Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-22
HEAVY LOSS BY FIRE
Hartz & Bahnsen Company Drug
House Sustains Damage
of About SIS, 900.
FLAMES BREAK OUT IN BASEMENT

Destroy Quantities of Oils and Paints, But
Are Prevented From Spreading to the
Upper Floors by the Excellent Work of
the Hose Companies-FuIIy Covered by
Insurance.
Fire that broke out sh ortly before D
O'Clock this morning threatened the
destruction of the wholesale drug
house of Hartz & Bahnsen company.
corner of Third avenue and Nine
teenth street. The building was
saved only through the timely discov-
cry and splendid work on the part OF
the fire department. The damage is
confined almost wholly to the base
ment, where the blaze originated, and
DESTROYED large quantities of paints
oils and brushes.
just how the fire started will prob
ably never be definitely known. but
the belief of the members of the COM
pany is that it was caused by sparks
dropping from pipe in the basement
leading from the furnace to the smoke
stack, the heat having worn hole In
the pipe. The sparks supposedly fell
into pile of packing in the south
west corner of the building. From
there the flames spread rapidly, ignit-
ing the barrels of paints and oils.
The discovery was made by Policeman
Dan Mccarthy, who Immediately gave
| the alarm, and in a few moments
three hose companies, headed by Chief
Charles Hastings, were on the scene,
attacking the blaze with a dozen
strong streams, with the result that,
though the work, on account of the
| thickness of the smoke. was trying on
the fremen, within an hour the blaze
| was under control. In two different
places along the north side of the
| building the flames burst through the
| first floor, finding ready food in the
stock that was shelve1 there, but the
ready application of water produced
| the desired effect.
Extent of Damage.
The damage to the stock and build
| ing is estimated at between $15. 900
and $25, 900. 1t is fully covered by
insurance held By the agencies of
Hayes & Cleaveland and Hurst & DON
aldson. A portion of the loss is rep
resented by the harm done by the heat
and SIN ike on the up per floors.
Had the flames reached the eXplo-
1
ad joining the consequences might
nave been disastrous in the extreme.
| The water that was turned onto the
| flames came entirely fran the reser-
| voir, the value of whi CHI even in a fire
emergency was demonstrated. Water
from the reservoir has gravity pres
sure of 90 pounds, insuring pretty
stiff stream.
| The Insurance.
The Hartz & Bahnsen company car
| ries 500, 600 insurance on its build
ing and stock. 1t is distributed as
| follows: Hurst & Donaldson-Fire
Association, of Philadelphia; Hanover,
| New York; Continental, New York;
North British and Mercantile,
London; Commercial Union, Lon
don; New Hampshire, New York;
National, Hartford; North Amer
lea, Erie, Pa, $4,000 each, and
Liverpool and London and Globe, of
England, $1,000 Hayes & Cleaveland
I-Thuringa. Germany, 81. 500; West
chester, New York, 81, 800; Ktna,
Hartford, Conn, 81, $50; Merchants
New Jersey, 50, 500; British America,
Toronto, $4,000; Atlas Assurance,
England, $4,000; North Ger
man, Germany. $4,000; Dubuque.
Dubuque, Iowa, $1,000; Equit-
able, Rhode Island, 81 900;
American Central, st. Louis, $4,000;
st. Paul. st. Paul. Mimi, $4,000;
Royal. England, $4,000; New York
| Underwriters, New York, 81, 500;
Northern Assurance, England, 81,
500; Greenwich, New York, 81, 800;
American, Pennsylvania, $4,000;
Queen. New York. 81, 500; Western,
Toronto, $1,000.
| athIetIc En,artStpn,eot