Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-04
FIRE DESTROYS
ONLY THEATRE
IN PLOW CITY
Moline Playhouse Is in Ruins. Re-
suit Of Fire Early This Morn
ing-N0 One Injured.

The Moline theatre. largest play
house in this city, was badly dam
aged at an early hour this morn
ing, when fire broke out in the rear
Of the building Coal, which has
been burning for a week, is thought
to have been the cause of the fire
Damages are estimated at $4,000
and is partially covered by insur-
ance.
Joe Otto. the janitor and fireman
Of the building, was sleeping on
the second floor of the structure
and al 3 o'clock this morning was
awakened by the roar Of the fire.
He Ieaped to the ground through
window and phoned the fire depart
meut This was at SIP. Ten min
utes later Chief John Q. Hawk put
in call for the fire departments
Of Rock Island and Davenport. And
10 minutes later the rear wall of
the building caved in and ewith 1t
came the ceiling. Few witnessed
the fire. although the flames could
have been seen for miles.
The building was owned by the
. Chamberlain Kindt company and
was the estate of Frank Chamber
lain. 1t was partially built by Mo
line public subscription. 1t is be
lieved that but $4,000 Insurance
was carried on the building. Mrs.
. Frank Chamberlain lives in Hart
/ ford. Conn. and until word is re
ceiyed from her definite arrange
mentS as to its rebuilding viii not
3 be known. It is thought that the
( structure will not be rebuilt, as
/ Mrs. Chamberlain had long been
! contemplating retiring from the
+ theatrical business.
Seven people escaped cremation
in the fire. when they were asleep
on the floors above last evening:
( Mrs. z. X. Taylor. manager Of the
/ theatre. her niece, Olive Roberts;
/ Mr.. and Mrs Charles Healey, Mr.
and Mrs. Joe Otto
/ Wonderful and efficient work on
the part Of the fireman saved the
I entire structure from ruins and the
ancient buildings located across the
{ street on Second avenue and those
on Third avenue adjacent to the
theatre building. The Tri-City Blue
Print company escaped with a loss
of 5000. The building was threat
ened by the flames continually.
The asbestos curtain on the stage
saved the front part Of the building.
Scorching Of woodwork and de
struction Of several sears are the
only damages in the front part of
the theatre.
/ Residents in the block were i'm
mediateIy awakened and fed from
/ their homes to safety. The dense
/ smoke made escape very difficult,
but all were outside before fire lad
/ reached their apartments. TeIe-
phone poles and live wires were
brought TO the ground by the fall
ing walls Light service was dis
continued: street cars were delay
ed, especially those on the East Mo-
line lines Mrs Bertha Boney is
/ credited with being the first to
turn in the general alarm and r.
F. Pouder Of the Osborn flats was
/ first to telephone the chief.
A campaign was opened in No
. line Is years ago to erect just such
a theatre building. There was an
auditorium in the same location as
! the present theatre, but It burned a
few years previous to the campaign
The proposition of erecting anCth-
err assembly was instigated by Ell
mer Morgan. N. j. McEniry and
the late c. II. Deere. The Cham
berlain. Kindt company, owners Of
( theatres in Illinois, Iowa and sew
eral other states, were interested
in the project. Moline promised the
/ concern $4,000 by popular sub
scEiption if a modern building could
be erected and further said the
building would be given to them
outright. The suggestion was TAX
en- up and $4,000 was raised in
Moline. Subscribers received one
seat for the first performance for
each $40 contributed. The struc-
ture cost approximately $4,000