The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-07-16

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instruments; H. Brinkwater, pork pack
er; D. Kuever stocking and shirt manu-
facturer; Chicago, Rock Island and
| Pacific freight depot; Cross x Phillips
Manufacturing Co.; Houcht X Carter,
liverv stable Alloway & ToSsen. paint
ers Fl ,rt IL Goodall. painters and build
ere; Ii. Willot, carriages. Hotels-At-
lantic, southwest corner Of Van Buren
and Sherman streets; Berg House, State
and Harrison streets; Michigan Avenue
House, corner Of Congress street, and the
Wabash ave-; st. James Hotel, corner OF
State and Van Buren, streets Churches
-Keyelaty Buai ShalOm Synagogue, No.
3s2 Wabash avenue; First Baptist Church,
429 to 439 Wabash avenue; Keyelaty
Aushe Moarale, Jewish Synagogue; Olive
Baptist Church, colored Among the
residences burned were those of Horace
White, editor of the Tribune; Hon. T.
Y. Scammon, J. X. Forest, city clerk. +.
! &. Hall, corner of Peck Court and
Wabash avenue This last WAS very
elegantly furnished. Mr.. White saved
| his library.
The insurance cannot yet be obtained.
THE PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.
The following is general description of
the progress Of the fire and the efforts of
| the fire department to get It under con-
troll, furnished by the TiD,rs:
Nearly east of the shanty where the
fire originated, was the large brick oil
refinery of the Fitch Bros, the interior
Of which with its large tanks of oil, was
all ablaze before the arrival Of the second
engine. The heat emitted by the burn
ing of its inhammable contents
was intense, and when the walls
fell, but few minutes before the first
steamer began to play upon it, the whole
ncighbOrhood for II radius of thirty rods
around seemed to burst forth in one sim
ultancouS blaze. Just north Of the rag
shop was u story and half frame filled
with hax, which famed up in All instant,
and the flying wisps of burning hay lit
on roofs nearly block away. With such
rapiditv did the fire spread after it was
first discovered, that two horses i'll barn
we're burned to death before they could
be- rescued. Eight or ten engines in tho
first district were speedily on the ground,
and most of them took their stations on
Clark street. whcr" Marshal Bcnner at
tempted to check the spread Of the tiamcs.
Engine No. q and another one We're
stationed on Fourth avenue, and vigor-
ous hight with the advancing foe was
commenced. At this point in few min
utcs after the first alarm, the ShantieS
stretching eastward toward Fourth
avenue were all afame for near
" half square ut 4iO o'clock.
Eleven minutes after the hr,t
alarm, Assistant Marshal sweeney turned
on the second alarm, and the engines
from the greater part of the South d.
vision and from several of the West Side
houses were soon at the scene Of peril.
The heat arising from the half acre Of
blazing pine shanties was terrible, and
the breeze Stifitncd as the heat increased
bearing destruction to the dry roofs
that lay in the path of the destroyer for
rods ahead. a large part of the aug
mented fire force were concentrated on
Fourth avenue, half way between Tay-
lor and Twelfth streets where they work
cd with terrible energy to stay the pro-
gress Of the advancing enemy. lntwenty
minutes after the first alarm the roof
nfthe buildings on Fourth avenue were
all afrc for the width of dozen build
inrs north of No. 2Sj. At 4:j0 o'clock,
eleven minutes after the second alarm,
the general alarm was turned IN
hy Assistant Marshal Sweeney,
This last warning brought the
entire force of the city. At the time the
alarm was struck seven of the west side
engines were at the small fire on the cor
ncr of Ashland avenue and Twcnty-s"c-
ond streets and they were thus retarded
nearly half an hour. In less than n half
hour the engines that were ported on
Fourth avenue, directly in Tn" path Of
the fire. were compelled to beat n retreat
All succeeded in doing SO except engine
company No. u. The colOrcd company,
who DELAYED II minute too long, and the
flames buroting on them before they had
attached their horses 10 the en-
zine. they were compelled to abandon
it. and the handsome steamer was warped
and twisted into Il mass Of halt melted
iron and steel in the fiery furnace that
yirdlrd it. The fire had swept diagon-
allv across the block Ia tn" corner Of
Tnylnr street and Fourth avenue, and
w,rs rapidly eating it, way through the
remainder of the block fronting on
Clark and Tavlor streets. The Marshal
stationed a number of engine, IN Clark
street and every effort was made t"
rav the northern progress OF the hre
along that thoroughfnre, but the shanties
from which poured swarms of fallen W"-
men laden down with wardrobcS and
furniture. were ripe for destruction, and
no sooner had the torrents OF water eI-
tinguished the fire in one building than
the roof of tinder boxes, still further to
the north. would burst into flames. But
the most of the Aarshals attention was
directed to the front of the fire, and
every effort was made to keep the fire on
the west side of the avenue, but the drlv-
ing wind was laden with burning brands
which lit on the roofs beyond and KIM
died them in AN instant. The Ollre
street Baptist Church was the first build
ing 10 90 on the east side of the avenue.
In a little over AN hour after the first
alarm the fire had swept over the space
between Clark street and Third avenue
and had reached Polk street on the
north to the southern boundary Of the
burnt district. and extended east in AL
most straight line running nearly par
allcl with Twelfth street and about three
hundred feet north of 1t. The
aim of the Marshal was still to
fght the fire from the front, and contett
A. ably a. possible its onward march to-
ward the better built portion of the city.
The front line of the fire Wa nobly bat
tied with bv the fire boys who were
doing their best when the gale TO which
Wa. due the most Of the mischief, carried
destruction over their heads, and enclos-
ed them on either side with wall of
fire. They pulled up stakes and went to
the front again, where the unequal battle
was renewed, but their efforts were in
vain. and - the fire swept on as it pleas