The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-12-21
The House OF G. Oglebay 4 Sons
Their New Building and Its
Modern improvements.


in all cities there are particular street
that mark the boundaries OF the whole
sale trade distinctly from the retail trade
Outside Of those limits we neither lool
for nor expect to find either the one OIL
the other carried on upon such scale a
to constitute u marked feature in tn,
business OF city. The wholesale tradI
OF u city always confines itself to tn
proximity ofis shipping facilities, wheth
or water or rail, while the retail trade
chooses il locality either on account o
It's general convenience or its attractive
ness, In our own city, with very few
exceptions, all our magnificent retail
trade confines itself to Main street, iron
Twelfth street to the Suspension bridge
where il located early in the history o
the city, and holds its supremacy, first BY
precedent Of long usage, and secondly OF
account OF its magnificent buildings
erected and especially adapted for the
retail trade, which advantages have beer
further strengthened and secured by what
is known rs the Main street improve
ment, which has made this locality The
most attractive in the city. We do not
however, ignore the fact that there ART
several lirst.Class dry goods establish
ments OH Main street south Of the creek
but as u locality it can never injurious
ly rival tho former district, On the Other
hand, Main street from Twelfth to Six
teenth street. on account OF its accessi
bility to the steamboat landing and the
b. 4 o. depot, has become almost exClu'
sively the home OF our great wholesale
trade. 1t, however, for many years con
fined itself to the space between Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets until driven to cx'
tension for want Of space, Below Four
tcenth streets and down to the passenger
depot OF the B. Il o. road was more space
and less valuable buildings, and our en-.
terprisiRg business men remOdeled those
Of the buildings that were good and built
whole blocks Of others upon more am
pie scale, with rooms running clear
through from Main street to the b. Il o,
freight depot, thus Ntlording splendid
facilities for tho shipment OF goods by
that route.
Under the pressure for room to accom-
MEDIATE the constantly growing Wholesale
trade OF the city, our business men have
found themselves compelled to magnify
tho proportions Of their business houses,
and us d consequence new buildings have
sprung up which, as space became rapid
ly enhanced In value per front foot, have
assumed metropolitan style and proper
lions. II remained, however, for the en-
lCrprisiug firm Of .. Oglebay Il Sons 70
cap the climax Of oil the modern i'm
proycmcnts which have been made by the
erection Of the first fOur.stOry business
house ever built in our city, and along
with II the introduction Of the iron front,
Thesenior member Of this tirm has been
long and favorably known in connection
with the mercantile and manufacturing
interests Of this city, having early in the
war became q partner In the grocery firm
Of Paxton & DOnlon under the title Of
Paxton, Donlon 4 Oglebay, afterwards
Paxton& Oglebay, still later Oglebay,
Son 4 Co., and more recently G. Oglebay
Il Sons. For several years lie was Presi-
dent OF the BenwOod Iron and Nail Co.,
and isnow President Of the Bcllaire Nail
Co, nnd also President Of the National
Bank Of West Virginia.
The new business house is located on
the east side OF Main below llth street,
and adjoining the fine property Of Mr..
Henry X. List. II was commenced in
June last, and its upward progress has
been watched with considerable interest
owing to the fact already stated that 1t is
the first fOur.stOry business house ever
erected in the city, and the first building
with an iron front. Externally II has
been successfully completed, and towers
to the height Of sixty feet above the pave
ment, or Il full story above all its sur
roundinga. From foundation to roof ii
is u magnificent piece Of architecture,
carefully constructed on an admirable
plan and OF the very best materials. II is
l35 feet long by 80 feet wide. The entire
front Is OF iron, the castings for which
are the work Of Bartlett, Robbins 4 Co.,
OF Baltimore. The roof Ia also Of iron,
and Is the work Of q. Pepple 4 Co., Of
Letonia, Ohio. The popularity OF this
roof Is the manner in which the sheets are
iOinted, being upon plan patented by
Pepplc& Co., which requires neither nails
or solder, rendering the material easy to
handle and yet exceedingly firm when
laid.
All the openings in the building are
closed with heavy shutters, rendering the
building from the outside absolutely fire
proof. Even the pavement In front,
partakes Of the immense sOlidity
which characterizes the whole build.
ing, being laid Of immense sand.
stone slabs twelve inches thick and
the opening between the pavement and
the house !, covered with heavy grating
Of wrought iron.
The masonry Of the building was done
by Philip SChuehle,th brick work by An.
drews & Kirk, the wood work under the
fOremanship Of i. i. Griffith, and all I'm.
der tile supervision Of G. q. Kemble, as
architect.
The outside proportions Of the building
are patent TO every eye. Like a city set
on hill they can not be hid, but II
is only when the courteous proprietors
have led one from the cellar 10 the roof
and explained the internal arrangements
OF the establishment that the full COnviC.
ton dawns upon the mind OF the visitor
that no such admirably arranged build.
ing has ever been erected in this city.
Going into the cellar or basement, which
is ten feet deep, we were struck with the
immense sOlidity Of the foundation walls,
which are twenty.four inches thick and
faced on both sides. On the south wall
is slOpinE ledge running the entire
length Of the building at q suitable angle
for easy connection with the Main street
sCwer, and on this ledge il nh sightinch
terra Gotta pipe which drains the water
closet, wash room and the several by.
drants in the, building. The center Of the
building IA supported by brick pillars
twenty.iour inches square, connected by
arches eleven feet long with Gfteen.inch
segments. The floor Ia laid with fire.
brick and cement and Is literally imper.
viOus to rats and moisture.
Here we find the most novel and con.
venient power yet invented, always ex.
cepting the Keely motor II II ever comes
to anything) which is known MS Lane &
l]Odleys improved compound elevator.
The apparatus consists Of cylinder seven
feet long and twenty-five inches in diam
eter furnished with a piston rod and
head, the whole resembling exactly the
cylinder Of steam engine. Entering
this cylinder at one end il three.inch
a. .. 4. NH go 4 4