The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-24
dfately and saw the flames bursting mn

dIately and saw the flames bursting up
| through the roof of the rear.
Michael Toohey, private watchman
ofthe Operathouse, does not believethat
the explosion was that ofgas. He estates
and we know hina as a man of truth
that at about ten. minutes before the
explosion he turned on the gas, and
did it securely. He then went all
through the stage and dresstng7rooms,
10 see thatall was secure. If the metre
Is not destroyed IL will be found to be
turned of. as usual. 85.r
.-a THE WORK OF THE FIRESLES.
The entire Fire Department reached
the scene of the terrible destruction
with great promptness, and soon thir-
teen steam-fire engines We're thunder
ing at their work, while a hundred and
fifty firemen sprang to theirplaces, and
for four hours of tremendous work,
toiled in the midst of flames and falling
walls. They worked as we have seldom
seen firemeu work. Ten times their
force could not have saved dollars
worth of the Opera-house editice, and,
of course, they could not; but in pre-
venting the complete devastation of ire
over whole square, they were success
SIR. PIXIES Loss
Is over million of-dollars, on which
there is insurance of not over $40, 600.
Nothing is len % him, of all that mag
nihcent properly, save the smoking
ruins and fire covered grounds.
When Mr.. Pike heard the alarm he
was in his room in the Burnett House,
fronting on Vine street, looking out, he
saw the flames rush in a flood through
the roof, in the neighborhood of the
chimney-stack. While he was upon
the street, for, few minutes, some
scoundrel picked his pocket, taking his
watch. This Mr.. Pike described as
"adding insult to injury" He viewed
the tremendous scene, in which a mill
lion of his property was vanishing,
from the roof of the Burnett House,
with more calmness than the majority
of the multitude of spectators. What
ever dauntless spirit and unwearted
energy on his part can do, to repair his
great loss, will certainly be done. He
is entirely unable to account for the
beginning of the calamity, and IL it
ing an enemy in the world, he would
think it must be the work of an incen-
diary. The private watchman con-
stantly on duty in the building is un-
able to account for il. He thinks the
first appearance of fire was in the upper
part of the house, near the roof.
MIR. Morris SimmondS, acting mana
ger of the Opera-house, pissed over the
stage after the audience had retired,
and there were no signs of fire. He had
not LEFT thei building, when hearing IA
noise like the rushing of "a mighty
storm, he ran into the auditorium to
find it whirlwind of flames.
GENERAL LOSSES. ~.
We cannot, of course, at this time,
give even an estimate of the items OF
loss of the many firms and individuals,
most of whom we have mentioned, or
of the insurance. There are n dozen or
more whose loss will reach S. 600 each,
and at least half dozen whose loss
will reach $4,000 each. The heaviest
losers are SaIunel N. Pike, Adams Elk
press Company, William Sumner Il
Co., r. w. Carroll & Co., William c.
Peters & Co., Philip Phillips & Co, and
the Enquirer Company, MesSrs. Faran
81 Mclean.
We omitted to mention the complete
loss ofthe Buckeye Billiard saloon. also
in the second story of the Opera-houSe
building-at least $4,000.
Among the losers of smaller amounts
are W. B. Niblett, saloon-keeper; w. B.
Clapp, jewelry store; +. r. Haldy, mill
tary furnishing goods; ID. ii. Baldwin,
piano dealer; Holmes & Son, wall pa
pering; A. j. Clark IL Co., furnishing
goods; Bryant, Stratton 81 De Hau, COM
merciaI college; Strobridge II Co., litho-
graphers; Harpel, job printing establish
ment; Strauss, artist; F. Pedretti, fresco
painter; Jones 81 Hart, engravers OF
wood, and others.
The total loss of this immense con-
fiagration will be found to be nearly
s., 0OO, 600, and we doubt if the total in
surance amounts to $3.50, 900.
R.w. CARROLL & co.
Informs us that their loss is $500, 900, at
least, on which there is about $4,000
insurance. From this may be cleaned
some idea, by comparison, of the loss
of other stores in the building, wherein
there were immense stocks of goods.