Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-30
Heaviest Damage to Stock
OF L. S. McCabe
& Co.
MOSTLY FROM SMOKE
Flames Have Origin on Third
Floor in Photograph
Gallery.

approximately $4,000 damage was
wrought by a fire that started yester-
day morning in the Hall photograph
gallery on the third floor Of the Sec
ond avenue side Of the l. >. McCabe
Il Co. store. McCabe a Co was the
heaviest loser. and smoke penetrating
through all departments OF the entire
establishment. while the two floors on
Second avenue were flooded with the
wafer that poured through from the
ROOMS occupied by the Photograph gal
lery. The NcCabc store u closed to-
day. Mr. McCabe stated that II would
be impossible for him 70 estimate his
loss. that the best he could do would
be To make a guess. and he would
place the amount anywhere between
SIS. 900 and $4,000. lie IL fully pro-
tccted by Insurance. a. = the Robin
son estate. the owned OF the building
which was damaged about f7.IOI
There Is Insurance Of $4,000 On the
building. Fred Hall. the photographer
will have n loss 81 81 500. He carries
an insurance Of $1,000. The Math
building on the west was damaged
$500.
Os~rb-af~d >toy~pIp~ Probably.
n will never be known what was
the exact cause 81 the Ere. whether IL
started from an Oyerheated stoyepip-
that isnited thc frame PARTITION
through which 20 extended. or from al
explosion Of chemicals used by the
photographer. Mr. Hall vas not in ia.
gallery when the fire broke out. Sun
day Is a busy day ordinarily for the
Photographic. and SIR. Hall arose ear
ly and built q fire In the stove in his
vOrkrCOm. as the sieauhelting plant
T. not operated In the building on sun.
day when the FIRE in the stove had
been given "A good start Mr.. Hall went
out. remaining probably half an hour
When he returned the FIRE department
was az the building. the wOrkroOm be-
Ing a mass 81 flames. this making a.
impossible 10 determine the origin Of
the fire The theory Of the inyestlga-
ton. however. Is that the pipe became
overhcatcd and igniJed the frame par
tition.
D~pnr tu~nt Io-~- Time.
The cali To the fire department wac
received at 9.O7. but there was a loss
Of nine minutes owing To the usual
difficulty In the trans mission OF the
telephone message. whereas II there
had been a call box by which the De.
partment could have been summoned
direct either a; Eighteenth or Seven
teenth street the firemen would pOssi-
bly, have been on hand in time To- have
checked the flames with a smaller eN-
pcndlturC of water. and mat RIAL.
have reduced the damage. The de-
partmcut was further handicapped by
the antiquafed ladder apparatus. and
the need Of On aerial truck WAS forci-
bly, demonstrated 10 ali those who wit
messed the efforts Of the members Of
the department 20 reach the seat Of
the blaze.
Mhot~ Biosk seems Dooasrd-
There are two large rooms in the
gallery uu the third floor. The wori-
room l. AZ the south. The fire burned
through the roof. and worked its NAY
into the operating room facing ON
Second avenue. aud practically the
whole contents of the gallery were de
stroycd. while the interior MAS wreck
cd Th. FIRE wa handled admirably
under IN. direction 81 chief Charles
Hastings. and the wonder u that the
departmsut iu view Of the Roadway
thai the flames had gotten before its
arrival. confined the Ere To such q
small radius The flames shot through
the roof. and poured out Of the Sec
ond avenue windows with tiercencss
thar made h appear Is u the whole
block was doomed. bat b. = vNTy few
minutes after the three companies
were on the scene all hat streams
playing un the upper floors. aai In an
hour not a spark remained. aithousi
n das n desperate fEht to prevent
spread to the buildings AZ the east AMI
west. and there vas danger that the
flames would carry o. the Third ave
nue. McCahe block. as there vas only a