The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-07-23


mixed together In the arms Of robus
men or carried on hastily CONSTRUCTED
hand barrows. AT II o'clock in thI
morning 1t became apparent tha. some
thing must be done 10 check the mob, and
a number Of citizens hurriedly prepared
notices calling mass meeting Of citizen
at the old City Hall, 10 take measures L
prevent further destruction Of property
the meeting waS held at noon, and larE,
number Of leading citizens responded tc
the call. It was decided to ap; lint 4
committee, consisting Of Bishop Twigg
Of the Catholic Church, JRmes Paske, Jr.
D. ard E. Donnelly, James J. Bennett
and Dr.. s. F. Scovel, pastor Of the Pres
byterian Church, to have conference
with the rioters, while another commit
tee was appointed TO wait upon tue rail
road authorities to ascertain what course
they intended 10 pursue, or to suggest 4
compromise that would put m end to thS
disorder which existed. The meeting
then adjourned to meet again at fOul
o'clock in the afternoon. The committee
appointed 10 walt upon the SiOters failed
to induce thom TO refrain from further
destruction Of property and the railroad
authorities could not be found. From
the time the military fled uR 10 3 O'Clock
in the afternoon no effort was made 10
check the riot other than the meeting
Of citizens referred to. The mob VIC: ked
very quietly, and it was noticeable fact
that few OF the railroad smrIvyes were
engaged in the work OF destruction,
Hero and there a man who had been dis.
charged might be seen leading crowd,
but generally the ringlsaders we're men
who had never been employed by any
railroad. Many half grown boys were
foremost in the work OF deyasta.
tion and wed with the older ones
in their efforts. These operations were
carried on very quietly and the multi.
tude Of men, women and children, who
filed the streets and occupied position on
the hill side south Of the railroad, looked
on with astoniEhment while the destruc.
tion Of property continued. At $3.50 a
burning car was run down the grade un.
der the sheds surrounding the Union de.
pot. Up to this time it was hoped that
the building would escape but the mass
OF pine lumber used in the shedding over
the tracks and the depot building were
soon sea Of fire. While the Ere was rag.
ing here the mob pillaged the freight de.
pot Of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St.
Louis R. R., which ia close in the vicinity
Boxes of freight received for shipment
were broken open and tie valuable con.
tents carried Of. After pl1nderips the
depot for an hour, and when flour, hams
and all kinds Of provisions had been car.
ried away, the torch was applied and
soon the vast depot and the company's
general Offices adjoining were a mass OF
flames. The Union Depot was a large
four'story building; it had frontage on
Liberty street OF about 70 feet and ex-
tended back about 200 feet. The lower
floor was used as waiting rooms, ticket
offices and company Offices, and the upper
floors were occupied by the Keystone
Hotel Company and was one Of the arst
hotels In the city. The whole building
was Of modern style Of architecture and
considered one Of the best arranged de-
pots in the country, AID was finished
about seven years aince. In the rear Of
the depot and extending back 500 feet
were lines OF neat pine sheds, covering
the different tracks 10 protect the passen.
gers from the weather. It was under
these that the burning cars were run.
The freight depot OF the Pittsburgh, Gin
cinnati &St. Louis Railroad was largs
shed building, fronting on Grant street,
and extending from Washington street to
eth Avenue. The comrany's general
offices were in iour.story building, front.
Ing on 7th Avenue, and were destroyed,
as was also the depot Of Adams Ex.
press Company, located on Grant street.
The books and valuable papers had been
removed from the Union Depot Offices Us
well as from the other buildings before
the fire reached them. The fire depart.
ment Of tho city continued on duty from
the time Of the first alarm, but were mot
allowed to throw any water or make any
effort to save the property Of tho Railroad
Company. They consequently, di.
rec;ed their efforts to saving the
private property on the north side
Of Liberty street. lu this they
we're mainly successful, although 6 dwell.
ings and a sash factory, located near
the round houses, were destroyed. Early
in the day when the Union depot was fir.
ed, folloWrd by the Pan Handle offices, a
panic peized the citizens, who had up to
this time, calmly folded their arms and
looked on. twas feared this couaagsa.
ton would sweep the entire portion of tho
city south OF the Pan Handle railroad
tracks, "a many Of the buildings we're
Ssmhf1 frames vi as dry as tinder. At
this juncture the fire department of ALE.
gheny, which had been held In readiness
in case Of an outbreak on that side Of
the river, was summoned TO assist in stay.
ing The progress Of the flames. The Pau
Handle railroad building WAS the last one
in the line, and the Allegheny depart
ment was placed on Seventh avenue to
check the progress Of the flames in that
direction. When this last building was
fired tho whole territory between Seventh
avenue and Millvale station, a distance
of three miles, was mass Of
flame, the railroad COmpany's property
being all between the south side Of
Liberty street and the Bluff hill,
extending from 7!h avenue to Millvale
Tae small houses on the hillside, al.
though badly scorched, were not destroy.
ed. The railroad buildings destroyed
were as follows: Two round houses, one
machine shop, superintendcnts office,
car repair shop, blacksmith shops, two or
three oil houses, Union Transfer depot