Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-05
FIRE IN SKY SCRAPERS
Two of New Icrk's Tall Buildings
Feed the Flames and BAT.
file the Eirenen.
LOSS Is UPWARDS OF A MILLION.

/ Cpper Half of the Home Life, Sixteen
Stories High, Quilted, and Three Floors
| of the Postal. Fourteen Stories, in the
| Same Condition-Rogers, Peet & Co..
Store Entirely Wiped Out-POstaI Tele-
J Erarh Operating Room Destroyed Wind
| Blows n G ale and Rain Falls IN Torrents.
New York. Dec. Sin Z l. ndirS rain
| storm last night the massive block OF
| buildings on Broadway. numbers 20 10
| 259. and included between Murray and
| Warren streets. was almost destroyed
| by IRE Within three hours more than
| 81 600. 200 worth OF property was de-
strOyed. The fire bsEan in the nve-story
| brick building ocSGried by the mer's
| furnishing firm Of Rogers. Peet and Co.
on the southwest corner of Broadway
| ard Warren street. Adjoining the
Rogers Peet building and south Of il
was the magnificent white building of
the Home Life Insurance company, and
next to this was the brown stone build
ing Of the Postal Telegraph company,
erected at cost Of millions only n fev.
years ago. Within a few minutes after
the discovery Of the fire the Rogers
Peet building was a roaring furnace,
and an alarm had been turned in which
brought more than a score Of engines
to the scene.
MuItitudes witness the Destruction.
1t was but a short time when the
flames had eaten through the wall Of
the Home Life and We're roaring high
above that lofty structure. Thousands
of people had gathered on the scene.
and the binding glare Ct the flames 1t
up the lower part of the city. Even in
the down-pour the great crowds of
people grew and the police reserves
were called out from many stations and
kept the people back for blocks Great
showers Of sparks were CARED II al
directors by the gale, that blew sixty
miles an hour. 1t was a picturesque
fire. The Home Life Insurance build
ing was occupied by that company and
by a large number Of prominent men in
various lines Of business. Every effort
was made to save the valuable papers
stored in some OF the offices, but many
of these were lost.
Papers of IncaIcuInbIe Value Lost.
The offices OF the Rapid Transit COM
mission were on the ninth floor Of this
building. and it is believed that ell the
plans and schemes Of work with which
the commission has been working this
many years have been destroyed. IN
the Postal building as well there were
many serious losses of private nature
and when the flames reached the op-
Grating room of this structure, which
they did within three hours Of the out
break the one or two solitary operators
who remained at their posts were COM
PEELED to flee for their lives, leaving
unsert messages at the keys The fire
burned even more fiercely in the Home
Life building. owing to the great height
OF this structure. and in an incredibly
short time the upper half of this mag
nificent building was in flames. At >
o'clock this morning the flames were
under reasonable control, and at 2:35
the fire was practically extinguishcd.
Rough Estimate OF the Losses.
An insurance man roughly estimated
the 10 -ses at a bout as fol ows: Rogers.
Peet x Co. building and stock. and
losses to Cther tenants in the building,
1886. O0O; Home Life Insurance company
building. ard losses to other tenants,
$500 coo; Postal Telegraph company,
building and losses to other tenants,
800. 900; losses to surrounding buildings,
1000.