Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-20
THANKS CITIES
FOR THEIR HELP
Council Adopts Formal Resolution Re-
garding Aid of Davenport and
Moline Departments.
NEW ORDINANCE PROPOSED
Suggested That Yards Be Separated
From All Other Buildings-Pres-
sure Trouble Explained.

The fire at the Rock Island Sash &
Door Works plant Friday evening was
the subject of some attention last
evening by the city council i'll its reg
ular session Alderman Trefz intro.
duced a resolution, which was unani-
mously adopted, extending the city's
thanks officially to the cities of Daven-
port and Moline, and the fire depart
ments of those cities, for the prompt
and efficient service rendered in fight
ing the fire. The full text of the res0-
luton appears in the official record
of the council proceedings, published
elsewhere in this issue.
The lesson of Fridays fire should
not be overlooked" said Alderman Os-
from, in introducing motion that the
ordinance committee report at once an
ordinance to prevent the piling of
lumber in the city limits within GER
tain distances of other buildings. DR..
Ostrom suggested either 80 or 100
yards as the open space to be re-
Quired "Of course we like to have
these big factories, and there is no
disposition to work any hardships on
any OF Them said DR.. Ostrom. but
had the wind been blowing in the OPP
pOsite direction with the same force
Friday. not a man in the city, and
certainly none residing on the lower
level and in the central residence dis
trict, would have considered that plant
good thing at that time DR.. Os-
trom's motion carried without oppo-
sition.
Talks Pressure.
Alderman Ellinwood was on hand
with his usual complaint-in fact he
had two-and those presented had as
much merit as Alderman Ellinwood' S
kicks usually have He had a great
tale of woe about the waterworks en-
2ines and the pressure during the fire.
Superintendent J. w. Cavanaugh ex.
planned to the alderman. who happens
to be chairman of the waterworks
committee, that it requires time to re-
verse the valves and do the other
work necessary before the new engine
could be started and take up the load
CT supplying pressure. Mr.. Cavanaugh
stated that the old pump was never
stopped until the new one was doing
the work, ard that only about 10 min
utes was required to change the
valves. Mr.. Ellinwood declared tina,
he understood or had been informed
that only one man was allowed tC
start the new pump. This Mr.. Cava
naugh promptly denied, stating thai
any of the engineers can start the
pump. though the changing of the
valves requires the work of more than
one man when the case is one OF
emergency.
What Allied Pressure.
Finally the superintendent discev
cred that Mr. Ellinwood was no
aware of the cause of the pressure
difficulty, and he explained that sooI
after the fire broke out, the falling
of the. big tank broke two four-incl
mains, and with these running the en-
gineers could not control the pressure
One of these mains remained open un
til 6 O'Clock Saturday morning, AM
the other was shut off only after.
had run for several hours. The opel
ends were in the center of the fire
and the engineers could find no on
to locate the valves in the midst o
the roaring furnace that surrounds
them. The superintendent stated ais
that the action of Alderman Day @
Moline, i'll opening the emergenc
valve between the Rock Island an
Moline mains. was not necessary. a
though he had accepted the alderman
offer in the spirit it was made II
had not considered, however. that til
situation required the service from tn
Moline mains. Chief Hastings SUI
ported the statement of the superb
/tendent that the breaking of the pipe
was the difficulty with the pressur
More About Cost.
Alderman Ellinwoods other cor
plant was given slight consideia attic
by the council. He wanted write
IcDOlI anu vi tHe ul1lt
ences between certain figures in II
estimate and the final bill for the pa
ing of Seventh avenue, between Thi
tieth and Thirty eighth streets. H
resolution received no second. but Il
city engineer was present, and remar
ing that to explain to Alderman Eli
wood is an impossibility, but he wou
endeavor to satisfy the other 13 me-
bers of the council, Mr. Treichler to,
up the items. and explained the~difft
ences. He showed that as matt
of fact the final cost was lower TIL
the cost stated in the original es
mate. Alderman Ellinwood protest
that he could not get the matt
straight from a verbal report, b
wanted a written one to ponder ov
He was informed that a sworn sta
ment is made to the county cou
and certified bills are filed with I