The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-10-01
YIRE IN srEUBENvILLE.


Me.r's Di.,iiiery Totally Destroyed
-Loss Seventy-Ave Thousand Dol.
lar N tEFr2 MN
From the steubenville Gazette of last
xofJr evening" y r, % . !.
Between two and three o'clock this
morning the distillery owned by Mr..
Thos: Mears was discovered to be on fire.
The alarm was promptly given but before
the fire department reached the scene OF
confagration, the flames were beyond
their control, and the large building, to-
gether with its valuable machinery and
distilling apparatus was totally DESTROYED,
involving q loss Of ut least seventy-fve
thousand dollars.
By the time the fire department were
ready for action, the distillery building
was completely wrapped in flames; their
efforts were, therefore, directed toward
saving the buildings adjoining, which
were already smoking from the intense
heat caused by the burning building. A
tenement house situated Immediately
across the road from the distillery, took
fire, and despite the efortsof the fremcn,
was almost totally destroyed. Next to
this was large frame building owned
and occupied by Mr.. Michael Kelly,
which was only saved from burning by u
constant stream Of water poured on IT
from the hose of the Phoenix engine.
The tenement house which was dcs-
troyed, was owned by Michael Kelley.
and occupied by Timothy Sullivan and
Martin Murphy, with their families
1t was two story building, the lower
portion being built of brick and the upper
of wood. The building was but recently
purchased by Mr.. Kelley for twelve hun
dred dollars, and was all the property he
owned. There WAS no insurance upon it.
Most ofthc household goods ofboth tami-
lies were removed from the building be-
fore it burned.
The bonded warehouse, situated near
the distillery, WAS on fire at one time, but
was e1tinguishcd. 1t is remarkable that
this building escaped, as it is located but
few rods from the distillcry.'
The distillery has not been in opera
ton for several years past, but it WA, thu
intention to start it about two weeks
hence. The building WAS of brick, with
the exception of wing on tho east side
and contained some Of the finest ma
chinery in the country, the greater pari
Of it being comparatively new, having
but recently been purchased in Canada
The origin of the fire is unknown, but
is supposed to have been the work of an
incendiary. The flames were first dis
covered ON the west side of the building
near the bottom of the stack. No fire
had been in the building since morning
and that was in the stove, on the east
side, very considerable distance from
where the fire was first discovered.
The total insurance on the building
and machinery foots up $4,000, and il
held IN the following companies:
Amazon, $1,000; kenton, $1,000
Union F. s. NJ, Cincinnati, IL 800; Farm.
ers, $500; Farmers, Merchants and Me.
chanics, Hamilton, $500; Pittsburgh
Insurance Co.. $l.5O0; Peoples, Pitts,
burgh, 81 500; City of Pittsburgh, 81, 900;
Iron City, Pittsburgh, 81, 900; Bostmen's 5,
$1,000; Allegheny, $500; Humboldt,
Allegheny, $500; Federal Allegheny,
81 900; South Side, Pittsburgh, $1,000;
.Ktna, 81 900; German, 81, 900; +. d NJ,
81 900; Franklin, $1,000; Peabody, ST.
500; Nail City, of Wheeling, $1,000;
German, Erie $1,000; Allemania, Cleye-
land, $1,000; Merchantile, Chicago, 81
Lancaster, Pa, $1,000. .-