The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-05
AN OILOCAUST.
THE TOWN OF VOLCANO IN ASHES
Wood COuuty's oil City Destroyed
by Incendiaries.
$4,000 Worth Of Property and q Good
Deal Of Hard Work Wiped 0pt.
vOloAxo, ". vA., August 1, ls7g.

noon, and found the worst reports Of this
mornings FIRE verified.
Volcano, is or was emphatically min.
Ing town. The general plan, or want Of
plan, follows the windings OF narrow
ravine, thes sides Of which contains the oil,
the acquisition Of which brought here a
population OF nearly two thousand. A
single street extended for quarter of a
mile, partly over this ravine and scrambl.
ed along hill side as steep as the roof of a
house, crowded with wooden buildings
which with afew exceptions were shanties
Of the plainest character. In the bed Of
the rayine was the railway, along which
track were stored huge tanks Of oil con.
tanning hundreds OF barrels. Immediate.
ly above the tracks, partially built on
tresesl like foundation, were the principal
business houses, flled with large stocks Of
valuable merchandise.
The very pavements or sidewalks were
a kind Of elevated tramway. This mass
of tinder, saturated with oil, furnished
Eood for the flames, which in few hours
have destroyed $4,000 worth Of property
and the work and toll Of years.
The leading merchants Of Volcano have
dealt largely with our merchants, and
have an enviable reputation for business
ability and integrity. Being cash or
prompt paying men, their liabilities, we
learn, are quite small. The fact of their
carrying a considerable line of insurance
shows their good judgment.
Below you will find the best account Of
the fire and losses therefrom which 1t is
possible to obtain at this time:
Everything is total loss. The fire
originated in the store building of
Thompson & Barnes. 1t was dis
covered about o'clock. The flames
spread rapidly, and, reaching some oil
tanks, they caught fire and burst, the
burning oil running through the streets,
setting fire to everything on either side Of
the streets through which it passed, trans.
forming the streets into a lake OF fire.
The following are some OF the principal
and heaviest losers.
Volcano Oil Co., $4,000. No insurance.
W. G. Stiles, sr., $4,000. Insurance
5000.
Graham < Smith, $1,000. Insurance
5000.
Thompson & Barnes, $500. Insurance
5000.
Odd Fellows Hall, $l,4oO. Insurance
$1,000.
C.&H. Whitman, 5000. No insurance.
There was six hundred barrels of heavy
oil burned, ten stores, the postoffice, rail-
road depot and telegraph office, hotel,
Walking Beum printing office, nine dwell
ing houses, the West Virginia Transporta-
ton Company's Office, Smiths Boiler
Works. one pumping station and several
other small building. Everything is a total
loss. Almost the entire contents Of the
stores and dwellings were consumed; the
flames are spreading with such lightning
rapidity, all the buildings being wooden
structures.
The following are some Of the insurance
companies holding risks in the burned
districts:
W. G. Stiles, Jr,, insured in the Penn.
sylyania Fire insurance Company, of Phil
adelphia, for $500; jefferson Insurance
Company, Of steubenville, Ohio, $1,000;
4Etna Insurance Company, of Wheeling,
West Virginia, sl,5OO; West Chester In.
Company, of New York, 5000;
Niagara Insurance Company, Of New
York, 5000.
Thompson & Barnes were insured in
the franklin, of Wheeling, for $1,000;
German, Of Wheeling, $1,000.
Graham & Smith are insured in the
Queen, OF England, $1,000; Amazon, Of
Cincinnati. Ohio, $1,000; American Union,
$1,000; Niagara, OF New York,
5000; Jefferson, of steubenville, Ohio,
Sl,OOOi Pennsylvania, Of Philadelphia,
$1,000.
Odd Fellows are insured in the Frank
lin, OF Wheeling, $500; German, of Wheel
ing, $500.
The FIRE is undoubtedly the work of an
incendiary. There were two attempts
made short time since to burn the town,
and since the nightwatchmen have been
put on, and had Just gone of duty when
the FIRE was discovered.
Some few nights since traveller at the
hotel woke up about two o'clock in the
night, and hearing a noise and voices of
men talking, got up and went to the win
dow, aud could distinguish two men and
heard one of them say, "Let US burn the
damned town." he went down stairs
and aroused the hotel people, but nothing
could be found Of the villains who were
going to do this damnable act. It is more
than probable that the guilty parties will
will be found.
Tho total loss will reach $4,000. The
insurance, as near as can be ascertained,
is $4,000. There is such confusion at this
hour that it is impossible to obtain a full
list Of the insurance companies having
risks in this place. The present outlook
for rebuilding the place is not very ia.
yorable, and the leading citizens and
business men have as yet taken NO
action in this direction, but are looking
around and attending 10 what is left Of
their business and property.
Rapid Change OF Gauge.
KANSAS Cry, Mo-, August 4.-The Em-
poria aud Southern Railroad, recently
built from this city to Eureka, a distance
Of fifty miles, changed Its track from a