The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-02-13
Berry's Rope Store Burned
Two Men Killed by a Falling
Wall.
ANOTHER MAN MISSING
Supposed Work OF an Incendiary
The Insurance. &c.

and perhaps three lives nave oeeh ioSt'
and nearly twenty thousand dollars
worth of property destroyed.
About twelve o'clock last Saturday
night some passers by saw a volume OF
smoke issuing from the rear of the
building on Water street, next door to
the Keim House, and occupied by Mr..
Charles j. Berry az a rope and cordase
store. The alarm was soon given, but
perhaps half an hour elapsed before it
became general, and before much effort
could be made to save the property.
Meantime the flames spread rapidly
owing to the highly combustible
material in the store. and it was soon
apparent that all efforts to save the
building or any portion Of the goods
would be fruitless. ~ -. -..
The engineer Of the steamer Courier
says that when he was in Mr.. Berry,
! store about clock Saturday afternoon,
he noticed the smell Of fire there, and
mentioned it to Mr. Berry, but nothing
more was thought Of it at the time. At
about 8 o'clock Victor Sanvageot
smelled something burning, and think
ing it was in his own, building, had the
house searched from top to bottom to
find the fire. He noticed that when the
door of his barber shop, on Mulberry
alley, was opened the smell was
strongest. He says that about ten
| o'clock some one started an alarm OF
fire, but seeing no blaze it was
dropped.
The south wall ofthe building formed
the boundary OF the stable yard a,tachd
to the Keim House. Against this wall
some sheds had been erected and pig
sty had been built About one clock
Mr.. John Keim, one OF the proprletors
of the House, and stable boy named
Henry Shaffer, went into the yard for
the purpose of driving the hogs 10 a
place of safety. At the same moment
the roof Of the building fell, carrying
with il the floor OF the second story,
and forced the south wall outward
section OF brick wall about twenty feet
high and fifty feet long came down like
a huge dead-fall upon the doomed men
and crushed them 10 instant death.
The catastrophe was soon discovered,
but such was the fury Of the flamesthal
some time elapsed before the dead bodies
could be extricated from the ruin Both
were badly crushed and death must have
been almost instantaneous.
1t WAS ascertained Yesterday that
third man was missing. He was a
drover, named George Trader, who re-
sided near Harrisonburg OF New
Athens, Ohio. He came to the kelm
House on Friday, was there on Satur-
day, but has not been seen since the fire,
although his horse and saddle are still
in the stable at the hotel. 1t il feared
tn at lie too may be buried beneath the
Debris Of the fallen wall; search was
made for him yesterday afternoon, but
up TO last night he had not been
found
1t was rumored last night that Trader
had been seen yesterday morning ont
on the National road, east of the city,
but We could trace the rumor TO no re-
liable source.
Mr.. Berry's stock OF goods was val,
ued at from $4,000 to $4,000, and is to-
tally destroyed. He was insured in the
Continental, Of New York, for $4,000,
and in the Fire and Marine, Of Wheel,
ing, for $4,000.
The building was owned by Mr.
Thomas List, and was valued at about
$4,000; it WAS insured for $1,000 in the
.Etna, OF Wheeling
Mr.. Berry's safe, which mad been left
unlocked, was removed from the ruins
yesterday, and opened yesterday after
noon. His books and other papers and
small quantity OF money were found
almost uninjured. The binding OF the
books was somewhat scorched and
charred but no other injury was done
them.
The fire is supposed by many to have
been the work Of an ipcendiary, as it
appears to have originated in portion
OF the store that could not have been
accidentally ignited. Some time ago
the same building was set on fire, but
the flames were discovered and extin-
guished by Mr.. Caspar keim before any
serious damage was done. Mr.. Berry
knows Of no one to whom suspicion
could attach, but is at loss to account
for the fire upon the supposition that
it, origin was accidental.
FIRE.-We regret to learn that Messrs
Jones and Head, the enterprising man.
Ayers of the Norway Tack Company Of