Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-28
THE FIRE ALARUM.
Flames Cost ST. Louis Nearly
Two Million Dollars.
THIRTEEN FIRES IN A SINGLE DAY.

The Mammoth Plant Milling Company
and the Mansur Tibbett Farm Imple-
ment Buildings in Ashes-Two Fire
men Badly Hurt and Lot of Fire
Apparatus Abandoned-East st. Louis
Called on for Help-Dreadful Work by
Prairie Fires in the Northwest.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 2S.-At $3.50 p. m. yes
terday an alarm was turned in from the
mammoth establishment of the Plant
Milling company, at the foot of Choteau
avenue. The flames covered the entire
nth floor before an engine arrived on the
scene. A second and third alarm followed
in quick succession. The frame buildings
OF the warehouse, boiler house and engine
rooms were burning like finder and were
seething mass of flames, producing a
heat unapproachable The main build
ing, five-s story structure, was ignited on
the top floor, and the lack of water press
ure prevented the fremen from checking
the flames
Two Firemen Missing,
Soon the roof of the main building fell
with great crash. and its weight on the
then burning floors beneath caused gem
eral collapse. 1t is supposed that two
firemen were covered by the caving in of
the building. as two are missing. Several
were seriously injured by falling timbers.
The loss will aggregate some 800, 900,
with an insurance of about $3.50 900. Sew
eral hundred barrels of -four stored in the
warehouse were destroyed.
Panic Over . Powder Car.
A panic was caused when it became
known that powder car was standing on
the railroad track beside the mill Sew
eral were trampled on, but no serious in
jury resulted in the rush. The car was
removed by means of a chain Several
buildings adjacent were scorched, bat
were saved with but little damage At
5.4o the firemeu were called to Tenth and
Spruce by a general alarm, leaving but a
few streams playing on the smouldering
embers OF tbs once massive milling struct-
ure.
The Fire at Tenth and Spruce.
The latter fire originated in n one story
warehouse, owned and occupied by the
Pacific Storage company as ware
house. and adjoining the seven story build
ing owned and occupied by the Mansur
Tibbett Farming Implement company.
BY the time the first engine arrived on the
scene the flames had taken hold OF the
Mansur Tibbett building and rapidly
spread to every floor. In less than twenty
minutes after the first alarm was turned
in a second was turned in, followed by a
third. Then the East St. Louis fire de-
partment was called on and sent two
engines to assist. The firemen, seeing
their efforts of no avail on the now burn
ing buildings turned their attention TO the
surrounding lumber yards and ware
houses.
Three Other Alarms Turned In.
At O'Clock the Mansur Tibbett build
ing collapsed with a tremendous crash,
luckily hurting no one. AT $50 p. m. the
flames were gotten under control. While
this fire was burning alarms were turned
in from Twelfth and Olive and Fourteenth
and Morgan streets. An engine from the
big blaze was sent to respond to each of
the alarms, lessening the force, which told
considerably, the flames spripging up
afresh. Neither of the above flies from
the three alarms were OF any consequence,
however, the total loss aggregating only
5000.
Loss of Over Half a Million.
The firms suffering from the fire on
Tenth and Spruce was the Heinrichshoffen
& Lawrence Lumber company and the
Holmes Lumber company, the loss of
each amounting to some $1,000. The loss
sustained by the Mansur Tibet Imple-
msnt company will aggregate s500, 000
the building being new and was heavily
stocked. The Collier Lead works and the
Bridge and Tunnel warehouse were
soorched, but no serious damage done
A strong south wind was blowing dnring
the whole fire, and it was under great
difficulties that its progress was checked
An Aggregate Loss of $4,000 900.
Thirteen alarms and as many fires oc-
CURED yesterday, the origin of but few
being known. The aggregate losses will
nearly reach g, 600, O01 The two irem2n
supposed to have been buried in the ruins
have been found. They were struck by
falling timbers and seriously injured, and
were carried into house near by and lost
sight Of in the excitement. The water
tower, which was rushed too close to the
mill, was abandoned and left to the raw
ages of the flames, the heat compelling
the men to fee. Two engines were also
abandoned Immediately after the collapse
of the building, the men being unable to
- vnd fha TrNta haot