Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-21
rirsmen and Police Prais.
ed for Fight Against
Enemy.

Fire that resulted in the entire
destruction Of the Bijou cigar store
and pool hall stock on the first
f,oor Of the building at 1926 Second
avenue, owned by Mrs. John P. Sex
ton. and about $4,000 damage to
The building at $40 o'clock last
night, threatened the destruction of
The Argus building adjoining with
a possibility of taking in the entire
south side of the 1000 block in a
conhagration.
Determined action of the Rock Is
land firemen under the leadership
Of Fire Chief August Schmidt, to-
gether with the efficient work per-
formed by the police under the dis
c.pline of Chief Tom Cox, is held
responsible for the averting of a
catastrophy to the business dis
tNct
II. ]. Kahn proprietor of the
Bijou, announced at noon today
that the loss ON his stock Of goods
will approximate $4,000.
The upper floors of the building
lsre occupied by the Rex hotel, and
z FRI that reached from the first
floor to the roof of the building
through skylight shaft, together
with damage by water, it is said
will bring the total loss on the
building and contents near the
$4,000 mark.
The Argus Damaged.
Loss to The Argus is approx
matelye 5000, caused by both water
md nre. Both The Argus and the
Sexton building heating plants use
tie same chimney, and this was
considerably damaged. The Argus
was otherwise damaged by water
II paper files and tn the heating
plant.
Firemen Are " ..ters.
The firemen with six streams of
water and expert use of chemical
Equipment won against the flames
that in a half hour after the fire
lad started were threatening to
tveep the entire block.
The police and fire department
members are trained in two distinct
Ines Of work, but those who saw
the members of the two depart
nents working together last night
Tere impressed with the sureness
fith which each performed duties
dad the reliance which each de-
Rfsment placed upon the other in
arTing out their appointed tasks.
Furnace Room Burns First.
The fire started in the furnace
Com in the Sexton building, and
big start before discovered
& pough q number Of persons were
Ine cigar store at the time.
\ ". kain was at his residence at
\ Fourteenth street when the
q broke out and the business at
Nj Store was being looked after by
= mo clerks, Kenneth Kone and
->lat voss. j.
u vas said that the first evidence
utne flre was noticed by a custom
. o. the store. who saw smoke
wning through cracks of the floor.
aone then went to the door leading
@wn to the furnace room. The fur
lce room was discovered enve-
sped In flames.
a elephone call was put in to
le nre department and the fire box
:. .ae corner was also pulled to
a1s sure of a correct alarm.
svue laen placed the cash in the
sa,e and BY that time all hands
ss.e grabbing for the door portals
ue room was filled with smoke
~ tne flames were squirting
Vasn the floor in several places.
Sn Companies Respond.
M runs were made by six
umpanies to the scene. Two
~ ,Sp.ales responded from the CEN
h 49,. .ion and were on the scene
N s order. Companies from the
ln,. No. 5, No. 4 and No. s. sta
Sas 1nved son after. In addi-
/ n, arrived soon after. In addi-
~. station at Sears came to
n. Doa Gas Masks.
~, ~ Cnief Schmidt directed his
~, nsnt the fire from both the
~ sSa front ends of the build
ns.,. iae nremen donned their gas
49,. ~ made their way into the
"a mos 9 the building. The heat
ChssO hslOse g drove them back.
r. ~. Scnmidt opened a manhole
trUss :, the building and the
nm -w''oWed him beneath the
tsSe ne police were busy on
- Ihsy had oil street cars cars and
IN ..s tied up as lines of
hhe !. a'd. A few iremen were
u ;,s.sn sne sidewalk in front of
M ss,s,ns sssa directing streams Of
~ the seat Of the fire.
N s, .ne a portion Of the fioor
sssal sad one Of the pool tables
hslsn = mo the furnace room.
~ 800 ~ lne gases produced a
~ sh..eat to blow out the
9 a. Window at the front Of
~ a. !, drinking the firemen
Mhet ,ssssd ,ssssd pieces of glass.
S&n + - ~. me firemen were ly-
aeis.s .o to have saved them
s -, ~ INJURIES. The report
'on was heard for