The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-11

minutes the flames were coming out in
fire pillows from every window, and up
the stairway leading TO A. T. Stewards
room was . perfect column Of flames.
This building served but as o fuel for the
flames. Pieces Of dty'goodS went whist
ling acrosS the square and lodging on the
window sills Of the magnificent stores on
Devonshire street. Beebe's block stood a
solid wall ol granite several minutes al.
ter the inside fell, but the heat warped II,
and 100000 were soon laid heaped in
stone, brick and mortar, A hurricane
now ragged, and owing to the intenseh heat
and perfect sleet Of Goals, drove every.
thing before it Every building was now
heated as II in q furnace and caught
like tindcr. -Four story granite blocks
seemed like shavlngs, and deafening ex.
ploslonS werc constantly heard. A new
terror was now added to the babel Of
confusion; the tenement houses at the
upper end Of Federal Street were fast be.
ing licked up by the flames, and women,
crazed and fainting, were rushing 10 and
fro, carrying children, crockerY, clocks
and bedding in their hands. One ran
screaming through thestreets with stove
funnel in her hands, while another was
tugging heavy chest which would have
been weight for strong man. Now
and then few pieces Of goods might be
saved by volunteers, who ran in and
spent five minutes, during which time
they could work in bringing out perhaps
hundred pieces Of cloths One man,
Marshall Cotter, got out $25, 900 worth Of
kid gloves, and had them placed on the
sidewalks In damaged condition. lie
offered a hackman I've hundred dollars
in vain to take the goods to place Of
safety. In less than an hour he had to
flee for his lie, and the flames were not
again cheated Oi their prey. The fire
was now on Federal Street, and the wool
houses were going like oil factories.
They could never have been attacked at a
more dangerous lime, crummed from. eel.
lar to garret. Hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars worth were on hand that might
have been delivered TO customers, had it
not been for the horse disease. In one
store alone there were 100000 worth Of
wool stored which was awaiting delivery.
Miner, Beal q Hatchet had their store
packed full, having only put on the last
Of their winter stock three hours before
the fire enveloped 1t all. March Bros. s.
Pierce had just put their winter goods in
the cellar, and sent their summer
goods upstairs. The paper houses
came next, and with the end Of Federal
street went the majority Of the large city
dealers. 1t had been hoped that the fire
could be stopped short Of Franklin street
but the stores there were as vulnerable as
any OF the others. The Freemen's Ma.
tional Bank Of North America was in as
bad q condition. The only place where
the limits Of the fire was reached was
on Summer street. where the fire be.
gan. 1t swept in northeasterly direc.
tion from there, and l cannot tell where
1t will stop. The loss OF course is be-
yond computation. There must be heavy
insurance, enough to carry under several
insurance companies in this city. The
following is complete list of firms
whose places Of business with their stock
are a total loss up to midnight. 1t was
impossible to give it any sooner as ar
rangements were only made as the houses
were seen going down before the
fire: R. II. Simpson, paper and twlne;
George W. Bond, wool; B. Il. Thayer s.
Co., paper manufacturers; Il. G. Judd &
Co., wool; s. s. Arnold, paper and twlne;
Rogers s Co., crockery; Nichols, Palmer
s Dupee, wool; Thomas Il. Tyler, Halo.
well 6 Coburn, wool; Frye, Phillips g.
Co., hardware; A. P. Ketching & Co.,
wool; II. W. Williams s. Co., wool; How
land, Luce & Co., wool; Sabine s. Page,
wool; Q. E. Hapgood s. Co., Welsh, Grif-
fifth & Co., James Tucker s. Co., corner Of
High street; Bucking 6 Troon, Aklans &
Co., agents; Fletcher Manufacturing Co.,
]. Ford, grocer; Wright, Goodwin & De.
lano, wool; A. W. Clapp & Co., William
Butcher s. Co., crucibles; Agent Lewis
town, Pennsylvania, Steel Works; James
Woodman, W, Jessop & Co., English steel;
Hussey, Wells & Co., steel; Otis Peace,
J. s ]. T. Lee, T. Christian s. Co., no.
sery and gloves; John B. Babcock s. Par
tington, commission merchants; G. B.
Grinnell, furs and calf skin; Geo. Hunt,
commission merchant; Boone, Connell Il
Co., clothicrs' trimmings; Butler, John.
son s Co., hardware; Philips, Sherman
& Co, Rope and Thread Company; Millken
Bro. s Co., Fines 6 Co., ]. saxton 6 Son,
agents Lock Print Works and Atlantic
Cotton Mills; Gray, agent Davis s. Frost;
Henry G. Davis and Henry Poor s. Son,
hides and leather; E. W. Cory & Co;
leather; Jas. A. Roberts, hides and leather;
Charles Marsh 6 Co., leather; B. G.
Bordman s Co., hides and leather; Mich
OILS s. Dalton, Brainard Davy, over
Maftlyn, Mullen s Elms, John II.
Rogers, Thomas Hall, MaAyn, Null
len s Elms, Farr, Hotch & Co., mems