Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-10


BILE Aavoc-A Score Wounded. and the
Death Roll May BE Larger when the
Debris Il Cleared Away-Many Of the
Wounded Very Badly Hurt.
Pittsburg, Feb. 10.-At $50 last night
lire started in the large six-story cold
storage house of the ChautauQua Lake
Ice company. and before the flames were
subdued at Ills a. m. nearly $2.0O0.0O0
worth Of property had been destroyed.
at least six lives lost, and many people
badly injured. The fire. in point Of
fatalities, Is the most serious that Pitts
burg has had in years. The depart
ment responded quickly. and a general
alarm was sent in. Other alarms quick
ly followed and at midnight Al!egheny's
department was called on for help. The
following is list of killed SO far as
can be learned at this writing: Police
Lieutenant a. ]. Berry. who was acting
captain: William Scott. Jr., aged 20, son
OF William Scott. president of the
Chautauqua Ice company. His brother
John aged is is missing and supposed
TO be buried under the ruins. Also one
unknown and the three following: Mrs.
Sife. aged 80 years: Stanley Sife, aged
IL; David Loveles5. aged 50.
List of the Known Injured.
Following are the known injured:
Charles Simon, n travelling salesman
from Cincinnati. badly cut on head;
William Fleming. squeezed by falling
raftcr. may die: Daniel Maloney, car
ried through to the cellar. but dug his
way out. hurt internally: Charles Will
son, bridge builders, badly cut and hurt
internally. William Desr,uke. puddler,
head ard shoulders badly cut: Mary
Desmuke. his wife. hurt Internally:
Davis Stewart. badly cut or head; Cap
tain j. y. Brown, building inspector,
both legs broken: Robert Rosanund,
lieutenant engine company No. 2, leg
crushed necossi'ating ampu.ation, body
bruised: owen X. Fielder, compound
fracture of right leg; George Douglass.
Bellevue, thought to be internally in
jured: Owen Iullehan. scalp lacerated:
William Fleming. Commissions on body:
Joe headley. body and head cut: Kit
wilson. Iaducah. KY. head cut: Robert
Dawson. head and body injured.
Explosion Flows Down . Wall.
The fire started in the storage build
OF the Chau;auqua Lake Ice company
and the origin is unknown. The vicinity
is composed of = mixture of huge ware
houses and many private residences.
the Inhabitants of which fed in alarm,
carrying with them as much portable
household goods as possible. There
were frequent explosions, which great
ly added 60 the CONSERVATION and
alarm. The streets We're completely
Blocked with people and their goods. IN
terfcrin- with the fircmen, who were
already handicapped in thei- efforts to
control the flames on account OF the
| windows and doors OF the burning build
| inss being strongly barred by heavy iorn.
shutters. The cause of the casualties
was the explosion of whisky, which
blew down a wall at the rear OF one Of
| the buildings. The wall fell into an
alley which at the time was crowded
with flremen. policemen and others, who
were caught under an immense pile Of
! debris.
Firc Jumps Across the Street.
Just after the explosion the large
| warehouse Of W. \. Hoeveler & Co.,
4
| the Chautauqua company's building.
wss ablaze and In a short time was
| beyond hope Of saving. At about lis
the fire was gotten under control. The
two large buildings are a total wreck.
Until the fallen the walls have been
cleared away there can be no certainty
as TO the number of victims.
| Some Heavy Losses Detailed.
! The following is the best list Of losses
! ohtainable at this writing: Hoeveler
I, Storage Co. building and contents $780,
coo: Chau;auqua Ice Co, $50 100: Union
Storage Co, si.0o0.e00: small Penn ave-
nue. houses. $4,000. making n total ST.
515.00o. all Of which was well insured.
| mostly through the agency CT w. @.
McCandlcss & Co. Some OF the heaviest
individual losers who had conslgnments
In the warehouses are: The Economy
Distilling Co. 5000 barrels OF whisky
worth $4,000: Morongahela Textile
Co. wool dealers. ll5.oOo pounds of wool:
Collins Cigar Co. twenty-five car loads
Of tobacco: w. II. Williams. commission