The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-05
LETTER FROM FAIRMONT.
The Mountain City After the Fire.
How Things LOOk---Addttienal Par
ticulars---Insuran Men, etc.
E.,,,,opr A nr,l dth tTe

FAIRNoNT, April 4th, '76.
Editors of the Register.
Your readers have been fully postec
as to the great calamity that has fallen OF
this thriving mountain city, but no on'
has vet SAID anything about how thing
look after the fire. They know tina
thirteen families have been rendered
homeless and penniless, but they do no
know how the great.hesrted citizens o
this place have taken them into theil
houses and homes and provided for then
since, Let us begin at the beginning
and tell you what you do not know.
The calamity that fell upon this place
on Sunday, when We take into considera
tion the size of the town, number OF in,
habitants and its wealth, was equal tc
that Chicago suffered in 1873, and
It's consequences on both city and
citizens was equally appalling. Most
of your readers know Fair
mont, but do net know just where the
fire began, or the portion burnt. Let
them remember the street and the hill
they climbed as they got off the train.
This street runs north and south. At
the top of the hill is q street running east
and west, on which are the "Mountain
City House." the Court House and Shurt-
lifts Continental Hotel Nov, rs they
turn short TO the left on reaching this
cross street, on their right hand, was
Tom Pendergast's saloon, door or two
from the corner. On the left hand side
was the postoffice, cigar mandatory,
several millinery stores, an agricultural
machine and hardware store, butcher
shop, two printing offices, two drug
stores, sc. Well, the fire was discovered
between Pendergasts and the adjoining
building about half past three o'clock on
Sunday morning. By half past six the
five buildings on the right hand side and
the entire block on the left hand side,
were in ruins, entailing loss of not less
than Sl25,000.
The Mountain City House, w. p
Camp proprietor, is diagonally across the
street from the corner where the fire
ended, lit was never subdued) and was
all the time in great danger; but through
the .indomitable energy Of the proprie-
tor and his hosts of friends, was saved
with no greater damage than "house
warming Perry don't want any more
warnings.
The early tour at which the fire oc-
Cured rendered it ifficult for those living
in the burnt district to save their lives,
and morning broke on great number
OF women and children who had no other
covering but their night-clotbing. Many
threw out their furniture, trunks and
clothing only to see them burned on the
streets instead of in what had been their
dwellings, and they sought safety from
the FIRE with only clothing sufficient to
cover their nakedness. Satisfied to save
life with the loss of everything else.
The citizens who had been spared the
destruction oftheir property generously
threw open their doors for the reception
of the unfortunates and families WED
with each other in their attention to the
sufferers, who are now temporarily safely
| housed and comfortably clad. / must
not omit to mention the noble generosity
OF our hotel keepers The doors OF the
Continental Hotel, the Mountain City
House and the Hough Houst
were open to all sufferers who chose tC
avail themselves OF their hospitality free
of charge.
On Monday the representatives, o
the Wheeling insurance compaue
came up here and are nov
busily engaged adjusting thel
losse: with their accustomed liberality
You have already published the liabil
ties of each home company 50 Will no
repeat them here. To Capt. j. V. l.
Rogers OF the Peabody we are indebted
for favors.
The fire has played havoc with th'
two printing offices here. The YES
Virginia. Messrs. Powell and Fleming
will appear as usual this week, though
not in Its usual proportions. They M,
$1,000 insurance on their office, and Wi!
be able to keep on. Major w. ?
Cooper has lost everything in the hade.
office, and we doubt whether he can e
on. We regret this. Major Cooper is 1
talented gentleman, a sound Democrat
an able writer, and we should rejoice L
know that he could command the means
to re-instatc his office. As we saw The
press standing in the midst of the ruins
we could bit think, There is the Major
tombstone"
Icannot close without calling atten
ton to Ed. w. Shurtlif's Continenta
Hotel, 1t is without doubt the best hote
outside of Wheeling, and l recommend
it to all travellers. l am not stopping
there so my testimony may be taken a;
un biased. 1t is kept in first class style
has forty rooms, an elegant dini.S-room
billiard and sample room, and is in every
way unsurpassed. Call and see when
you come to Fairmont.
The antl-lcense element won at the
last election, so there will be no liquor
sold here after May lst, when the pres
/ ont lippDsa rms ont 1 ours, -.