The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-20
BurnIng OF the O. d r. r. n. Depot u
CleVland.

(From The Ctr.land HeraldcJ Saturday,
As another sequence OF the terrific
thunder storm OF Thursday night we
have TO record a most disastrous con.
hagration which took place on Friday
morning. The large freight depot OF
the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad
Company, near the mouth Of the har>
Dor, was totally destroyed, involving u
loss OF from S75, 900 to $1,000 The fire
was first discovered by the private
watchman, John Carlisle, at q few
minutes before four o'clock, near the
telegraph instruments In the Office, at
the east end Of the building. II had
then made comparatively little pro.
gress, and the waLchman endeavored 10
e1tlnRulsh 1t BY means OF the hose at.
tached to a hydraut In the building,
but his efforts were unsucceSsful. Tue
entire structure was OF wood, and the
flames spread with great rapidlty, soon
bursting out at The east end. ..
The wa.chman went TO the fire alarm
box and twice endeavorsd to signal an
alarm, but the storm had thrown the
telegraph apparatus entirely 'out OF
joint and 1t was, for the time, utterly
useless. No intimation Of the fire was
received at the engine houses until
the light Of the flames was discovered.
As soon as possible three or four OF the
steamers were at the spot, but the delay
had been considerable, and by the time
they arrived the flre had made such
progress as 10 be entirely beyond con-.
troll. Within an hour from the dis
covery Of the fire the entire building
was enveloped In flames. The whole
sky was illuminated With the fercs
glare, and immenseq equantlLles OF sparks
and clnders were carried over portions
OF The city, large numbers falling in
the vicinity Of st. Clair, Water, Bank
and Superior streets. But for the fact
that everything had been deluged by
the storm, the danger OF other fires
would have been imminent.
Very little was saved OF the contents
Of the depot, although, fortunately, the
amount OF freight iu store was much
less than usual. All the freight lett for
shipment had been sent away during
Thursday, including a. large amount
for the upper lakcl. There was con-
siderable amount which had arrived for
Cleveland parties, which was all de-.
stroyed. II was impossible to obtain q
list OF the lo5ers and the various
amounts, as all the books and papers
were burned. Megsrs. Cleveland, ,
Brown & Co., lost eight hundred kegs
Of nails, and Huntington E Brooks and
Compton & Batcheldor q considerable
quantity Of fruit jars and glassware.
On account OF the loss OF the papers 1t
Is difficult to make even an appropriate
estimate OF the total loss, although 1t Is
supposed TO be within the amount
stated above. The safe was taken from
the ruins during the forenoon, and
though looking much the worse for Its
fiery test test, It was found, upon open.
Ing 1t, that the money, about 5000,
and valuable papers, were In good or.
der. These were taken In charge by
Mr.. Stewart, the freight agent. The
steamers continued to play upon the
ruins until noon on Friday.
The only explanation that can be
given Of the cause OF the hre Ia that the
tightening entered by the wires and set
FIRE to the paper which was used at the
instruments In shat office. The watch-
man states, however, that he made a
careful tour through the building, In.
Guiding the Office, shortly after three
O'Clock, and there were then no signs Of
fire. The fact that there was no sharp
lightning later than half-past twelve,
still leaves o shadow Of m ystery about
the origin OF the ere. There was no
insurance upon either the building or
lts contents.