Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-09
Damage of So, 500 at the Rock
Island House Sunday
Morning.
GUESTS ARE PANIC STRICKEN
Two Women Walk Out in Bare Feet
Time Lost in Reaching De-
partment.

4
.ngs, shared by the building
lowner, w. o. Negus, and the lessees
Messrs. J. E. Montrose and Charles
McHugh, suffered a loss of $4,000.
mostly from smoke. the flames having
been confined TO the basement, and the
Postal. Telegraph company Office at the
rear of the first floor was nearly total
wreck, entailing a loss of $500,
wires cut and burned. instru-
ments ruined. and batteries deadened.
The Postal was obliged TO shift TO 9th
er quarters. going TO the room on the
same floor formerly occupied by a
commission firm. Here the forces of
| the company labored through the day,
bringing the wires TO the new Office,
and installing batteries and instru-
ments in the hope that the lines would
be in working order today so as not to
interfere with the regular business.
Time Lost Calling Department.
When the fire was discovered
by Chief Clerk Martin an eff
fort was made Immediately to raise the
department by telephone, but fully five
minutes elapsed before the cen
trat Office could be informed, and
another five minutes ensued before the
message was transmitted to the depart
ment. Thus 10 minutes, enough time
for the fire, ordinarily, to have spread
to the four upper floors and had start
that the departments of the three cities
could not have checked before the
block was ruined, and lives lost posi- |
bly,. 1t is a forceful reminder of the
neglect of the administration in fail |
ing to heed the public demand for the |
installation of an independent fire |
alarm system-one where it is simply |
necessary to pull lever and the de-
partment is notified instanter. There /
is no chance for an error as to location,
as under the backwoods arrangement |
of the present day, when not infre-
quently the firemen are summoned TO
sections of the city far remote from the
fire. \ false alarm is serious enough,
but in such a case the department alone
suffers; there is no property or lives
en- Endangered, as in the instance of yes
terday morning.
F'Iremcn DO Excellent Work.
But once Chief Charles Hastings and
his men were on the scene of the Rock
Island house fire they performed eX-
cellent service. The flames were ex-
tinguished quickly. and a hurried in
conducted through the hotel
TO ascertain whether the flames had
crept between the side walls, as is so
often the case. and were breaking out
IN other portions of the building. The
lanes originated behind the furnace.
N the basement. under the wash room,
10 7 (
small quantity of kindling wood in the I
basement. near To- the furnace, but it
s not believed by the attaches of the r
rouse that at any time the furnace be- :
anne so hot during the night as to ig-
lite this wood. and the impression ap-
'ears To be that the spark was thrown
" an electric wire that had not been
properly insulated.
Smudge In Dense.
The fire burned the rafters in the
asement. and doubtless would have
'orked its way to the wash room and |
ITO the Office but for the tile floor. A,
he flames had broken through into
ne Postal Telegraph company's office. &
nd played havoc with the apparatus. q
he house was filled. from the base
tent to the garnet. with smoke and +
nudge. when the department arrived, a
nd IL was with difficulty that Chief
hastings and his men made their way !,
trough to- the location of the fire. ;,
uests who had been aroused by :,
lie hotel management and told
, dress as hastily as possible, each
ne being called separately, stood at III
lie open windows and reached their d.
eads ont for refreshing bit of air. il
hree women managed to get down
airs just as the department was get Il
ne to work. The women carried their {,
noes and stockings in their hands. d;
hey were SO excited that they could
Dt be persuaded to return to their C,
IONS, but walked out into the snow. RI
-ossing the street, and putting on their q
Toes and stockings in the doorway of
store. One man who was on the n
'urth floor threatened to jump He a,
as half asleep. but the crowd that had -
altered shouted 10 him not TO lose his =,
sad. for he would surely lose it if he
mped. He investigated. and after
lding that he could get Oct by the p'
ak route, he came back and report IN
TO the audience. M
servant De~cends Fire Escape.
One of the housemaids was on the Al
urth floor when the wave of smoke
ruck there She grew hysterical, run dc
ng for the fire escape. on which she WI
aveled. screaming for help. until she LEI
ached the second floor. from which M
int she would have to jump. She on
lied for a ladder. but some man with IN
mirable presence Of mind went to
e inside of the house. going to the fol
cond floor. where he raised a window. ira
d helped the frightened woman into ert
2 parlor. where she regained her ira
I'm Two hours after the fire had We
en- out there was a call from one of SCI
E guest rooms. A boy responded. bu