The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-31
Further Particulars Of Thursday
Nights BIaze--The Losses
Mostly Covered by
Insurance.
Numerous Theories as to the Pro-
babIe Cause Of the Fire.
Strong Suspicion OF its
| Being the Work of
a Fire-Bug.
The Hotel to Be Rebuilt lmmedla-
teIy--Scenes, Accidents
and Incidents.
Another Incendiarv Fire Last Night
Gambling He'll Burned.
AFTER THE FIRE.

The fiery elements which laid low the
Grant house in ruins, and spread sucn
havoc among the buildings Immediately
adjoining, on Thursday night, having
been subdued, and confined to the
smouldering ruins, there of course was
an opportunity offered yesterday to CLEAN
additional facts that could not possibly
have been adduced on the night OF the
conflsgration. All day a continual
stream of persons was noticeable
ON the streets. on their way
to the scene, to satisfy themselves
that the Grant House had indeed been
reduced to ashes, as it were, in crema.
tory sense of the word, and that nothing
was lett of it but mass OF tottering
ruins. As usual in such cases everybody
had their own experiences to relate OF
the night before, and each one had his
or her peculiar theory as to the cause Of
the confagration. Of course, to arrive
at a definite conclusion as TO
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
would be impossible, when we consider
the thousand and one COLLECTING rumor:
afloat, and to truthtully record the state
ments of eyewitness from the beginning
to the end, and allow our readers to draw
their own conclusions, is really the only
consistent method that can be adopted
under the present circumstances. 1t IL
the general opinion, however, OF ma
Iority of the persons interviewed that
tbo 4; ro xyoc thu u0rk of q
FIRE BUG,
but for what cause, is q mystery yet to
be unraveled, Messrs. Lewis Il Wood
mansee, the proprietors ofthe house, not
having an enemy to their knowledge
that would possibly be induced to such a
deed through personal animosity.
One informant, who was in the buili-
ing, states that his attention was attract.
ed to the fire by an alarm being gwen on
the street, and going to a window 'front.'
ing on Tenth street, saw the reflection OF
the fire on Market street, and fastening
to the side of the building overlooking
the stables in the rear, saw the fire issuing
from Simpsons stables. He was 10th to
account however for the rspidity with
which it spread, and the manner in which
it overcome the walls ofthe building and
lgnited the interior of the Grant House.
Mr.. j. j. Jones, also an inmate of the
building at the time, says he was aroused
by an alarm given on the street,
and arousing and partially dressing
himself, went to window overlooking the
stables. He saw the reflection of q
bright light in Simpsons stables, and 8
dense volume of smoke arising there
from. ard of a sudden the fire burst
through the roof at one end. he re-
treated into the hallway, and going
round to another window, again looked
out, and saw that the rear OF the build
ing adjoining the Grant House was on
fire, although it seemed impossible to
him that it could have caught tire from
the stable, as the distance between the
two was too great, and the fire in the
stable had but just burned through the
roof.
MIR. j. V. l.. Rogers, who arrived on
the scene before there were more
than twenty persons present and
before hose had been attached to plug,
says that he saw the fire break out Iii
three different places, and that one OF
the fires certainly originated in the
Grant House, and that the
fire IN the hotel proper made
its appearance on Main street
before it had effected an egress through
the stable.
Another gentleman who was also IN
the house, states that there were two fires
to his certain knowledge, and that the
Grant house was on fire either in or I'M
derneath the kitchen before the flames
mad gained any Roadway at the stable.
Messrs. Lewis i Wooimansee are un-
able to account for the conhagration, and
are ignorant as to the origin of the fire,
but think, however, that it caught in
Simpsons stables, and communicated
with III ehotel.
There are numerous other rumors atioat
as TO the probable origin of the fire, the
majority of which are the same as men
toned above, some placing the original.
ing point in the private stables OF Mr..
w oodmansee and others in the stables of
Mr.. Simpson, but the above are perhaps
the most reliable accounts that can be
given.
TIE FIRE DEPARTMENT..
After the alarm was first given, it was
perhaps half an hour before any of the
steamers arrived on the scene, when the
Vigiliant came putting down followed at
by the Atlantic and United
engines. Of course by this time the fiery
element had gained such Roadway that
it was impossible to stay their fury, and
the opinion generally prevails that a
dozen steamers at the time of their ar
rival would have been of no avail, fur.
Their than to confue the element within
the limits of the buildings it had already
ignited. There can be no doubt that had
the engines been promptly on the scene
within five minutes after the alarm was
given tlat the conhagrstion would have
been averted, and the Grant House would
to day have been Standing. We
DO not, nor is it our desire, to accuse tn
fremen of negligence, in referring to the
matter IN the manner We do, when
i is we considered that after
he fire was first discovered,
he party discovering it was compelled
% either run or walk to the Vlgilant
engine house, distance OF some five or
tx squares, in order to give the alarm.
Then, before the alarm could be given
rom the tower of the engine house to
he other companies, considerable more
# the most valuable time was consumed,
md the flames had entire possession OF |
within its grasp. The fire.
men are not to be blamed for this de-
BY, but the fogyism with which the
ity OF Wheeling has been cursed from
or infancy to the present time can take
ba hiope sn6 on IRRESPONSIBLE (Gtv