Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-11
DEPLORABLE LOSS.
The New St. An,hony's Hospi.
tai Destroyed.
BIG FIRE YESTERDAY MORNING

T0o water supply InSumc1snt TO Cope
With the Flames-The Fruits Of Labor
and Liberaiity shattered in the Moment
OF Realization The L DISC and insurance =
VIII be Rebuilt.
The new St. Anthony's hospital
building on Elm street was totally
destroyed by fire yesterday morning.
A few hours at the mercy of the rag
ing flames and the beautiful structure
was in ruins. the efforts of the fire.
men, who were on the scene in ample
time to save the building from de-
struction. being in vain-not because
of the lack of the necessary forces,
but the unavailability of a sufficient
amount of water, the waterworks
having exhausted all its pressure to
furnish one stream that would not
reach fifteen feet. Chief Brahm and
his assistants battled bravely and
fearlessly, but of course were unable
to accomplish virtually any result in
Two charred and cracked walls on
either end is all that remains of this
most de. irable institution, the fruits
of the arduous and untiring labors of
the COED Franciscan sisters and the
generosity of our liberal and gener-
Gus people. whose long desire for the
establishment of more commodious
institution for the care of the sick
aud disabled had been fairly realized,
only to be shattered by the merciless
flames, whose origin cannot be deli
nitely accounted for. As there had
been no fire in the building, which
was almost in readiness for occupan-
cy, and heated by steam, after
O'Clock of the preceding afternoon.
no plausible theory for the origina-
ton of the blaze can be advanced
other than that OF spontaneous
combustion, which was made possible
by the fact that oily rags and gaso-
line used by the plumbers were left
in the room where the fire started,
together with other tools.
The close proximity to the burning
building of the occupied hospital
quarters made the saving of the lat
ter from burning an impossibility,
apparently, the flames from the adj
joining structure sweeping down on
the roof with the assistance Of light
blowing northerly wind. Several
times the roof OF the old building
caught fire, bt.t was quickly extin-
guished by Chief Brahm, to whose
cautious discipline aud management
of his assistants and the bucket brig
ade is due to the preservation of the
old building.
| The Discovery.
On arising about 6:45 yesterday
morning, Miss Anna Lund, a domes-
tic employed by j. Silas Leas, whose
residence is located on the north side
of the new hospital, noticed a small
blaze in \ second floor room on the
| northeast corner of the building.
She hurried to notified the members
of the family, who told her to hasten
| to the sisters with the unfortunate
news. In the meantime an alarm
was sent in to the Central house.
Henry Karpenter, the hospital janitor,
fastened to the scene of the fire and
opened the rear door, the dense
smoke which issued therefrom pre-
venting his entrance. From the out
side, however. he could see the blaze
was on the second floor. In about
five minutes the Central and No.
companies were on hand, when CHIEF
Brahm sounded a second alarm, to
which the No. company responded.
The fire had gained considerable
Roadway, the flames bursting from
the upper windows at the west end OF
the building. Two streams were ap-
piled, but the weakness OF the water
pressure made it almost impossible
to reach the flames, which could have
otherwise been overcome and the
damage reduced considerably. Fight
ing the fire with two streams of such
weakness was of no material use, and
Chief Brahm sandwiched them. tele'
phoning at intervals to the water.
works for more pressure. which
seemed to be exhausted. Neverthe
less, the firemen fought the flames in
the absence of a plentiness of water,
as hard, as though hopeful of pre-
serving a portion of the doomed
structure. The companies remained
at the building until about l1:3O
when nothing but the bare walls
were left standing. To prevent any
accidents, the side walls. which were
cracked and unsafe, were knocked
down by Chief Brahm.
Almost Panic.
The large flames lashing against
the sides and roof of the old hospital
nearly caused a panic among the oc
cupants, whose desire to leave tn,
building and remove the household
effects and less helpful patients from
what seemed perilous position, wa:
Gained by neighbors and others who
believed the hospital could be saved
Realizing the questionable position o
the occupied structure, those at
tracted to the scene by the alarm
Immediately set to work to prevent
destruction overtaking it. Snow wa.
carried upon the roof in buckets. al
the wells and cisternS in the neigh
| borhood were emDtied by the bucke e,