Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-13
POOR PRESSURE
AGAIN HAMPERS
FIRE FIGHTERS
Flames Take Nurses Quarters
at Hospital Because of
Lack of Water.
is CLIMAX OF A SERIES
Department Receives Half q Dozen
Calls in IS Hours-cooper
Residence Damaged

Fires. following each other in rapid
succession, kept the department on
the jump Saturday night and Sunday
morning, the most important being one
which destroyed the nurses quarters
at the city hospital. There were six
alarms in 10 hours, three of them COM
ing from the hospital.
The first call TO the hospital result
ed from a fire on the roof of the ice
house. There was little damage this
time. only a few shingles being de-
stroyed. but it Is believed that a spark
generated then became lodged in the
roof OF the building nearby in which
the nurses made their quarters and
kept alive for the six hours which in.
tervened before the last blaze broke
out
The first call took place at 6:15. At
10 o'clock the No. company was
again summoned. crossed wires in the
laundry chute having caused sparks
10 fly In a dangerous manner. There
was no fire az this time. however.
NURSE SEES FIRE.
At 1890 came the third call to the
hospital Miss Gertrude Tiedeman,
one of the nurses. discovered the fire,
the roof Of the west wing being abiaze
at the time She spread the alarm
among the other Is nurses asleep in
the building and the department was
notified. Though the response was
quick enough the water pressure was
lamentably poor and from the begin
ming it was evident that little could
be done.
The flames. starting IN the roof,
slowly ate their way downward and
he second floor had been destroyed
before they we're finally brought un
der control in a desperate two hours
fight. Every effort was made to in
crease the pressure. but the pumping
plant could give little aid. Had the
fire occurred in daytime when the
mains were required TO supply the
usual demand the consequences might
have been still more serious.
As Il was. when the fire reached the
first floor II was impossible to reach
Il effectively and so the damage from
flames was confined 10 the second
story Everything below, however
was damaged bv smoke and water.
The Is nurses had no difficulty il
getting out safely. but they were un
able 10 save all their clothing and the
loss under this head alone is consid
cradle. Quarters were quickly founC
for the employees in residences in the
neighborhood and here they will b.
cared for till the city can provide an
other building
According 10 William Richards, pres
ident Of the hospital board, the los
is $1,000. fully covered by insurance.
sTANDPIPE USELESS.
During the hospital fire, water from
the standpipe was turned on for tn
first time since the structure was erect
ed. City Electrician Fred Harrington
opened the valve, but the main TO tn
hospital being small, II did little good
The department had but two lines o
hose and these were connected wit
the same hydrant, 500 feet from tn
fire.
City officers say that the plan Is Z
connect the standpipe with each mai
on the blur separately. so that tn
water IN an emergency may be sen
wherever II Is needed. This is on
81 the improvements yet TO be made
Nearly as serious as the hospits