Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-08
SMOULDERING RUINS MARK ITS SIZE.
The Volcano Fire-SiS Acres Burned Over
Frame Buildings and a Brisk
Wind-The Losses in Detail
After the Fire.
special Correspondents Of the Register.

valley look down upon a scene OF desc
lation p.tiable in the extreme. Every
store and business place in the town,
covering an area of six acres, is con-
sumed, and as but little was saved from
any Of the buildings, the people are
temporarily without provisions, sup
plies, or accommodations Oi any char
actcr. TO-day'S train will bring sup
plies. and i'm the meantime merchants
AMI others are busily fitting up and Oc-
cupying every place which promises
the least protection from the weather.
THE BUSINESS POKTIoN OF TIIE TOWN
Wis situated i'm a narrow valley, run
ming east aud west. The fire origin
atrl in the centre of the town
i'm the rear of Thompson x Bar
ne, store at four O'Clock this morn
ins, ami 50 rapid was the progress of the
flames, that i'm less than two hours the
whole was burned The buildings were
all frame ones, and the brisk wind that
WIS blowing aided the flames, and rem
drr.d the march Oi the fire demon ire
siStihlr-thC fiery tongues reaching ont
and licking Up the buildings Is though
they were but tinder We were not on
the ground in time Ia sec the cOnhagra-
tiOn, but those who Witnessed IL say that
the sight of the town on fire, the ignited
oil from the tanks running IN
RIVER OF FIRE
through the center of the town, and the
lrlpiug flames from either side of il Us
they embraced building after building
was spectacle awe-inSpiring and sub
timely grand. The haste with which We
have % prepare this article prevents Us
from giving rs iull an account aS We de
sire, and in haste TO append the follow
in:
On Raymond avenue. the following
ar,
THE LOSSES:
Offices of Nolcanic Oil and Coal Com
pany and julius Shubert, with Odd
Fellows Hall above, loss Sl,5OO; drug
store Of Jacob King, 500; saloon Of III.
X. Kennedy, $40; Nicholas Hotel Oi
Joseph Paul, 3-story frame, 5000; l.
story dwelling of Volcanic Oil and Coal
Company. 81 900; hardware store and
pOStOihce, owned bv W. &. stiles, 5000;
dwclliu. of James Fry, 500; residence
of Nh Whitman, 81 500; machine shop
of &. * III. Whitman, 5000; store OF W.
&. Stiles, Jr., 4-storv frame, $1,000;
Thompson x Barnes store, =, 500; store
Of Graham * smith, fourth story OcCu-
pied bv the MasOnS, $1,000; l-StOry
frame. occupied as barber shop and
printing office, 500: l-StOry frame, Oc-
cupiei hv pr Wetzcl, $40; Il. +. De-
vorc's iewelry store, 500; 2-Story
frame OF ]. L. Shaier, 500; \. Shuielts
store, =. 900. office oi Torpedo Com
panv. 500: j.. L. Fcrrcll's news depot,
80
ON Railroad street, the following
losses are noted: Two oil wells, belong
ins to Volcanic oil and Coat Company,
with engines. fixtures, Nr., 5000; eight
oil tanks amt Gn hhl> oil, same COM
plnv. SljNI: barred shops OF same COM
nlnv. two buildings 4ON2O, 5000; John
i smiths boiler shop, $50;
dwelling. owned 10y Jennie Tavencr,
S4OJ; railroad deTO., Including
office and storage ruouS, 5000; storage
rooms oi ". &. stiles, Jr., 800; pump
inr station of West Virginia IuuSporta-
tio1 Company, 500; household goods
of ". N. Bukrv. 500: oil well of W. Z.
Stiles, 81 N1NNu, WIN 'llltA N'N''N tttA
possible % estimate 40 this writing.
The following are insured in the com
panirS named. Owing to the excite
meut, and the policies of many being IN
their safes vet too hot To- be opened, the
report IL not entire;
old Fellows hall insured in Frank
lin. of Wheeling, 500; in German, OF
Wheeling, 500.
\. Shufrlt. jefferson Insurance Com
panv. of Steuhenvi,lc, SJOO; PvuuSylva-
MIA Insurance Company, Of Phtadcl-
phia, 81 800.
". G.. stiles. Jr., PENNSYLVANIA Fire
Insurance Company, ui Philadelphia,
$500. WeStchcstcr Company, New
York, 5000, Niagara y. Y, 5000;
Jefferson Insurance Company, Ntcubcn-
willie. o.. $1,000; E;ua, Wheeling,
Il 500; Fire Association, of Philadcl-
phia. $1,000; Wranklin, Wheeling,
Sl,OOO
The West Virginia Transportation
Company was fully insured iu an Eng
HSh COMPANY. kenucdy'S saloon, Jas.
Fry'- dwelling, Thompson x Barnes and
GrJutham ~ smith are partially insured.
The total lpSS will aggregate SlOO OOJO
with ln insurance uipvrhaIS Oue-luurth
that sum. Nine families We're rendered
homeless, i'm many eases nothing being
saved from the iiJmc>.
The fire was
EVIDENTLY or INCENUINEY ORIGIN,
vet no clue to thc pcrPctr..tur ha> been
found. For SOME time written threats
have been sent prominent citizens 90
the effect that the town would be- burn
ell, and Just a month since an attempt
was made % burn 10. but was discovered
IN time tu stay the flames. OU matters
have been depressed for some time and
the working peoples wages materially
reduced, and this has given rise 10
grumblings and threats which have pro-
blblv eliminated i'm this lawleSS dy-
StructiOn. We do not wish 90 give color
L. the impression that all the abOIng
men here are capable OF such an act, be-
cause as a rule they are h8rt-wOrhing,
honest men: but i'm an exclusive oil ~
gion like this, with population OF 2,OoD
there are always lew leading spirits
whose purposes always srem centcred
upon disturbance AMI plumber
Vigilance will De exercised hy
the now thoroughly aroused people
and no efforts spared 20 bring tEe inCcn'
diaries 10 Justice; anu II they were ap-
pretended to-day, we are sure
JUDGE LYNCH
would DO a regular land office bushes;
for a time.
Looking IRON the hills down into the
smoking valley below, Volcano scent
fitlv named. Hundreds ef people ar,
searching the embers for valuableS which
went through the fire, Safes, contains
ing the papers and books of the larg'
firms, are now being opened, and each
has revealed, thus lar, their contents ~
safe and sound.
A fortunate change Oi wind saved /
number Of buildings and oil wells. The
inhabitants seem fairly cheerful under
their misfUrtunes, and many will rebuild
again, though the business part OF the
town will probably be.huilt further iron
the oil tanks. Mr.. Stiles, President o