The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-13
Terrific Scenes at Two O'Clock
This Morning.
From The Commercial OF ycsttrd1v.

From The Commercial OF yCItCTdIy.
Ginning in a terrible warning, stimuli
taueously with the striking of the Ca
thedral clock, at 2 o'clock this morning,
the Covington and Newport fire and
church bells rang out in an angry clat-
ter, aud almost Immediately the sky to
the south OF the city began to glow with
the illumination of one OF the most dis
astrous steamboat CONGREGATIONS that
ever occurred on the Ohio. The fire was
in its heat OF awful destruction before
the alarm bells of this city sounded the
command to our engines to rush to the
river. Those who had heard the first
bells and saw the first flames, had SET
tied down to the conclusion that Gov
ington was suffering, or Newport; and
and then people who were awake began
TO believe that steamers were being
burned. By the time the first engines
reached the Landing, that portion of it
between Main and Broadway was
bright to almost daylight brightness.
and great leaping sheets OF flames from
half dozen beautiful boats were reach
ing their i1nueuse folds far up the grade
reached the point were forced back,
away back up to the north side Of Front
street, by the intense heat.
The body of flame WIS fully five
hundred feet long by hundred in
width, and it reached up into the air
far above tine level of the Spencer
House roof. The burning boats were
the Clifton, Mary Erwin. Darling,
Cheyenne, Melnotte and Westmore-
land.
The Charmer had dropped down out
OF the way, and the West Wind, just
coming up, had towed tho ST. James
out OF danger. ALI statements that
our reporters heard agreed on the Cliff
ton rs the starting point OF the fire,
and that 1t progressed in the order in
which the boats are named above.
The flames from the burning boats
shot far iuto the air, illuminating, AL
most the whole city. and shedding ra-
dInnt sparks all over the lower squares
AS far north as Third street. The le-
wee, that had been deserted for so long
IL time, was suddenly peOpled by
thousands of men, women and children
charmed By the prolonged ringing OF
the bells, and attracted from drOwsy
beds by the great light at the river.
rhe isemPn answered the first alarm
with amazing promptitude.. Horses
plunged modly along the levee, and
hose unrolled itself in all directions.
The mere handful OF fiTemPn who
dared meet tho destroying element at
the waters edge, seemed so puny and
insignificant in the light of the grand
terrific conf agratiOn, that the crowds
upon the wharf could not hope for the
salvation of any that might be on board
the doomed vessels; they could but
stand and gaze and shudder. The light
woodwork could not long withstand
the hot breath of the Fire Fiend. The
symmetrical outlines of the boats were
lost sight OF in the sheets of flame and
the dense volumes OF smoke that enVel.
Oped them. The white spars and the
Il 81 nv
moment tesplencent-the next they
we're gone. Deprived OF support, the
decks quivered and crashed down to
the hull; the tall chinneys, In second
toppIed over, and fell like forest trees,
some upon The wharf, some into the
water.
Oil burst from confinement, and flow
ed in broad streams far down upon the
surface OF the river, resen bling, when
viewed from tho Suspension Bridge, a
separate rivu!et of molten gold.
1t appeared at the first hopeless
task TO resist the progress of the fire on
the six boats over which 1t had so
q uickly spread, and hopeless it proved.
For tie stiff breeZa blowing from the
East bore the flames from one boat to
another until all were aOlaZe, and the
six river palaces were swept away like
chat before the wind. The hremeD,
seeiu2 that it would be uaeless to at
tempt 10 save the boats that were on fire
when they reached the wharf, COucen-
tratetl their engines to save the steamers
that lay above the MeInotte. Planting
their hydraulic batteries on the steam
ar Silver Spray, they stood, with
searching faces and blisterinR hands,
1lreCtidg their heavy streams of water
10 points likely to be attacked. They
we're very successful In preventing the
flames from com to the bOals
above the Spray, and even that boat |
IVns not injured by the flames to any
BILE extent. At 3 o'clock, when i
The conflaGration had spent its energy |
On the six steamers, the tiremen were |
still holding their own.
1t is believed that 30 lives were lost |
by fire, but deck hand who escaped |
from the Clifton states that a compan
ion, in trying to save himself, jumped |
into the river and was drowned.
When the fire was blazing tierCest, q |
number of kegs of powder on the Cliff |
:on exploded, but as far as we could |
enrn, did no particular damage.
By half past 2 o'clock, when one of
lur reporters left the completely de- |
stroyed boats to return to the Office, he |
lad to work his way through such a |
crowd of people as was never before |
called out, after midnight. by fire in |
his city. Along Third, Fourth, Main |
and Sycamore, and along aud down |
halt dozen streets, thousands OIL men |
we're rushing. 1t resemb!"d the night |
II the burning of Pixies Opera-house J.; |
out that was before midnight. In this |
case, ninetC-niEe out OF one hundred |
Who hurried 10 the fire had been star
led out of sleep, and had hurried their |
clothes on, at moments warning.
The WestmoreIand was the property |
If the New Orleans and Cincinnati |
Icket Company, and was posted for |
Wick burg, N4tchez and New Orleans.
". j. Ru-k, Master.
The Cheyenne was an Arkansas river |
packet. a. 3. Piersel, Master.
The Clifton, Frank Stein, Master. be-
Onged TO the Memphis and Cincinnati
Packet Company, and was posted for |
EAiro and Memphis.
Il Is impossible TO present, this morn
Gg, any figures of Losses or insurance. |
Tue iull particulars will be found in
Thursdays Commercial.
TUE Cincinnati Enquirer is not
pleased with the Ohio Democratic Leg
islature. Units issue of the 7th it re-
marks:
The Ohio Legislature adjourns to.
lay. A comparison OF the amount of
Joy expended upon its election, with
he amount of good it has done since,
9 not encouraging. It wouldn't be a