Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-05
BIG MYSTERY
FIRE SWEEPS
kANSASCITY
Damage Put in Millions
Moline Plow Co. Loss
is $1OO, 900.

Kansas City, Mo, April 5.-Con-
fronted by loss that might extend
beyond the first conservative esti-
mates of S2,5OO,0OO Kansas City's
wholesale district in the west bot
toms, today began to take stock of
the damage wrought by fire of un-
known origin that last night de-
stroyed three city blocks of build
ings and damaged many others.
Police and fire department Of
ficials at first secuted the idea that
the fire was of incendiary origin,
early today said reports indicated
the fire had started in several
places at the same time" and that
they would make an investigation.
Other reports were that the con-
fagration started in a car of bas-
kets at the Abernathy Furniture
company storage building on St.
Louis avenue 1t was pointed out
that the fire was whipped forward
so rapidly by a strong wind that it
possibly gave rise to the idea that
it broke out in several places SIM
ultaneOusly.
No war materials are stored or
are being manufactured in the dis
trict, it is said.
IS Business Buildings Destroyed.
| Building occupied by IS business
concerns were destroyed.
Six firemen were injured. Five
were caught under falling wall
and the other was cut by flying
glass None is seriously hurt.
The fire spread quickly to the
Brite- Mawnin Grocery company's
building. Both buildings were blaz>
/ ing fiercely before the firemen
could train streams on them.
| Sparks carried fire across the
streets to the Thompson-Munro-
Robins chemical company and the
blaze spread down to Ninth street
one block north, ignitiDg the build
ing of the American steel and wire
company.
The fire then spread south and
west and 1t was three and one-half
| hours before firemen brought it
under control. .-....
The flames's toll included num-
Der of small warehouse buildings,
rooming hosuses, saloons and two
restaurants.
| Early today these estimates. said
| to have been made conservatively,
were given on business that suffer
ed damage to the extent of $50,O0O
or more:
Moline PI0w Company In 1t.
! Ridenour-B Baker Grocery COM
pany. 100000; Brokers' Office and
Warehouse Co, $4,000: Brite-Maw-
min Grocery Co, 100000; Thomp-
n-Munroe-R Robins Chemical COM
/ pany. 5000 900; Illinois Glass COM
| Danv. $4,000; Great Western Mfg
company, 100000; Plains Oil COM
pany, Kinnear and Kasper Mfg.
company, Max NJ. Cohen Implement
company and Haysler Iron com
pany, $4,000 each; c. A. Murdock
| Coffee company, $500, 900; Webb
Bros. Betting company, 100000;
American Steel and Wire company,
! $3.50 900; Lowe Bros. Paint com
nanv. 5000 900; Waukesha Brewing
and Spring company, 100000
Kansas-Moline Plow company,
100000.
CThe Kansas Moline Plow COM
panv. which sustained a 100000
! loss in the big Kansas City fire, is
a branch of the Moline Plow COM
panyO
! Loss Near Five Million!
An estimate by a morning news
paper places the loss at $2,5OO,OVo,
hut owing to the wide area covered
nv the blaze and the great amount
of merchandise and other materials
destroyed, it was impossible to con-
! firm these figures.
! This morning officials of an un-
derwriter's association said 1t stlll
was impossible to obtain more than
a rough estimate of the loss which
| thew placed at from $3,000,00O to
| S5,000000.
Incendiary Origin Belief.
That the fire which last night de-
stroyed about three city blocks in
the wholesale and manufacturing
district in the western section OF
the CITY entailing a heavy financial
loss. was of incendiary origin was
the theory advanced at noon today
nv lanes Z. Marvin, fire warden.
Mr.. Marvin added, however, that
no tangible clew had been found to
establish the theory definitely
Il grew suspicious when it was
called to my attention that the fire
had burned against the wind Mr..
Marvin declared Almost as soon
as the fire was discovered other
| fires began to break out in ada
cent buildings. That would indi-
cate the fires were deliberately
started as they were not situated so
that sparks from the first fire could
have been thrown upon them.