Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-12
TWO MILLION DOLLAR FIRE
AT ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL
Continued Prom First Page.

Continued From First Page.
| ing was the one used in running the
freight elevator. This, although op-
Grated during the day, had been idle
nearly four hours. 1t was not in the
part of the building where the first
flames were seen The southeast cor
ner was used for offices and it seems
to have been here that the combus-
ton started.
Located South of Shops.
Storehouse A was located at the
south of the main group of buildings
directly south of shop A. 1t was 234
by so feet in ground dimensions. On
the north were loading platforms for
teams and on the south platforms for
loading into. cars, the tracks skirting
the south side.
The building, like the others, was
constructed entirely of Anamosa
stone with brick lining. The walls
were built with an average thickness
for the first story of 3 feet, inches;
for the second story, 2 feet 10 inches,
and third story. 2 feet 4 inches.
The roof was of slate and the floors
were from to inches in thickness,
being intended to bear the heaviest
burdens and stand for perhaps cen
turtles. The construction through
out was of the most durable possible.
In fact the building was one of the
type that is not eXcelled for the uses
for which it was designed by any in
the world.
Have Other Facilities
Storehouse A was one of two build
ings used for shipping supplies, the
other being storehouse X, located
northeast of the shops, which is
reached by the railroad tracks by a
of the group. In the building de-
stroyed were kept only a small part
of the arsenal stores or such as were
needed for immediate shipment. Some
things were kept there for distribu-
tion that are not manufactured here,
as for instance, a quantity of revolvers
for cavalry service. The entire sup
ply of these kept at the arsenal was
consumed and none can be sent out
from here in consequence till sup
ply is secured from the east.
The stores destroyed include. in adj
dition to over 100000 rounds of
Krag-J orgensen cartridges, some
Springfield 45-calibre cartridges. 49,
900 sets of infantry equipments and
$500 sets of cavalry equipments. The
infantry equipments included cloth
ing, blankets, knapsacks, belts, camp
outfits and some rifles. The cavalry
equipments included, in addition to
the above, saddles and brides and
side-arns.
While there will be no serious in
terruption in the issuing of stores
from this point there viii be a delay
of several days incident to getting
storehouse X in condition and prop
erly stocked so that operations can
be conducted from there. This will
be the less difficult on ;tccoubt of the
fact that shops X and H, located adj
| jacent to the storehOuse, are well
stocked with nearly everything man
ufactured here. Work was begun
this morning getting the first floor of
the storehouse cleared preparatory
to stocking up.
Operations in the manufacturing
departments have not been interfer-
ed with in any manner and the shops
were running today as if nothing had
happened.
The loss, of course. viii be a total
one to the government, as no inst1r-
ance of any sort is carried upon the
property of Uncle Sam.
Figure Up Loss
This morning Il number of account
ants were put at work figuring up the
value of the stores that were in the
burned building. This afternoon a
statement was made public by Maj. S.
F. Blunt, the commandant, placing
the loss, aside from the building, at
1,75O,00O. The most important item,
of course, was the ammunition, which
of itself was worth considerably over
$500. 900.