Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-23
ANOTHER FIRE IN THE LOONEY
BUILDING DOES BIG DAMAGE

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C.. C. Myers. damage to household
goods, $4,000.
IL Partially Insured.
The loss is partially covered by in
surance, but it is not known just how
much insurance there is on the diff
ferent buildings. The Schmidt and
Haas buildings are fully covered, and
the loss on the Allen, Myers & Co.
| stock is fully covered. tits not known
Just what insurance is in force on the
Lconey block.
The fire this morning is the third
startling occurrence in this building
since February. The press room of
the publication which occupied the
| west side of the building was dyna-
| mited Monday morning. March 2S, and
| two weeks ago, Nov. II, fire broke out
ir the rear of the Looney building,
and caused about $1,000 damage. This
| fire, too, was of mysterious origin.
Difficulty Over Adjustment.
| Wnlle ueliillle luIOTuldIlOH cOulu nOl
| be secured today as to the insurance
| it is understood that at the time of
] the fire Nov. II there was SAL 500 in
surance on the Looney block. 1t is
reported that last Thursday the ad-
| justors. fixed the liability at between
| IS, 4G0 and $500, and that when the
owner Of the building refused to settle
| ON this basis, the companies offered
| 1900. This was refused, also, and ii
| is understood that notice was given
that all policies were cancelled. The
law requires five days notice, it is
said, and if this is the case,z the five
days would not expire till tomorrow.
1t is stated that several of the lead
ing insurance agencies of this city
have, as fast as policies expired, re
fused to renew the risks, and that in
one or two instances the agencies have
Cancelled policies. using registered mail
as a means of securing notice OF
the owner.
Payable to KOester.
| G. A. Rooster of Davenport has beer
| the complainant in the circuit court il
a foreclosure suit to force a settlement
on mortgages involving an indebted
ness of about $4,000, for which this
block was security. Judge w. H. Ges
was expected to give a decision il
this long drawn out case this week.
| According to insurance men, any in
surance payable as the result of tn;
fire would be paid over to the mort
gage, Mr. Rooster, and would be cred
tied on the Indebtedness. 1t is stat
ed that all insurance involving mort
gagged property is made with a pro
vision that the Insurance, if it become.
due, shall be paid to the mortgage a:
his interest shall appear.
But it seems that there is likely t.
lbe a contest over the question o
whether the insurance was in force o
not.
Different Alarms Given.
i A number of different theories art
advanced concerning the origin of TIT
!. fire and everyone who claims TO hav,
seen the start Of the blaze reports it il
e different way. Some claim that tn
/, fire started i'll the third floor of tn
, building in the rear of the shoe store
J above the room formerly used as tn
; press room of the publication at on
, time run by Looney. Another claim
, that the fire started in the shoe stor
r itself and others say it originated i
the hallway leading to the upper floor:
t At any rate the fire started at Az
, and the alarm was turned in by tw
different persons. Peter Hayman, tn
night Waterman employed by the me
! chants, says he discovered the blaZ
about 1920 At that time it was burr
ing in the rear of the shoe store an
the fact that all air shaft for the built
ing was located there caused it [
splead rapidly and soon the rest {
the building was on fire.. He tried
i telephone in tne alarm but was unabl
to get central on one phone an
), he had to go 10 one of the bank bull,
ings on Eighteenth street and use al
!. other phone.
August Eggert, an employe of I'll
:, Mueller Lumber company, passed tt
store about 1920 and noticed the bla;
:, in the shoe store. He hurried aero:
the street to J. e. James restaural