The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-12
RURNIne oFFHEAEnENEUM.
ono Hundred ; ThouSand Dollars
Worm OF Properly destroyed.


hours OF one and three O'Clock, inyolv'
ing the destruction Of over one hundred
thousand doEEGTs worth of property the
3 main part of which was one of the
largest buildings of the city, the Athe-
a neum building, of late owned and oc-
cupied by Messrs Butterfeld d Co..
and Messrs Dodson d Bros. About
Q one O'Clock flames were discovered in
the dry-bouse or kiln attached to the
: main building, and an alarm was
lViven which brought the fire compan-
les 70 the spot. The fire had however se-
cured to strong a hold ana the dry house
was speedily cons umed. The danger
to the main building was then thought
to be over. and many persons who had
come TO the ground ON the hrst alarm
) returned to stheir homes. 1t appears,
however, that the fire, unknown TO
those who were watching it, bad caught
In the barge board on the main build
ing. and had rapidly communicated
: the flames to the roof. When this was
discovered 1t was found that the steam
fre engine, owing to its location on the
north side of the building, could not
play upon the burning part, while the
hose of the other companies was not
long enoughto reach 1t. Very speedily
the flames, which had effected aslodge-
ment In the southeast cornice of the
building, burned through large
girder which ran The whole length
of the building supporting the roof
Thusan immense weight was precipita-
ted on the floors below, and they gave
way, making vent in the rooms below
which were filled with smoke and gas
from the heated grain. The instant the
FIRE came in contact whit this highly In
hammable composition there was ire
mendous explosion, the windows were
blown outward and the flames were
spread throughout the whole building,
This is doubtless the correct explanR-
ton of the rapidity with which the con-
fagration spread from above to the low
er part. There were several men in the
building at the time that the FIRE
broke out below, one of whom
named Zane was SO badly su6ocated
that his comrades were compelled to
carry him from the building. From
this tune the AtHeneunl was doomed.
It was half past two in the morning
when the building began to burn, and
at twenty-five minutes to four the walls
fell with a shock that caused the
ground to tremble perceptibly for near
ly a square around. The. spectacle OF
the fire when at its height was most
magnificent one. Ten thousand blood
red tongues of flame quivered in the
still clear air OF night, rising and fall,
ing as they gtasped new prey and gIoat.
ed over It till 1t crnmbled to ashes
turning the night into day with thu
splendor and brilliance of the ilIumina
: ton. The great amount of material II
! the structure as we'll as the large stocl
of grain stored within furnished food fol
the flames, and preoluded the possible
iLy of their supjugation after they had
; ones obtained n hold. The safe and
its contents, as well as the engine be
longing to the building, were saved
but nothing further, as 1t was not sup.
posed that1here was serious danger Of
the burning of the main building.
The Atheneum was bought eighteen
months ago by :, Messrs Butterfeld,
English aud Eoff, who adopted the
firm name OF Butterfield & Co., for the
sumo of 9I7, 500, and lots adjoining &c
the value of S. 500. They then expen.
ded SIS, 600 in making the alterations
and Improvements necessary fol
adopting the building to the man
ufacture of malt, the business
which they have since been engaged
A fourth of the property was then pur,
chased for SIS. 600 by Messrs. Dodson
!. Bros, grain dealers, who rented in ad.
dition the northwest room on the
ground floor from Messrs. Butierfeld
, &Co. The latter firm had in store a
the time Of the FIRE, about 16, 600 bushels
of grain valued at 500 per bushel
The matted grain however was worth
; still more, probably 50 so per busbel
Mr.. English ofthe firm, who arrived al
home at nine o'clock on the morn:
, ing Of the IRE, had sold OF
; the day previous In Cincinnati
SIC, 600 worth of matted grain to be de-
livered at an early day, contract
whose fulfIlment this catastrophe has
: rendered next to impossible. Messrs
Dodson q Bros. had within the build
. ing 4 900 bushels of rye, 1000 of wheat
nearly 3, 900 of oats and 200 bushels OF
corn, with large amount of bagEinS
Ec., making their stock lost nearly
SIS, 600.
The Insurance will not cover more
than halkthe loss. AIessrs. Butterfeld
& Co. are insured for SO, 900. one-half
of which amount Ia In the National,
franklin and Home Htna Companies
of this city, and the remainder in for
eign companies. Mesars. Dodson &
Bros. have insurance to the amount of
81. 600 In the &tna and National COM
pauies. The loss will fail heavfly lnpon
these firms andespecially now that this
is just the busy season OF the grain
dealers and malsters. -, : ,--,.,l-- =,
The cause of the IRE which originated
in the drying room is unknown. Thers
were two snight menns engaged there,
who had just turned the malt and ap-
piled fresh coke to- the fires. YET the
flames were first discovered from the
outside.
How COON, and to what extent the
firm will undertake to rebuild they are
themselves nnprepared 10 say. A dis
patch has bean sent to Mr.. EoR who
Ilisnow in the East and his advice viii
doubtless greatly Influence the arm in
tany subsequent action.
III The 4tke1geltm was erected in 1856.
/ by Geo. Hardman, a shrewd and ener-