The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-28

pletely extinguished.
4 The IRE was discovered about 10
o'clock by Harold Leik and James
wells workmen. who were trans
hiring stock in the basepent OF
~ woolworth store. Throwing
spsa . door to q room in which
vas stored celluloid toilet articles
h stock for the Christmas trade,
lIik saw the smoke Of the fire
nouldering in the insufficient air
II the room. With rapidity almost
gaiuing the proportions Of an ex-
Dlodon. the flames were famed
illp . terrific confagration by the
N rushing through the open door
INTO the room.
Brave Flames.
I having the intense heat Of the
Nass of. the inf1amable celluloid,
lkk and Wells attempted to douse
Ae IRE with buckets OF water which
hey rushed from q nearby hydrant.
\ Dat their feeble efforts were with
ut avail and the flames crept up
INTO the joists OF the flooring Of the
store before they gave up their
Efforts.
tFire trucks from all the stations
~ the city were rushed to the scene
fof the fire and soon the powerful
streams Of IL lines OF hose were
playing on the flames which were
ating their way up the staircasing
md through the walls.
Rescue Women.
Trrorstricken by the smoke
Which was pouring into their apart
ments on the third f0or above the
Woolworth building, Mrs. Harry
Mitchell and Mrs. E. E. Landry
we're unable to make their escape,
not being able. in their confusion,
% operate the fire escapes.
y eir screams for help brought
several fremen to their assistance
and. amid the plaudits of the large
crowd which thronged all the
!horoughfares about the burning
naildlng. the fire fighters carried
NE women down the escapes to
niety.
Arsenal firemen. OF duty, re-
.ponded to the call and offered
Selr services to Fire Chisf Peter
Denser. who assigned them to tasks
aons with the Davenport men.
Loss Complete.
The building which the Wool
soith store occupies is the property
" Harry Philips. commissioner on
~e board Of public improvements,
nssenport. Loss to the building
Meli is estimated at $4,000, the
saufe store being gutted by the
asme@ smoke and torrents of water
valch flooded the place.
Mmage to the stock belonging to
M woolworth company was prac-
1sliy complete and the loss Is
Iumated at s25,000. Thousands Of
soliars worth of holiday goods
sa,cn had already been shipped In
.aa mad been stored in the baae-
n1 similarly to the exception
w Mree supply Of the iqlasm-
.oie celluloid goods which tere
- airect cause Of the flame reach
such untoward proportions.
nIu't and candy stock OF the
ma Candy company to the west
Me woolworth store. were ruin
Nv the smoke and water and It ID
nHNcted that the loss sustained by
= concern will mount to $4,000.
shoe Stores Suffer.
smoke and water damaged the
os 10 the stocks Of the S. b. 4 8.
~ walkover shoe stores. one Of
a'cn dank the Woolworth store
~ eitner side. 1t is thought that
~ icss will be $1,000 to each OF
~ 49, stores, although the flames
s%selves were confined entirely
see building owned by Philips.
~. cause Of the fire II unknown,
s.uoush spontaneous combustion
probably set the blaze tc
uioering near the celluloid
s us' In the room in the base
m % IN which there was practic-
no circulation. the sparh
isSsIdered perhaps for some time
Leik and Wells had cause
$. ss.es the room. Once the ais
~ gwen free play and fresh sup
4. Of oxygen were famed into
oom by the circulation in thu
sat itself the smouider hufsi
se. and In : Hash IL GntirS
Z 49, ~ hlaaln1 ~