Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-20

2 ands of people are camped. The third
: was threatening the western section
Il the point against which the firemen
. were benning their greatest efforts.
5 Dynamite was used for back-firing
{ purposes with only fair success. Chief
| of Police Oman said he thought 250
would fully cover the number OF
deaths. About fifty bodies thus far
have been found.
FLAMES REACHING THE FRAME
RESIDENCE DISTRICT.
With each succeeding hour the de-
vastation and destruction in this strick-
en- and PROSTATE ruin of city grows
and grows. At 6 O'Clock ii seemed as
if nothing could save the compare
lively small portion that yet remained
unburned The entire business and
Wholesale district was only a glowing
furnace, while giant tongues of fire
reached westward far beyond Vanness
avenue, and were wiping out buildings
and seeking more>to devou-.
At O'Clock the authorities saw the
only hope of saving the western addi-
ton with it's forest of frame dwellings,
and the Richmond district, with its
| thousands of homes, was to check the
march of the wall of fire at Vanness
avenue.
LAST DESPERATE EFFORT AT
VANNESS AVENUE
This avenue is 80 feet wide and the
possibilities of checking the march of
the flames here looked hopeful TO those
who were figuring ways and means in
the hour of awful horror. Orders were
given to concentrate every fire engine
in the city at the avenue, to marshal
troops of soldiers, police and all the
army of workers and make one last
stand to save the remainder of the city.
The cooperation of artillery was secur-
ed and huge cannons drawn to the av-
enue by military horses to aid the dy-
namiters in blowing up the mansions
of millionaires in order to prevent the
flames from leaping across the high
way and starting on their way unre-
strained across the western addition.
EXPLOSIONS LIKE ROAR OF BAT
TIE TELL OF FIGHT.
Every available pound of dynamite
was hauled to this point and the sight
was one of stupendous and appalling
havoc as the cannons were trained on
the palaces and shot tore into the
walls and toppled buildings in crush
ing ruins. At other points dynamite
was used, and house otter house, the
dwellings, of milliOnaires, were lifted
into the air by the power of the bel
lowing blast and dropped to the earth
mass of dust and debris. The work
was necessarily dangerous and many
exhausted workers who kept working
through a stretch of As hours without
sleep and scarcely any food. through
the force of instructive heroism alone.
may have been killed while making
this last desperate stand.
DRIVEN TO MADNESS PEOPLE
TEMPT SURE DEATH.
While the fire fighters were making
the last stand at Vanness avenue, pan
ic reigned among the survivors in other
parts of the city. The intense heat and
the absence of water was so terrible
that scores became frantic and others
dropped from exhaustion in the streets
In the panic many mad things are
done. Even the soldiers were obliged
in many instances to prevent men and
women, made insane from misfortune,
from rushing into the doomed build
ings in the hope of saving valuables
from the ruins. In nearly every in
stance such action resulted in death to
those who tried it.
CONGESTION OF REFUGEES is
SERIOUS PROBLEM.
Probably 100000 refugees struggled
to get out of the city, and hourly the
task became more difficult as the fire
and heat cut off avenue after avenue
of escape. The streets were filled with
struggling people, some crying and
weeping and calling for missing loved
ones. The sufferers were invading the
few buildings that remain in the hope
of finding something to eat. They only
desisted when warned or shot by sol |
diers. The sufferings of many from |
hunger were pitiful Thousands OF |
people were sleeping on the hills or |
standing gazing with grim faces on the |
lurid scene below.
PLAN RESTORATION AND TO CARE !
FOR STRICKEN.
San Franciscos best and highest |
class of citizens has already begun to |
plan for restoration and to care for |
the stricken ones and relief will be |
and effective. Total sub
scriptions of $1S0,000 were announced
Arrangements were made for the i'm.
mediate relief of the needy. The bak-
ing of $4,000 loaves of bread daily will |
begin today. Free transportation will |