Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-10-30
Destructive FIRE Ar NOR

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT NOR
FOLK
! We are indebted to the Norfolk Herald for q
slip containing the particulars ola very destrsie~
! tive fire which occurred in that city on Sunday
morning THE following is the Herald account
Of the firc: Z a
The most destruc i've ere which has occurred
m our town since 1S4 which swept away,
most OF the houses on Town Point-took place
on sunday morning and is supposed to have
destroyed property TO the amount of ut least
seventy or eighty thousand dollars The fire
I was discovered about o clock by m fssueaof
smoke from the door of cooking room connec-
ted with the restaurant under the large four sto-
Try china store and dwelling Of sJanes Barry,
Esq formerly the Steamboat HOTEL at the
northeast corner ofAIarkee Square and Union
street Persons who first saw the smoke pro-
ceeded Immediately to break open the door of
the eaisiae, when volume Of dense smoke and
flame rushed out, and it was discovered that the
flames had not only full possession Of the room,
but the stairway, which furnish the only ay-
enue ofeScape- TO the street for the family above
Their cries Of terror ahd distress on being ava
kencd TO their awful and perilous condition,
may well be conceived but not described. Half
suffocated with smoke from every rection they
hurried with only their night clothes to the por-
tieo and implored the assistance of those below
/ to save them. ladders were Immediately
brought by some ofour active and noble heart
| ed tireInen, and IN few minutes they were all
landed in safety on the payement-Air and Mrs
Barry dndI4 or Is others, including eight ser
wants.
The time at which the fire broke out was most
unfortunate. Half the male population of the
city had been exercised till a late hour of the
night at political mectidgss most of whom had
| probably only been asleep for brief period
indeed at that hour the whole city might be said
| to have been buried IN profound slumber. Hence
before the hremen Were able to get their appa-
ratus in operation, nearly the whole interior of
the vast building was enYelOped in flames. With
Uncomfortable rapidly the fire communicated to
the adjoining compact block Of six handsome
stores on Market square, one of which, owned
by the estatesof J. D.. Gordon and occupied By
Enoch K. Gale as q shoe store, and the other,
owned, and occupied by William Johnston as
hat store and factory, were entirely destroyed;
and the next two, occupied by E. Quincy & TO-,
as shoe store, and Griffith i Wilson, as hard
ware store, were very much injured in their
roofs and third Stores-and their front walls, it
is supposed, will require to be taken down.
! Much of the stock in these four stores was NOV
ed ont, but considerable portion of il was lost
/ or damaged. .-....-.....-.-.. lszzlsa
| Mr. Barry's loss is very heavy. Nothing was
saved. The clothes of his. family, with the ex-
ception of the scanty covering in which they es-
caped-his valuable furniture estimated to have
cost four or five thousand dollars; all his books
papers and money; and an uncommonly large
stock ofchina, glass and crockery ware-all Of
which, together with the store he estimates ut
| fully S35, 000 AID only an insurance Of So, 900
on the house-all the rest a total loss But he
bears his loss with commendable fortitude. and
although well advanced in years. is determined
! to go to work Immediately and rebuild and re-
new his establishment Mr.. B. is wealthy
man, but we have known of few in like circun-
stances who could meet SO heavy loss with as
| much and n0TInoCnra NO he doaS
The houses on the south side of Union street,
opposite to the fire, had their fronts consideru-
bly, scorched, but were well protected by the
ffremen-they will, however, need expensive
repairs; and here again, our friend, Mr.. Barry,
suffers, as two of them belong to him; viz:
one occupied by j. r. R. Small d Co., and John
K. Gornly, with saddles, harness, &c. Their
loss by water from the engines and in moving
Twill probably be about $500 or $500 each; both
covered by insurance.
Mr.. Harrison's 3 story grocery store, at the
lopposite corner of Market Square, also cxpcr-
enccd slight scorching Of window sills, &C.,
and small quantity ofpowder in the garnet
(which was not known to be there, was exploded
by the sparks, but without doing any harm. Mr.
Harrison 5 loss by moving he supposes to be less
than $1,000. Two persons We're in the garret
at the tme-one was i'll the act of taking glass
Of whisky the way they both shot down stairs
need not be told. ...-.
l. The restaurant under Mr.. Barry's store was
entirely destroyed This heavy loss to the pro-
prietress, widow and successor of the late VIM
Y, Robinson, who died during the epidemic of
1850 as from it she derived her chief support.
She was not insured.
The buildings destroyed were all insured in
the Mutual Company of Virginia-loss from
$22, 900 to $4,000. - -
Jas. Barry's stock of furniture was not insnr-
ed-value about $4,000.
+. Quincy & Co, removed and damaged--in-
sured for $4,000, viz $4,000 in the Phoenix,
London; $4,000 in the American, Norfolk; 81
600 in the Lynchburg Company.
E. r. Gale, removed and damaged-insured
for $4,000, viz So, 900 in the Phoenix, Lon
don; $1,000 in the Valley, Winchester; $4,000
in the Washington, Norfolk. F1'a'uq
Griffith Wilson, removed and damaged
insured for $4,000 in the Washington.
W. johnson, jr., removed and damaged
ssured for 81, 600, viz: $25OO in the Phoenix,
London; and $4,000 in the Howard, New York
Probable Loss on Stock and Houses-James
Barry, $4,000; E. Quincy & Co., 81, 900; E.
Il. Gale, $4,000 E. j. Griffith, 81, oc0 W. john
son, jr., $4,000; w. 7. Harrison, Jas. r. Small
L Co.. and j. Gormley, damaged to about 81
600; Houses 500, 900; Total s74, 600
5 A. Correspondence Of the Richmond yyhtr.