The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-01-05
Great Fire at Piedmont, West Va
Heavy Loss-Atd from Cumberland

Insurance.
CUMBERLAND, MD, Jan. 2.
Yesterday morning the town of Pied
mont, West Virginia, was visited by a
very destructive fire, the loss in real and
personal property being estimated at from
S., 900 to $4,000. At about half past
five o'clock the "Zouave Building was
discovered to be on fire in tho second
story, occupied by the Piedmont Zouaves,
a military organization IS their armory
and hall.
The fire made such progress as to be
in short time beyond control, there be-
ing no fire apparatus in the place, and as
the whole town was becoming endanger-
ed, it was determined to ask for help from
Cumberland. A dispatch was sent to
Mayor Humbird for aid in extinguishing
the fire, which was responded to as
promptly as possible. A large body of
fireman, with the steamer "Potomac," the
hand-enEine "Cum berland' and hose-car-
rage and reel weighted with hose in
charge, left here on train provided for
the occasion by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company before eight o'clock,
and arrived at Piedmont in fty-fve
minutes.
By the time the fremen arrived the
FIRE had destroyed nearly the whole
square bounded by Second, Third, Green
and Ashfieid streets. No buildings on
neighboring squares had caught, owing
to the great efforts of the citizens to pre-
vent the spread of the contlagration
There was yet danger, however, from
that which was yet in ashes and the beds
of Goals in the bnrnt square, and the fire
men did good service by setting to work
and extinguishing the fire thoroughly.
They were afterwards Hospitality en-
tertained at the two hotels Of the place
by order of Mayor Bel:
The burnt district was in the best part
of the town. The principal building de-
stroyed was the city hall, which had four
business rooms on the first floor and n
large and excellent hall in the upper
story. 1t adjoined the Zouave building
on the west, the postoftice adjoining 1t
on the east. All the mails, books, etc,
of the postofiice were saved by the siren
uous efforts of the postmaster and others.
The Cipiiian of this morning. gives the
estimate of losses as follows, which Is
from the latest information received:
A. Baush, block of buildings and his
drug store in same $500, insured for
$4,000 on building and $500 on stock in
Allegany Fire Insurance Company of
Cumberland, and $500 in Baltimore
Fire Insurance Company. Mrs, l. NJ.
Bell, notions, $500; not insured. MIR.
Wild, photograph gallery, 500; no in
suranse. Ii. Price, millinery stock; fully
insured. MIR. McDermott, five houses on
Ashield street, So, 500; insured Tor 81 800
NJ. g. Totten, two buildings, including
postofficc, $500; no insurance. }. V.
Bell, dry goods, S. 900; insured for 81
500. Wa. Thrasher, dry goods, &c,
$4,000; insurance $4,000. Suter IL Min
shall, shoes, $500; no insurance. John
Noon, green grocer, $50. Semmes
block $1,000; city hall, 1000; insured
for $4,000 In addition to the above the
losses of Mr. Damberger, city hall dry
goods store, Pittsburgh dry goods store
first floor of Zouave buildlng,) McCor-
mick, grocer; IL. Mitchell, boots and
| shoes; Ross Bumworth, grocer and news
agent; q. w. Bice, books and station cry;
Beall and Gardner, dwellings,
and numbur of families living
in the rooms above most of the business
| houses, have not been ascerssined, but IL
is believed will be sufficient to make the
loss in amount as much as above stated.
The name of companies in which the
property destroyed was insured are not
given except in the bank block and drug
stores. BY many residents OF Piedmont
the fire is supposed to have been the
work OF an incendiary, as on "Wednesday
night last fire was discovered in the
same building in which this one origlna-
ted, but happily in time for its extin-
guishment before damage was done.
Piedmont is on the line of the Balt-
more and Ohio railroad, twenty. eight
miles west of Cumberland, and Is II place
which probably has 1000 inhabitants.
1t was until recently the terminus OF the
second and third divisions of the Main
Stem, and is the western terminus OF the
Cumberland and Pennsylvania railroad.
1t is the largest place in Mineral county,
West Virginia, and is separated from
Westcrnport Allegany county, Mary
land, by the Potomac river. 1t has been
good business town on account OF the
shops of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
being located there. Being at the foot
of the high ridge of the Allegany noun
tains the Baltimore and Ohio officials APP
propriately named it Piedmont, ("foot OF
the mountain, while The highest station
on the railroad was named Altamont,
meaning top OF the mountain.'-B"iti-
1 .,,,..s N,y,