The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-07-16

Ieetn' 10 enable them 10 do 90, they
reared q barrlcAde out Of q theatrical
eign board, which was held In front oI
the pipemen, and thus the FIRE was ap-
preached so closely that the sign board
took fire.
The wind increasing In force, the fire
broke through the alley dividing State
street from Wabash Avenue. Now for
the first time (about @ o'Clock) the fire be.
gan to feed on tho aristocracy. It began
TO put on airs. 1t struck up high to bring
down fancy cupaloes and observatories.
Thousands Of dollars were consumed
every minute. The danger Of utter
destruction became more imminent
every moment. More help was want.
ed, and accordingly kilograms sped
over the wires 10 Milwaukee, Racine,
Joliet and other places. They read: "a
great fro Is raging: Chicago Is threat.
ened with destruction send in your fire
department" In the course Of the night
came responses in the shape Of stalwart
men with apparatus, and they did valiant
service in fighting the flames to q smaller
limit. Having reached Wabash avenue
with a wind blowing from the southwest,
Michigan avenue seemed doomed to des.
truction, in fact the thought Of saving
any portion Of 1t from Eldridge Court to
point at least as far north as Harrison
street was abandoned, and yet contrary
to oil expectations every house in that
limit stands intact. Every house on Wa.
bash avenue, parallel to this was destroy.
ed, but the narrow alley between the two
avenues stood barrier as II It had
been an intervening mountain.
Every house on Michigan avenue
is vacated. The street was lined with
trucks backed up against the residences
but about 0 O'Clock most Of the people
moved back again. The ordeal was safe.
ly passed, and our handsome lake front
was preserved. Having reached It's east
ern limits the flames fed their way rapidly
northward, three blocks abreast There
was little use trying to fight 1t in the
lace. Every moment the wind rose more
fercely and violently and in the vicinity
OF the conaagration a regular gale was
blowing. The heat was intense. The
iremen could not stand within hundred
Ieet OF itin the direction in which 1t was
spreading, hence 1t had 10 be fought In
the flank. There being little hope Of saw.
ing Michigan avenue, though it was
saved, the policy seemed to be to fight 1t
into the lake by closing on Its sides. This
policy was adopted, though the efforts
were not abated to save Michigan avenue.
At Q o'clock all danger was past that it
would make its way further southwardin
that direction that It's limit reached in,
The force there employed was soon dis.
patched to the more threatening points,
though 1t was not safe to leave the whole
line exposed.
Ats o'clock the fire was checked on
Clark street, and then there was no dan.
ger that it would pass westward. After
that two engines covered the entire field
from Polk street south on Clark, around
by 18th street to Wabash avenue, where
the engagement was growing hotter and
hotter every moment. When the south.
ern and western ends Of the fire had been
made secure, the northern and eastern
lines of attack were reinforced. The
enemy was confined into narrower quar-
tiers on Harrison street, and the wind
forced him to give up Fourth avenue
and Third avenue. At Van Buren, street
the monster was driven out OF State street,
the st. James being tho last building to
succumb. When the fire reached that
point the interest in its progress became
intense. 1t was moving along both
sides OF State street, between Harri.
son and Van Buren. On the west side
stood massive row Of four or five story
marble fronts on the east side of the St
James. Beyond the St. James, north.
ward, was an open space ZOO feet square.
There was hope that il a stand was
made at this hotel the flames would be
prevented from crossing this open space.
On the West Side there was no such bur.
rier, and It was certain that the whole
row would go, and then crossing Van
Buren street make Its way to tho Palmer
House. Opposite the 81, James stood q
row Of four story marble fronts, covering
about four numbers. These were divided
from tho buildings south by single lot
25 feet wide, amere bsgatelle, said every.
body, and no one anticipated that that
little open space would check the flames,
but it did, Fortunately q splendid fire.
proof wall had been reared on the south.
Msdly the flames beat against 1t and went
clear over the building setting
fire to the St. James, but this
wall stood the test grsndly, and though
there was fire to the south and east, and
not q pint Of water thrown on It, the
building stands there at this writing, a
savior Of untold millions. 1t was the cit.
adel of the conaagration; its surrender
would have given the whole city over to
the ravagingIenemy. Instinctively every
one in sight of the scene appreciated the
importance ol the position; and when the
building to the south tumbled to the
ground with crash, thereafter harmless,
shout from fifty thousand throats rose
high above the roar Of the conflagratlon.
1t was the moment Of moments during
the progress Of the fire, and fiuy was il
commemorated while this building stood
the brunt and onslaught Of what might be
called overwhelming odds.
A tour'story brick, apparently out ol all
danger, on the corner Of Wabash avenue
and Van Buren, street, took fire from the
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