Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-14
M0L|NE'S BIC BLAZE,
Auditorium Opera House Build.
ing a Total
Wreck.
ADJOINING STRUCTURES DAMAGED

AWo o. tne bSccg l.ienu CSmpo ares
Called 20 Assiss In Couqasring the
viamss - Damage OF Absat $4,000 -
Hsssse Rescue Of . wonsn and Her
ohnd.
Moline was visited by q s75. 900 fire
last night. The Auditorium opera
house is total wreck, while its ten
ants and adjoining structures suf-
fered greatly from the flames.
The exact origin Of the fire is q
mystery. although the jsnitor Of the
building thinks il started in the E!ec.
trio laundry. which is located in the
basement. The FIRE was discovered
at 6:l0. II had made considerable
headway, and the flames were raging
fiefcely when Chief Reese and his
men arrived on the scene. They
fought bravely, but it was plainly
apparent that they were not equal 10
the task. Aid was summoned from
Rock Island, the Centrals and No.
companies going from here.
Two hours after the fire started.
and while the iremen were at close
quarters trying to check its spread,
the walls Of the opera house fell
about them with q crash. Huge
masses OF debris showered down
sll around them, all miraculously es.
Gaping injury.
A strong northwest wind famed
the fire into fury. The blaze
spread to two adjoining brick blocks,
occupied BY Quick 4 Drum as hard.
ware store, and by the Union store
~ dry goods emporium.
Besides the play house in the Audi.
forum building. there we're several
Office rooms in the structure. aside
from the living apartments. The
records Of the public schools of the
city Tor the last 20 years. which were
stored away in the Office Of the board
Of education on the second h)or,
were destroyed
Toe opera house b,ilding was q
3-etory structure. The upper floor
was used for living apartments and
the flames soon cut off all passage.
ways TO escape. Shrieking women
rushed 10 the windows and at the
risk Of their lives daring firemer
climbed up ladders and carried them
to the ground. The heat was SO in.
tense that in lighting the flames the
fremen did not 60 nearer than q
feet from the building, but al
thought OF peril was cast aside wher
1t came TO question Of saving hu
man life.
Act OF Htroism.
There was one act Of heroism by
two volunteers, Charles Neberg and
Charles Lundgren, which called forth
cheers from the immense crowd
gathered about the fire. Seeing the
face OF a woman in o window o,
the third story Of the Auditorium
they secured ladder, and rescued
her. She was almost exhausted
from the heat and smoke. The fra
words OF the lady, who proved TO b.
| Mrs. ii. b. Warren. was for the mel
to save her boy. Tn. men made an
other trip and rescued the child.
The west wall OF the Auditorium
fell and crushed in the root Of K
Reimer's cigar store, damaging III,
building Considerably. The damag,
TO the occupants Of the Auditorium
building is estimated as follows:
Porter Printing company, 100000
Electric laundry, owned by p. A
Merriman, IS, 600; Mason & Gleason,
insurance agents, 500; East Moin,
Improvement company. 81, 500; board
OF education. $3.50; Prudential Insur
ance company, office rooms, 81 600
The loss sustained BY the occupant.
OF the fats is about q. 900. Ali thai
was saved in the Postal Telegraph
compsny's office was the typewriter
The Auditorium was owned by c
+. Hemenway. 1t is insured FOL
100000. This fully covers the loss
The aggregate Insurance on all tn,
buildings and stocks which suffered
from the fireis about 100000. X. II
Taylor. manager OF the Auditorium
,opera house, loses about 500. Ar
nold's Funu akers. who were to opel
an engagement tonight. lose all theil
effects except two trunks.
The firemen kept water playing o,
the ruins nearly all night. Man!
windows in stores along Third ave
nue. we're cracked by the heat.
All cars on the Third and Fourth
avenue lines were stopped running
east OF Twentieth street, this city
for two hoars. on account of the dan
ger Of loose wires coming in contac
with the trolleys. Chief Collier &C
com panied the Ceutrals and No.
companies aud rendered good ser
vice At the fire.