Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-12
FIGHT FIRE UNDER
MUCH DIFFICULTY
Chiefs Foot Frozen and Fireman Sar'
ginsOn Knocked Out BY
81 Smoke.

Damage to the extent of between
$500 and $1,000 was done, one fireman
was knocked out by smoke, and Chief
Ed Milloen froze his right foot, during
a fire which partially destroyed resi-
dence at 1925 Seventeenth street, East
Moline, this morning The fire truck
went out of commission, too, and from
4:30 till after the city was entirely
without fire protection except OF the
most primitive sort.
1t was ! AS when a call came to the
firemne The truck, which has an en-
CINE of only 35 horsepower, made pro-
gress through the snow drifts with DIFF
ficulty, and it took nearly Is minutes
the blaze. After the fire had been ex-
tinguished and the company started
back to headquarters the truck wasn't
able to get through, and the best eff
forts of George Sarginson, driver,
were of little avail. The firemen and
police officers who had aided in fight
ing the fire had to put their back to
the truck and push the machine over
the Rock Island railway crossing.
When the machine was finally, after
struggle of more than half an hour,
back in the station, it was out of serv-
ice, and it took mechanic several
hours to get it in order again.
| Members. of the family of August
Roegiers Were driven out into the cold
by the fire. A chimney in the house
fell down, knocking over red-hot
stove and setting fire to the floor and
walls. When the stove fell over mem
bers of the family tried to fight the
fire but it soon was beyond their con-
troll and the department was summon
ed When the firemen left the station
the flames were leaping high into the
air, and could be seen from headquar-
tiers, nearly mile away.
Rarely have East Moline firemen
been called upon to combat fire
under more trying conditions. The
Roegiers residence stands on the edge
of prairie which gave clean SWEEP
to the biting wind, and this made the
firemen's job difficult one. Dense
smoke in the house made it almos i'm.
possible to work with the hose George
Sarginson took hose into the thick
est of the smoke and worked for ar
hour When he reached the station
again he collapsed and was compelled
to take to his bed, and he is under 4
doctors care.
Il When the firemen were struggling
with the truck, after working more
{ than two hours at the fire, one O
{ Chief Milloen's feet became frozen. 1
was not seriously frozen, but it wa.
causing him considerable suffering to
/ day.
Before the firemen arrived the thret
, members of the household in tht
: burning residence had fled and fount
refuge in a neighboring house, ant
they did not return to assist the fire
men.
. Patrolmen Outright and Hedmal
rendered valuable assistance to the
, firemen in combating the flames.
, Members of the fire department
| were irate today over the handicap!
under which they work. They repea
the statement of a garage expert tina
/ the fire truck hasn't power enough t.
climb one of the hills in the town. TIL,
: finer residences in the city are on TIL,
, upper plateau.
: The truck should have an engin.
, with several times as much power
; The city needs modern alarm system
, another fire company, additional hose
, some ladders with which it would b,
possible to reach the roof of a two
story house, (now an impossibilit,
with present equipment), better chem
ical extinguishers and better equip
; ment of personal nature for tn,
, men. 1t it intimated today that Their,
will be designations of certain mem
bers Of the fire department shortly i
the council does not manifest a diff
ferent attitude. Requests for equip
, ment have been continually turned
, down, and the firemen were recent,
refused an increase in pay
Letter Box Demolished.
An auto, fighting snow drifts, de
molished the mail box at Eight
street and Fifteenth avenue last night
The machine was but slightly dam
aged.
Package Stolen.
, Report has been made to the polio,
that package belonging to C. Foste
was stolen last evening in a saloon
Two Negroes are charged with hav
ing stolen the package. They wer,
chased, but escaped. 1t was not re
.. ported what the package contained.
TEACHERS GIVE HELP.
Members of the Moline exemption
board are indebted to L. A. Mahoney
superintendent of the city schools, fol
the assistance thew have had from III,