The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-26

~ street the fine row OF houses at tn
northeast corner of Park street extend
ing east to the Cathedral is also on fire
Maryland Academy on Mulberry stree
and the University o! Maryland ad
joining it are burning. There was als'
q report that the Cathedral had caugh
on fire and St Alphonsus church. Tb'
Cathedral and church bells rang on
and crowds would rush in their direc
ton. Fire engines we're stationed neaIes
to Clay street, where the greatest des
truction was in progress, but the intens'
heat finally drove them from the fir'
plugs and in many places burned th'
hose. The entire police force ar,
guarding the furniture and giving al
the assistance they can. All is in con-
fusion and tumult, but there appears te
be the absence Of panic
that might be expected. Rows OF citi-
zens are engaged in passing buckets to
each other where there are no engines
stationed and trying by that means to
help to check the flames. All eorts ol
things are being thrown from the win'
dows of the buildings that are threat
ened by the, flames, to the danger ol
passers-by on the pavement Showers o.
hot cinders ard aches are falling in all
directions. Standing on the steps OF St.
Alphonsus church, and looking in the
the direction of Sixth street, down Park
street and nothing can be seen but fire
and smoke, in the midst of which q
fireman can occasionally he seen al
work and chief engineer Shellar and
Mr.. Holloway rushing around. AT
ll:45 a. m. the Central Presbyterian
church, corner OF Soratoga and Liberty
streets commenced burning and it will
probably be destroyed. DR.. McCotts
Lutheran Church. lon Lexington street
between Park and Howard streets took
fire at 11;50, and about ten equares are
now burning. The St. Alphonsus
School is in ruins. At l2 o'clock the
St. Alphonsus Church took fire again
and its bells that had been constantly
ringing, ceased, and the new Salvage
corps appeared on the scene we'll sup
piled with fire extinguishers and did
good service. Numerous arrests OF
people charged with stealing are being
made by the police. Sick people. in a
number OF cases, had to be carried
from their beds. 1t is an impossibility
to pass down Park street from Sarato-
ga to Lexington on account OF the heat
from the ruins in that square. Not a
house is left on Clay street from Lib
erty almost to Howard but what is
burned out. A man belonging to en-.
CINE No. 10 was badly injured by a
falling wall on Saratoga street
near Howard, and had 10 be
carried to his home. He is son Of po-
licemau Cook. At one o'clock the huge
pinnacle of the steeple Of the central
Presbyterian church was seen to be in
flames and people on the roof trying to
stop the progress Of the flames, but
found it to be impossible, and had to
retreat and give their attention TO saw
ing the property OF the church. The
steeple is expected TO fall at any mo-
ment. The fronts OF the houses near
those that are burning, are piled up
with furniture. In house, number
"a, Saratoga street, a man tried to steal
a piece OF silverwsre, but he was COM
PEELED to give it up at the point OF q
revolver. The greatest excitement pre-
vailed in front OF burning church on
the corner of Saratoga and Liberty
streets, about one o'clock. Wagons
with furniture became jammed and it
required great efforts on the part OF
the police superintendent to get q
way cleared. The sidewalks are 80
blockaded with furniture as to form q
blockade. The shower OF scorching
sparks are still falling in torrents, now
and then the crash of falling wall
can be heard. Rumors are in circula-
ton that a number Of firemen and citi-
zens have been burned in the ruins
Three engines from Washington arriv
ed at l2 o'clock and went to work at
l:30. The fret portion Of the fire was
on Saratoga street between Park and
Liberty on the south side OF the square
every house in flames. The fire to the
square came from the back buildings
which reached to the destroyed houses
on Clay street, up Saratoga and How
ard streets. Both sides of these houses
are still burning. At l p. n. the course
of the fire from Thomas where it COM
menced, was mp Park street on both
sides to Saratoga, through Clay street
to the rear OF Stewards stables on the
one side and rear OF St. AL phonsus
school to the other side, from thence to
the houses on Lexington and Saratoga
streets, took fire from the burning
shingles and sparks which were show
cred from the fire in the square north
of Mulberry street between the Cathe~
dral and Park street.
At I'll o'clock p. m. the castings of tb e
windows of st. Alphonsus church were
on fire for the third time and sparks
were falling all over the church, from
the buildings in front and along side OF
it. The insurance men are wild with
excitement and fearful apprehensions
are entertained that their companies
vii! be ruined by the immense devasta-
ton which is going On. The most
common sight on the street this after
noon is to zee wagons going in all di-
rections with furniture from the fire.
Store-keepers for squares around have
closed their places Of business. The
intensely hot weather added to the
heat OF the FIRE causes much suffering
to those engaged in fighting the flames
or saving the furniture.
At2P. VI the wind abated somewhat
and the fremen and citizens are steadi-