Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-09
WAS A CLOSE CALL.
Early Morning Fire in Mitchell
& Lynde Building.
ADAMS EXPRESS OFFICE THE SCENE.

@ADAAAS 49,
Fire Department Does Splendid Work and
Prevents Great Loss BY Prompt ana En-
Client Action Cause Myssery-Extent OF
the Loss.
Fire in the Adams Express COM
panv's Office in Mitchell & Lynde
building at / o'clock this morning
was nipped in the bud not q moment
too soon. through the promptness and
efficiency OF the Rock Island paid
fire department, and the flames
subdued with surprisingly small loss
under the circumstances.
Whore the Fire Started.
The fire originated in a little par
toned of apartment to the south
side of the main Office. This little
room is used chiefly for sleeping
quarters on the part of T. C. Hender-
con, cashier in the Office. and Frank
Mead, express messenger, and also
for the purpose of storing supplies
as well as small packages of freight.
Messrs. Henderson and Mead have
an arrangement by which one or the
other is to sleep in the office. Last
night it was Mr.. Mead's turn to
sleep there. but as he had an engage
ment he did not get in at the usual
time, very fortunately. indeed, for
him. The fire, from the traces left,
started in the corner of the room,
near Mr.. Mead's trunk, the other
furniture being couch. dresser, ETC.,
at the west end of the apartment,
while at the east end were shelves,
on which were stored all records and
supplies.
spread oil the flames.
The flame quickly devoured the
couch and other furni ture, then ate
into the partition and ran over to
the wall. It got into the rafters
and soon the entire little room was
ablaze, while offshoots of the devas.
tating element were making their
way up through the lath into the
stairway and the elevator shaft in
the main corridor of the building,
aud others were shooting along
the ceiling OF the main office toward
the lobby of the postoffice. Fred
Osterman, the night Waterman in
the Mitchell & Lynde building, de-
tected the odor of smoke and he
hurriedly searched the main building
from basement to attic without sue
cess. He then started on his in YES
tigation Of the rear portions occupied
by the Adams Express company and
the postoffice. when he saw the for
mer room filled with smoke. A tele-
phone message brought the compan-
les OF the Central Engine house in a
minutes time. and general still
alarm was followed a short time later
by two other hose companies. Chief
Johnston and his men broke one of
the lights of the door on the west
side Of the building and then leaping
in with shut-off MOBILES, hastily sur
veyed the situation and attacked the
fire in three places almost simultane.
sly-in the corner of the little room
where it started, at the point directly
under the stairs and in the ceiling
at the west. side of the room. II
did not require great deal OF
water. but quick conception of the sit.
uation and discretion. Be it said to
the credit of the fire department,
both these requisites we're exercised
and what hSd all the appearance Of
being bad fire was nipped effectual.
ly in the bud. The advantage of q
paid department, always on duty and
by experience and training in readi.
ness to act quickly and properly. wa.
once more forcibly exemplitied. Il
should furthermore be said of Chief
Johnston and his men that it was as
pretty Job Of fire fighting as could
be imagined. No more damage eth.
er by water or by the cutting away
OF the ceiling to reach the seat of the
fire was done than was absolutely
necessary. The building was moi
flooded. The fire was cut off right
where it was and put out. Had any
other course been pursued; had there
been few minutes more delay in
summoning the department.; had moi
the flames been cut off as they were
reaching the stairway they would
have gotten into the elevator shaft
and then the result can only be imag
ined. The splendid work on such IN
occasion when the extent of the sal.
wage is considered. and the
possibility of what might other
wise have occurred in the
destruction, the expense of a paid
department seems insignificant. The
loss of one ouch building as this
would have been a great deal more
to the city than two years cost in
maintaining an efficient department
such as Rock Island now rejoices in
Loss and Insurance.
The loss is not great, all things
considered. The damage to the
building will not exceed $4OO, which
is covered by insurance. which
Mitchell & Lynde carry on the entire
property in the agencies of Ralph
Haverstick, j. NJ. Buford. Blanding
& Kinney. Hurst & Donaldson. Hues-
ing & Hoeft. George L. Quist. Reidy
Bros. and j. H. Cleland. The Adams
Express company loses little, as
local Agent Edward Leius was soon
in the Office after being notified Of