Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-07
THE FIRE FIENWS FURY
Costly Blaze Early This Morn
ing.
GiImOre's Packing House and Lam.
bert's lee House Destroyed---The
Losses and Insurance.

Inc neavleBt ana mOSC uisdstTous HTe
that has occurred in Rock Island for sew.
eral years took place at an early hour
this morning and involved the total de-
struction of j. s. Gilmore's slaughter
house situated on the river front in the
lower end of town and the ice house OF
George E. Lambert Immediately east OF
1t. There are a number of theories as to
how the fire originated. but it is difficult
to learn the exact cause. At any rate il
started in the room where the tanks are
located in which lard is rendered by
steam. Lou Smith, the Waterman who
was alone in the building, was the first to
discover the ire and before he could give
an alarm the entire structure was ems
| veloped in flames. The tongues of fire
leaped into the air and bid defiance to the
flremen. as with eagerness they
| Tapped up the food which became more
abundant as they spread. The fire lit up
the western heavens brilliantly and
gave the impression to people up town
that the entire manufacturing district in
the lower end was being destroyed. The
fire bells rang merrily as they do when
any portion of the city is in peril. the
waterworks groaned out the alarm for the
First ward. members of the volunteer de-
partmcnt rushed from their homes to
their various hose houses, caught on to
their little hand carts and pantingly
logged off in the direction of the illumi.
nation. The populace joined in the ex.
citing race, and fifteen minutes after the
alarm was heard, half the town at least
was upon the scene. In the early
stages of the destruction, one of the
lard tanks exploded and the fire shot up
with fresh ierceness, the roar being ac>
companied by Sizing, boiling sound
that seemed to betoken delight
The Franklins, Phoenix and Holly
companies and the pillow shop hose re-
sponded promptly. tut the double hydrant
at Sixth street and Second avenue and
the one at Fifth street end First avenue
either refused to operate or the firemen
did not know how TO work them This
! eDtailed the loss of considerable valuable
time. The hydrant at the corner of Sixth
street and First avenue directly opposite
the fire was tapped by the Hollys and
mill hose, while the Franklins, Phoenix
and Wike.a- Wakes, who soon reinforced
them, were obliged to go to the nearest
hydrant that could be used. Officer Sui
Ivan was one OF the first to arrive on the
scene and rendered valuable service in
the early stages of the fire. Caef Baker
soon arrived and he and his assistau,
f1remen fought resolutely and bravely
| after they finally got at the fire, and il
was pretty evenly fought battle for
some time. The frey demon soon
reached over to the ice house of Geo
Lambert which was ravenously devoured
; Chief Baker devoted his efforts then to
the salvation of the chill foundry of the
pillow works which was in alarmiugly
close proximity to the burning struc-
lures. In this he was success
full, but the other buildings-the
slaughter house and ice house were
doomed to total destruction. The
chances are that with the building so sat-
ursted with ignltible and combustible
| m Of Qriol ha plonnhtor hnnoo
would have been impossible to save it
when once the fire had started though a
paid depa -tment, making much prompter
service possible and under the rules of
which all hydrsnts would have been in
good condition, and manipulated by
drilled men, would have stood a bet,
ter show Of checking the flames prog
ress. Be it said, however, that the fire.
men them selves, even as they were with>
out equipment or discipline. struggled
| gallantly to conquer the flames.
Mr.. Gilmore's slaughter house was a
brick and frame building, the east side of
which was covered with sheet iron. The
| slaughtering was done on the second
| floor, while the first floor was used for
rendering lard, etc, and storing dressed
porkers, preparatory to their removal to
the up town packing and sorting hou Sc
The building WAS completely destroyed,
cry, tanks and utensils, butchers tools.
two hundred dressed hogs, and sixty five
tierces of larG in barrels.
Mr.. Gilmore estimates his present loss
at $1,000. He had only about half fin
ished the seasons slaughter, 4,300 hogs
having been put down. while the annual
number is 10000. Forty men are thus
thrown out of employment, temporarily
al least. Mr.. Gilmore said this morning
that he he'd not fully decided upon hif
plans, but that he would probably rebuilt
at once.
The destroyed property was insure
for $40, 5OO-$3. 900 on the building an,
fixtures in E w. Hurst's agency and tn
Springfield Fire and Marine, of Spring
field, and the Queen, of Liverpool. Tn
insurance on the stock and other content
was placed as follows: $4,000 in tn
Mississippi Valley Mutual and $4,000 il
the Mutual Union. of Moline.
This is the second fire that has visited
Gilmore's slaughter house, it having beef
destroyed five years ago last spring. whel
1t caught from Lamberts ice house whicl
was also wrecked then, 1t having bee
fred hu flames frnm the cnnnla of fh