Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-30
BIG FIRE LOSS AT POOR FARM

contents of the drug store were taken
out and removed to place of safety
In this building were kept the records
of the place which were saved.
| Those who were fighting the fire
next turned their attention to the
boiler house, which was in imminent
danger, and by the hardest kind of
work succeeded in saving it.
Had this been destroyed the
insane ward in which were con
fined about sixty patients and the res
idence of the steward would have
been without heat.
The fire appears to have originated
between the second and third floors
at the northwest end of the building
in the outside wall of the room that
was used for tailor shop. 1t may,
however, have started almost any
where from the ground to the caves.
1t began only few feet from a Chin
ney that was left standing after the
building had been reduced to ashes.
This chimney was perfectly sound.
and, as before stated, there had not
been any fire in the stove connected
with it for a couple of days. The
tailor shop was likewise unoccupied.
the tailor being in bed when the fire
was discovered. The only explanation
that Steward Swank can offer is that
rats or mice may have carried par
Tor match into the wall and ignited
it. Having once started. the flames
had an open sweep through to the
attic, which was ceiled with pine and
was therefore highly infiammable.
The wind, which was blowing brisl<ly
from the northwest at the time,
greatly assisted the work of destruc-
ton.
Rescue of Patients.
The work of getting the insane pa
tients out of the burning building was
rendered the more difficult by the
fact that a number of them resisted
being moved. One woman was assist
ed down stairs and after all the in
mates were thought to have been res
cued it was noticed that she was miss
ing. David Swank, at the risk of his
life, reentered and found her on the
first floor. Picking her up he made
dash and reached the door just as
portion of the floor above gave way.
Some of the inmates whose quar-
tiers were destroyed were taken care
of in the insane ward, others were
placed in rooms over the boiler house
and the remainder were sheltered at
the residence. This morning all were
accounted for, although one dement,
ed woman, Mrs. Stephen Cunningham,
was missing for time. 1t was subse-
quently learned that she had taken a
bundle of her belongings and spent
the latter part of the night in coal
shed at a school house half a mile
away. One other woman went out
on the highway and was found in the
latter part of the night standing be-
side "a tree chilled almost to insensi-
bility.
This morning the great problem
facing those in charge of the infirma-
ry was that of providing food for the
los helpless inmates. The stores of
Coal Valley We're stripped of their
cooked provisions and orders were
telephoned to this city for more.
Cook stoves were set up and whole
sale cooking with wash boilers and
other Spacious vessels was begun.
The neighbors kindly lent their aid
and by noon temporary arrangements
had been made that were deemed suf-
ficient till such time as the infirmary
committee of the county can decide
what is best to be done. Supervisor
I. II. Lees, who is chairman of this
committee, called Supervisors Merri-
man and Hilbert. who constitute the
remainder of the body, for meeting
at Coal Valley this afternoon.
other Counties May Aid
Some of the inmates are kept at the
infirmary by relatives, their board be-
ing paid. These will probably be
sent back to those upon whom they
are dependent. 1t is thought that ar
engagements can probably be made
with the authorities of Mercer and
Henry counties to care for some of
the inmates till new building can be
erected. In Mercer county, especial
ly, new infirmary has just been com
pleted with capacity for twice the
number of inmates that county has
at the present time A temporary
building can be easily constructed in
which to cook for the insane patients
so that the number to be sent away
in the event that arrangements can
be made will not be much in excess of
thirty.
Loss and Insurance
1t is impossible to arrive at any ac-
curate estimate of the loss. The
county farm was purchased in 1858 at
a cost of 81 200 and the frame build
ing that was DESTROYED was then on
the place. Since that time it has been
rebuilt and additions made TO it part
~ through direct appropriations by
the county board and partly from the
returns yielded by the farm. No com