Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-29
TINE FOR A CHANtiE.
The Folly Of Volunteer Firemen
Again Fully shown.
rnss Mornings Denonstra,iss 1. the
Hurnins OF Kech's Gun shop On Mar.
ket square-Win Rock Is,au 4 Never
Have It's shame Arouseas

At 9:16 this morning Ere bro Re ont in
tue Cellar under Koch's gun ct Cd, 21S
seventeenth street, and an alarm WAS inn.
mediateiy srnt in to the fire de partment
while neighbors and others who had been
attracted by the smoke which WIS pour,
log from the doors and windows of the
building. organized themselves into sal.
wage corps and speedily carried every-
thing out of the store. This include d
pe~d and other combustbles, but thew
were soon out of the reach Of danger.
The smoke, which had not bee dense at
frst, had now become almost suffocatinu
TO those inside or near the bu,liinp. FIT.
teen minutes had now elapsed since the
first alarm had been given antl not A fire.
man or hose vehicle had put in an an.
pearance. Some one asked where WAS
tue hook and ladder truck whose quarters
are in court honse square, only three
blocks distant
'onF came the response ,f one who
apparently knew, The livery team they
use on the hook and ladder truck is out
on the hearse this morning, don't you
known"
A ripple of laughter went rouud
through the crowd. for the young man
had told the truth. but in the meantime
tue nre continued to burn. The SAL
vadge brigade had finished lis work and
emptied the building of its contents and
now simply awaited the firemen. Eigh.
teen minutes had passed and the fire con-
tinued to burn. Finally the Phoenix
nose wagon dashed around the corner
from Third avenue. It's ~ orking num-
bers. OF which the Unton is ALWAYS 40
proud to speak. consisted Of one man.
bat he was daisy. He was tardy in
getting there, no wonder for he had to
hitch up sitter running no cue but him
sell knows how far to the hose house. but
on the scene he was full of business. Af-
ter tapping the hydrspt at the CONNER
cial house correr. he drove up to the
burning building. broke coupling. at
tached the nezzle. Owed into the door,
cut a hole in the floor and attacked the
merry elements in its very stronghold. In
fact he fought the blaze to finish and
worsted it. and had he bee q there twenty
minutes before, the fire would not have
amounted TO more than could have been
placed under market basket. There
was no need of more water as the Young
man of the Phoenix company showed
good judgment at the start, but Just then
the Gables came. and they had to have
their fun out of the affair after so long a
run. end they applied the nozzle from the
rear. The Gilpins came. the fire was un-
der control. but there being apparently
no head to the department, the late cons
ers we're not restrained and were soon
swelling the volume of water in the Gel.
lar, though they had given several of the
spectators gentle wetling down first.
10 due time. however, the fire was de-
clared out and the firem en- retired.
The fire started from candle in the
front portion of the basement. The
damage to building and tools and stock In
Mr.. koch's shop in the rear of the base.
ment will not exceei $3.50 The insur.
ance on the building is, $500 in Loosely
q knowlton's agency and the Union
company, of England. and on the stock
$500 in Mississippi Valley and North
western Mutual comp anies. MIR. Koch
lived in tine second story but his house
hold effects were not injured.
The tire lost in getting a response
from the fire department was the subject
of general comment among those who
were on hand as soon as the fire was dis.
covered. No reflections were made on
the firemeD; it was the system that was
condemned and the opinion freely ex-
pressed that if the common council per.
mis- volunteer company to enter the
new department house on the CITY tri>
angle, every alderman who votes for such
a scheme should be held up to scorn as
openly violating the oath he took when
he became an alderman to guard the in
terests of the city to the best of his abil-
ity. The first occup aucy of the new de,
partment house should be attended by the
establishment OF a paid reliable service.