Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-17
9A0 mense postFuotion of PropertYll

nense Destruction of PTopertylI
That terrible destroyer which has heretofore laid
in ashes every other important towns in this State,
has at last visited our own fair city Of the plains,
anf in afeV brief houg swept almost every yestige
of If from existence, Amid the excitement aud
confusion which preFailsS It is impossible fotns 10
give our readers abroad more than brief summary
OF the painfully thrilling events Of the last thirty
hours. = II ii
Atten minutes past IL o'clock, on Tuesday night,
the appalling CRY of FIRE was sounded, and almost
instantly the entire Population rushed into the
street, and at once perceived that their drest np-
prehensions were more than fully realized.
dense mass of smoke and flame was seen issuing
from the millinery shop 81 Madame Lanos on the
north side ofSd street, two doors below 4th IN the
heart of one of the most cornbustbe blocksih tle
city. The wind for the FL time in many n.o mo IN!
was blowing a gale from the north, anu VIII .he
rnpidity of thought the fdevourng element snot
forth, its luId fangs fastenipg upon me
en- tenenents on either side OF the Dnliung' anu
IenYeloping themin sheetol hLe' ne iI ISS
store Of Madame Londe and the southern HOUSE, !
large faue hotel lust below soon alter caught anu
linen fnllovfsI in rapl succession the ignition oil
the adjoining buildings, occupied by Hart McAl-
PIN & Co., as paint shop, and by Fassensuo, per
fumer. This latter tenement was onectly olPo-
site the Crescent City Hotel and in another mo,
lnent the now uncomfortable enemy enclroled
In 1tsrcsstless folds this immense pile, and before
the flemen who were now N full force upon the
ground could stay ITS progress ine pnh1ns tioIi
n
was now papably evident that no human aid co9Id
avail aught TO save that section Of the ctyslyng
south and east oGthe Crescent City, and according
ly the occupants Of buildings on 4th ana Streets
Immediately commenced removing Their elects,
but before they had even determined where 10
convey them the Unsuitable foe was blowing ms mol
breath into thtir very faces In less than zen mn
utes ting fire cleaned a wide Track through 10 me
corner of and 4th streets, and then seized
upon the new brick stores owned by DE-. Carpen-
Ter and Others, on the northSslde OF H. anu the
hardware store of Nevett q Go. and the Fheni&
HOTEL on the south side Of the same thoroughtare.
The fiery tempest then swept eastward ana sonll-
word, destroying almost every building IN the city
east of th, and 10th, and south OF sueet. IN
these blocks we've the new brick Methodist Church
edifce, the most costly religious structure IN the
Stale, the Roman Catholic Church, the Baptist
Church and the old Methodist Church. The Horse
Market buildings and the numerous livery stables,
hay yards, hotels and restaurants in tins Wclnlyoi
the town-all are gone. In the meantime the IRE
had been gradually but surely working It's way
down Street on either SIDE, and on its passage
consumed the Missouri Hotel, adjoining the CreS-
cent City, and all the shops on the same SIDE OF the
street as far as Sd street These tenements were
all old and of but little intrinsic value, occupied
mostly by Hebrew clothers, and as lawyers of
fees. ORthe opposite side the fire was checked
for time by the fire. brick block of buildings o.
cupicd by Mitchell & Coz shoe dealersi Brown
Henry q Co., wholesale dealers in dry goods; w.
K. Hopkins & Co., aud the upper stairs by JOhp-
son, inguerreotypist, Winans s. Hyer, attorneys,
and Others Bntthe insidious foe stealthily dartcd
upon the sheds aud rookeriesln the lear OF the
block and soon afler, this Tow, piled with The cost
liest goods, presented nought but pile OF rub
Dish. ss.,4sv rtyI% Ht.....,u,,.p
We regret 10 learn that the valuable law library
of MeSSTs. Winans and Hyer, in the block, was TO
tally destroyed. The extensive iron warehouse OF
Brown, Henry & Co., was also wholly consumed.
The fire now crossed Sd street on both sides Of j,
and attacked the magnificent 'Overton Block four
stories high, and the lnTges, most expensive, and
HN,l NTEfan FNF
building in The city. Butt sank like grain before
reapel's sickle. The Tear of this house on Sd
street. has been for the last month occupied as The
Post Office, and contained at the time OF lis de-
Struclion all the property belonging TO that depart
ment, with the exception of the treasure and books
of Read & Co. The remainder Of the first story
was occupied as Saloons, StOrGs and Reads Bank
ing House. simultaneously with the ignition OF
the Overton Block, .4he block on the west side of
street below Sd, took fire, and now all hopes Of
saving any valuable buildings not perfectly fire.
proof, OF their contents were at an end. Fierce
and terrific did the aging pillows hurl themselves
against their pow erIeSs enemy men, and his works.
Extending as highsup as 9th ST., its boundaries
were marked by excluding the buildings on the
east of that street, and also eleven houses on
extending from the plaza TO Sth street. From sLh
down TO Page, Bacon & Co.'s (whOSe brick II did
not burn) il swepto every building in its progress
along j., and down to N, except the following: On
street the storesof Bushnell x Co., }. Ladison,
Watson and Biseoe. Saved on K streets Lady
Adams Co.. STANFORD 0 bIOlHeISs u z Suy
for they weIe not burnt. Their preservation is
not attributableto human exertion, but to the re-
sistance offered TO the fir. by the materials OF
which they we've constructed. 5...r5I /. ~
None of the city lying east of Ninth street was
destroyed; nor any of the buildings on the north
side of street. Onthe south side Of this street,
a great manybuildings were destroyed above 4th,
as high up as 9Th, extending through 10 ]; while
4th, not one WIS burned Immediately fronting on /,
although the flames ragged violently in their imme-
diate IeaI., 81 tU. rs r.F
Remarkable TO say, the Congregatonalist church
frame building ION 9th street, spared, while,
all aroundit the smaller buildings were cracking
and hurting their bright sparks into the heavens
Inthis connection we may say, that it was the on
ly one out Of many churches that was saved. -
It is useless at present to particularze. With
but two orthree exceptions, every splendid edthee
in the citY5has gone by the board-including the
Orleans H>tel, the handsome DF.ckHOw on X street
and many other beautiful brick structures, the
pride and ornament Of The city. 100000 0owin
not cover the loss. e.. stfi
LIST OF LOSSES STREET TO FIrTH.
cothrih g Potter, grocers, 5000
WaHenl& Go, seed store, 25,OO0
WoodcocK Saloon, 10000
Union Office, (brick building) $4,000
Magnolia Saloon, 10000
Restaurant, u 5000
Beckett d ShaIkey'R drug store, LOCO
Shoe shop and barber shop 1t 1,6OO
Savega's clothing store 1900
Ell Dorado Saloon, -a a.s.i 1 ,a.5e.t. $4,000 j
HHumbolt ts 1Fa.l.a I.slraa tils 10. 70 600 b