Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-14
DAVENPORT'S DISASTER.

A Costly Fire Across the RIVER
Finch 4 Haywari's Elevator De.
stroyed.-. Losses and insurance.
Davenport was visited by one of the
most disastrous fires that has come to that
city In years about Q o'clock last night.
The subject of destru ction was Finch &
Hayward's elevator, new structure just
built last summer. ano which had been in
operation since last September. The
structure was totally destroyed. save
boilers aud machinery. which were saved
through the exertio1s of the FIRE de-
pertinent. The building was envel
oped in smoke when first discovered
when locomotives. mills, shops and fac
tories in the manufacturing district just
east Of Rock Island street. began blow
Ing their whistles of distress. The paid
department was very prompt in respond
ing, being at the scene about three min
utes after the alarm was sent in. Great
crowds Of people--men, women and
children almost crazed with excitement,
lest the screeching o. the whistles might
be premonition Of q disastrous confla-
grafton about to sweep the entire city,
rushed forward In the direction of the
fire. making their way through the dense
smoke. wondering what building or
buildings were ablsze. Some believed
the Eagle works were on fire; others. the
Crescent mills. but none positively knew
until they were within a block of the
scene. 30 clouded with the dense and
heavy smoke we're the highways.
The fire had gained such Roadway be.
fore the discovery was made that 1t was
beyond control, especially as the exterior
of the building was covered with sheet
iron, while within the flames hissed and
roared. and defied the heroic efforts to
suppress them. The firemen might as
well have attempted to penetrate a vol
csno and subdue the furious forces within.
The Democrat Grsette thus describes
the scene;
Soon as Hose One and Two. Hooks
One and Chemical arrived, half dozen
streams were thrown into the building
But the firemen, apparently, struggled In
vain. The elevator was one of those ''fire
proof structures, Its entire exterior being
covered with sheet iron, so that nothing
could be done by the department in the
way of extinguishing the fire from the
outside. For nearly an hour after the
IRE had started, smoke issued from every
crack and crevice in the sides and roof of
the building. The smoke was not cons
fined to any one part of the structure, but
was every where; and was so dense that
even when the windows and doors were
broken open, the seat of the fire could
not be located. Not until the interior
had been burning for an hour. did blaze
show itself on the outside. Then the
fire seemed to have reached every portion
| Of the building. 1t was one burning
mass-and far beyond the subsection Of
| any fire department. The department
brought into service all the hose that was
| then at their command-over 5000 feet
surrounded the burning structure on
all sides and let the streams play on the
the water seemed 20 have little effect.
The fire continued to rage in all its fury.
Fierce and heavy sheets of flame leaped
and Tapped the rarters of the building
until the entire roof of the elevator was
burned loose from liz support and with
q crash fell down upon the bed of burn
ing grain below. The blocks of sheet
iron on the root. subjected to the
scorching heat and fire, curled. and
were blown like leaves. to the ground.
For time the Eagle works and Crescent
mills were threatened. Sparks from an
inch to two inches shot up into the sky
by the million and were carried as far
west as Brady street, falling on nearly
| every building south of Fifth and Brady
| and the scene of the fire. Streams were
set to playing upon the Eagle works and
Crescent mills for an hour or more extin-
gushing the sparks that shot down upon
| those buildings. The great fire contin,
| ued to blaze in all its fury until the en-
tire elevator was destroyed. The com
panies poured streams upon the fire until
III o'clock, when the fire was about ex>
| tinguished. CHG 'tratman and mum.
Der of his men rema med on watch during
| the night, lest the Dire should break out
again and imperil the surrounding build
ings. Considering the circumstances of
the situation. the firemen worked nobly
to save the elevator 1t did not take the
fire, when it first started, but a few min
utes to reach every part of the elevator.
for the dust and chaff on every floor, in
every nook and corner, we're all that was
needed to feed the flame and soon cause
the whole structure to be on fire. 1t
was the most difficult fire to attempt to
subdue the fire department has ever been
called to. The exact origin of the fire is
unknown. But three men were employed
in the elevator at the time and they were
just leaving for home when the fire was
discovered. The engineer on the switch
engine in the c.. K. l. s. P. yards saw
smoke issuing from the roof OF the
dust room In the east end of the elevator
and blew the locomotives whistle,
giving the first signal of alarm.
He then ran his engine back into the
elevator and pulled out freight car
loaded with 800 bushels OF barley-the
only grain saved. The fire is supposed
to have been caused by spark flying
into the elevator dust room from loco>
motive. Mr.. Finch states that the dust
and chaff on the ground outside of the
elevator has often caught fire from To-
connective spark and been extinguished.
The entire loss Of Finch & Hayward is
between $40, 900 and $4,000 The main
building Of the elevator was SO feet wide
by 1903 feet in length, and the engine and
boiler room was 40 by 90 feet. Then
there was a cob house attached. beside q
scales room large enough to take in one
car. 1t was nearly 200 feet in length.
In the elevator were $4,000 to $1,000
bushels of wheat, 6 900 to q. 900 bushels
of harley and about 500 bushels of oats.