When was it published?

September 27, 1849 in The Davenport Gazette

Story September 27, 1849

The Davenport Gazette

Q: What keywords are associated?

Fire, Cape Girardeau, Fire Engines, Davenport, Rock Island, St Louis Republican

Davenport, Scott County, Iowa

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What is this article about?

Commentary on a recent fire in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, highlighting the absence of fire engines in that city of 1,200 people, and noting that nearby Davenport and Rock Island, with 4,000 combined inhabitants, also lack any fire company or engines.

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OCR Quality

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Full Text

Engines.--Alluding to the fire, which recently visited Cape Girardeau, the St. Louis Repub. says:--"The people stared with astonishment at the sight presented them--no such fire ever having taken place in that city. It appears strange to us, that in a population of 1,200 persons, no engine company was to be found, and of course no means of restraining the ravages of the destroying element were at hand."

What will our cotemporary say when we inform him that neither Davenport nor Rock Island, possessing a joint population of 4,000 inhabitants, possesses an engine or even an organized fire company.

What sub-type of article is it?

Curiosity Disaster

What themes does it cover?

Catastrophe Misfortune

What keywords are associated?

Fire Cape Girardeau Fire Engines Davenport Rock Island St Louis Republican

Where did it happen?

Cape Girardeau, Davenport, Rock Island

Story Details

Location

Cape Girardeau, Davenport, Rock Island

Event Date

Recently

Story Details

A fire recently struck Cape Girardeau, astonishing residents as no such event had occurred there before, and the town of 1,200 lacked any fire engine company to combat it. The St. Louis Republican comments on this strangeness, and the article notes that nearby Davenport and Rock Island, with 4,000 combined residents, also have no engines or organized fire companies.