Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-31
FOUNDRY BURNED
Plant of Rock Island Iron Works
Totally Wiped Out by
Fire.
LOSS REACHES MANY THOUSANDS
Flames Make Such Headway That
Efforts of Firemen Avail
Nothing.

The city was visited last evening by
a confagration that entirely destroy
ed the plant of the Rock Island Iron
works, better known as the Downing
foundry, now owned and operated by
Morris & Lewis, at Ninth street and
Seventh avenue.
The force of men employed at the
foundry had quit work for the day at
3 o'clock and the fire was discovered
at 5;45. 1t broke out in the south
building, a single story frame used
for offices and the making of pat
terms, and was evidently caused by
sparks from the furnace alighting on
infiammable material.
Aided by Il brisk south wind the
flames made rapid Roadway and the
efforts of those who were on hand at
the time they were discovered
amounted TO nothing. BY the time
the fire department reached the place
the structure was past saving and at
tention was turned to preventing n
spread to adjoining dwelling houses.
The buildings burned were three in
number, all joined together. In addi-
tion to the south building there was
brick on Ninth street in which the
engine and principal molding rooms
were located, and another low frame
at the northeast corner used mainly
for storage purposes.
Alarm is JumbIed.
Some difficulty was experienced in
getting the fire alarm, the party who
pulled the box that registers at the
police station in his excitement pull
ing so often that the report came in
all jumbled and it was impossible to
read it. 1t is hardly possible that the
plant could have been saved, how
ever, under the most favorable cir
cumstances, so fiercely did the fire
burn. The No. l and No. > companies
responded to the alarm and they had
no difficulty in getting plenty of wa
ter. In paying out hose Alexander
Mcdonald, of the No. l company. was
thrown from the wagon and badly
shaken up, but was able to attend to
his duties. The firemen remained on
the scene throwing water on the en-
bers till about o'clock in the even
ing.
The home of George Weinberger,
who was quarantined yesterday on
account of smallpox, is just east of
the foundry site, and it was notice
able that the crowd that was attract
ed by the fire did not allow curiosity
70 overcome the fear of contagiOn.
There was danger to the dwelling at
times. the wind carrying the sparks
upon it and once setting it on fire.
Estimate of Loss.
1t is difficult to make an accurate
estimate of the loss that will fall up
op Morris d Lewis. the proprietorS.
Perhaps as serious as the loss of the
plant is the destruction of all the
patterns and large amount of cast
ings made by the firm and ready for
delivery. Both members of the firm
were in Chicago yesterday, but Mr..
Norris came home last night. He
places the total loss at about $50, 900
with $4,000 insurance.
As is generally known the firm has
purchased a large foundry in Chicago
which has just been placed in opera
ton and it is doubtful if the plant in
this city will be rebuilt The local
foundry employed about fifty men
and was principally engaged in the
manufacture of the Walsh brake shoe
A Morning Blaze.
The fire department had run
about o'clock this morning to TWEEN
ty-fourth street back of the plant of
the Hammond Packing company,
where a frame building occupied by
Jacob Cohn had caught fire from
sparks. The damage was but few
dollars.