burning in the middle
of the street. The entire block is doomed
and the loss will be very heavy. The entire
city is as light as day, and slight wind blow
ng fans the flames.
LATERAL 3:25 a. H. the Empire Coffee
mills were burning aud the block doomed
The burning buildings were directly opposite
the Arlington and Broezels hotels, the latter
a well-known hostelry, which was burned two
years ago. The guests were leaving the ho-
tells amid great excitement
Jewett's new store and Sydney Holmes
candy manufactury next took fire and the
Broezel house followed then the Arlington
house barn, from which the fire comlnuni-
Gated to the rear of the Arlington hotel. The
guests all fed from the Broezel house, and
shortly afterward the entire building was in
flames
The flames then burst from the front OF
Sibley & Holmwood's great confectionery
works on Seneca street. A few minutes later
the lower floor of Swift &, Standards store,
three doors above Sihley's, burst into flames
suddenly The entire lower half of the two
blocks bounded by Wells, Exchange, Seneca,
and Ellicott streets, seemed doomed The fire
was utterly beyond the control of the depart
ment, and the telegraph wires were giving
them great annoyance.
AT 3:45 the wind was blowing a gale, and
the fire raging fiercely Great excitement
prevailed, the streets being crowded with
people. At a. III. Fire Chief Fred Hornuns
had his hand nearly cat OFF at the wrist by
a heavy sheet of plate-glass
AT 4:lO a m. the two upper floors of the
Jewett building were fercely burning. The
cellar being full of naptha made the situation
perilOuS in the extreme; the Arlington house
was Quilted in the rear and the flames were
communicating to the wholesale confection-
cry store of Robinson & Dick, opposite Sib-
ley 4 Holmwood's, and also TO the wholesale
grocery of c. ?. Churchill & Sons Both
OF these buildings face Seneca street The
whole city fire department was at work. but
owing to the binding snowstorm and which
was raging, their efforts were futile
Besides this Sibley & Holmwood's walls had
fallen, Glouber's hat manufacturing com
pany's store had been burned, the Braezll
house was being rapidly Quilted, the walls
OF the Root & Heating leather manufactory,
were partly down and the rest was moment
arily expected to come down Moffatt Bro. IS
establishment on Carroll street was also in
flames, and Levi & Marcus clothing store
was burning The chief engineer being dis
ahled, the famous Bob" Carlton, ex-chief
engineer, was in command
STILL LATER.-4:35 a. m-The building
occupied by the Buffalo Mattrass company,
on Exchange street, is now completely Quilted
and has been abandoned by the firemen
Should the wind change grave fears are en-
tertained for the safety of the Union
depot, as the flames, which are now
bursting from the windows of the Airing
ton hotel are liable to communicate to the
depot. All the guests of the Arlington hotel
escaped in safety.
john Strootman's shoe shore, on Carroll
street, a large seven-story building, is now in
flames, and from present appearances there is
no possibility of saving it.
No estimate is possible at this writing Of
the loss
The LATEsT.-At this hour "A so a M it
is thought the fire is under control 1t is i'm
possible as yet to give close estimate on the
loss, but there is little doubt it will be over
81 900 900