The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-12
FURNITURE PACToRT PIRE.

Destruction Of MeiEner, sehelhRSo 4
co.'s. furniture Establishment Last
NIEhI-Ihe Factory Full Of FuFnItuFe-
Less s76OOO-InSuranee CONF HFaIIveIy
hmHlI.
At 1915 O'Clock this morning a single
alarm Of fire was struck from box ~, cor
ner Twenty.sscond and Main streets The
alarm was followed in very few minutes
by general alarm, which called out all
the engines and hose companies in the
city. The FIRE was found to be
in the large furniture factory oil
Metzner. schelhase 4 Co., on Water
street and Paper Mill Alley, the flames
first appearing in the ysrnish room in the
third story Of the building, The contents
Of this room being Of highly inhimmA.
BILE and Gombustible nature the progress
OF the flames was OF course very rapid,
and they quickly communicated to other
rooms and the roof OF the building, finding
at each step "fuel ready for them TO de-
YOUR" in the dry, well seasoned lumber,
the light wood OF which the furniture
was made, the lumber with which the
building was filled, and the paints
oils and chemicals used in the
dressing and painting Of the various arti.
Giles OF furniture. ALI these, We say, seem
ed but to feed the advancing flames, aud
by the time the several engines arrived
and began to play upon the fire, It had
made such headway that its extinguish.
ment was regarded as impIsChcab!e and
impossible by the most experienced tire.
men on the grounds, so the efforts OF the
men were directed TO the saving OF the
boArdysrd adjoining, and the dwellings
In the vicinity.
The heat OF this time was intense and 1t
was with much pain that iremsu stood in
torturous positions and played upon the
fire,
THE BUILDINGS
The buildings burned consisted Of two
large brick structures, the larger Of which
was three stories high, and the smaller
two stories. In the three story building
were the varnish and paint rooms, the I'm,
ishing rooms, store rooms, manufacturing
rooms, offices, &c, while In the smaller
building was the machinery and motive
power OF the concern.
The flames we're discovered in the third
story Of the larger building in the north
west corner, which was used as q VarniBh
room. Thence the flames rapidly extend
cd In every direction, and In a very shorj
time the whole building was enVeloped
by the Ere, quickly communicating to the
smaller building, AS we have already
said the fTemen soon saw the
hopelessness Of attempting TO save The
furniture factory, aud gave their exclusive
attention to the savlsg oil the lumber yard
east and south, In this they succeeded
very well, and not q single building was
destroyed, although the roofs OF several
were ignited at different times, and the
lumber yard was more than once In flames
In different places. The repeated alarms
and the lutid glare upon the heavens had
attracted large numbers OF people to the
scene Of the conllgration, and by the
time the fire had acquired full heAdway
hundreds Of persons stood upon the river
bank, and enjoyed the splendid spectacle
The flames rose high and higher over
the doomed building, and lit up the lower
part Of the city, the Ohio shore and the
southern part Of the Island with more
than MONDAY brillianCy.
THE LOSS.
The buildings burned belong to Metzner
sChelhase & Co., who began the manufac
ture Of furniture in them In the fall o
1873, on q large scale, and have beer
steadily increasing their facilities every
since, and this Spring contemplated thu
erection Of another building, In connec
ton with tho two burned last night
The factory IS 1t stood was the larges
In this State aud there wefO but few large
In the West. Tho buildings were full o
all material, tools, patterns, &c, Necessary
to the successful carrying on Of tho bust
ness and all were In first cla9H condition
Besides these there waR an immense
quantity oil new furniture which had beer
prepared with reference to large sprint
trade. All Of this was destroyed together
with the tools, machinery, and In shor
everything in the factory, the owner
being unable to rescue anything. The losl
ls roughly estimated q! from SG0, 1000 t
$4,000
THR INSURANCE
fInnn Tho hutIdtnnh oo1 oaoIasia 1. H..