The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-24
LAST NIGHTS FIRE.
PEARL STEAM LAUNDRY BURNED.
A. Exciting Time, But Not y.ry Hs.,, Damage.
cIO.s Qslrt,r.Of Some Of the BOardsnI at 1.-THE
HOtsl-NarrOw E,eaps FROM a FLI-Rs.
salt Of Faulty Water Plugs.

Last night about lu.oU O'CLOCK a. Me&sTs' '.
Wise Norton, Fred Huseman and Tom
ShallcroS, were standing in front Of the
Pearl Steam Laundry, managed by Frank
wocdmansee, and situated in the old Grant
House building on Main street, just below
Tenth, there was a puff OF smoke from the
basement OF the laundry, Immediately fol-
lowed by a column OF fire. 1t seemed as
though everything inside the laundry tSok
fire at once, and quicker than II takes to
write It, there was y slight explosion, that
blew the front windows out, aud through
these openings thick clouds OF smoke rolled,
and the II 4mes shot half way across the pave.
ment Mr.. Hnseman was cut about
the hands by the flying glass, and
Mr., Norton was considerably singCd
Il was all 80 sudden that at first all those
In the vicinity appeared 10 be pRrRlyZed.
Finally an alarm WAS turned In from box q,
and The Department responded In good time,
but was slow in getting water on. The Hope
reel attached In front OF the burning build
Ing, but for fully four minutes was unable Il
open the plug on account OF its rusty CON
dition. The vigilant engine stopped at the
plug 10 front OF Logau's drug ttOre, but the
l DTtkAtI NEI6 ubutN NV ~ y W uu4k VIZ
quarters, All this time should not have
| been lost. When the water did come there
was TOO much OF IL, and considerable dGmsge
was done to ceilings.
ORIGIN or THE FLAMEs, Etc.
The fire, 1t is supposed, originated aboul
the furnace Of the laundry, and commune
eating to the drying room gots big start. By
the time water was turned on II had reached
the top or third story. This building was .
part OF the old Grant House property, which
walls standing and, after Mr.. WoOdmanset
started up again, what wash twas patched VI
| and very comfortable Living rooms formed.
| Adjoining this on the south Is a continuation
| OF the building, owned by II. K. List, Esq,
separated from the other by a fire wall and
| which wal formerly and Is now used as pari
Of the hotel run by Lewis Woodmanses.
Mr.. Woodmansee's patrons were all regular
boarders, and the excitement among en-
was intense. An immense crowd gathered
and willing hands assisted the buarders tC
move their effects. Mr.. Geo. Chew and vile,
Miss Alice 0x,oby, Miss Magti4 Matler aud
MeSsrs. G. B. Montgomery and All. 0xtoby
had rooms In the burning part OF the hotel
and barely had time to dress aud get out.
Messrs. Montgomery and oxtoby being on
the third floor, managed TO save their effects
Miss Alice oxtoby, a teacher in the First
ward school, lost her gold watch, q diamond
ring and al her clothing Miss Maggie
Mather, a saIeslady IN @. r. Taylor's dry
goods store, lost her entire wardrobe. Mr..
and Mrs. Chew lost all their valuables and q
$3.50 piano they had had, but a month.
INMATES LOSSES.
The other inmates OF the house were W.
G.. wilkinson and wife, w. A. Turner,
Howard Hazlett, wife and two children,
Fred Sturgeon, Lewis Woodmausee, wife and
four sons, Mrs. Susannah Lewis, Messrs.
Ong and Hammond and eight servants. All
OF these moved their goods; and In 80 doing
many little things were lost or broken. and
| the furniture scratched.
About half su hour after the FIRE started,
the roof OF the List building caught, and In
putting that blszs out, the ilremen got theis
streams under the roof OF the old part, which
| by this time was nearly gutted, and the
force Of the water raised tia little. AS il
| did this the front wall fell into the street
| with a crash, and three or four men mar.
rowly escaped with their lives,
The laundry had been recently fitted up,
and the loss there will be about 500, with
no insurance. The books and considerable
| clothing were destroyed. The new washer
and patent ironer were not much injured,
which accounts for the small loss. TIE
burned property was In litigation. as 1t has
been since soon after the fire Of 1871. There
was no insurance on 1t and the loss Is prob
ably not over $500. The List prop.rty was
insured in the Collier agency Tor between
s.. 600 and $1,000, and the loss amounts to
only about $40.
Chairman Hoffman was on hand, as well
as several other Councilman, add they did
good work. There was, however, too much
confusion among the workers, and this was
Commented on by the spectators. "A man
named McGinnis, who keeps u fruit stand
lust north OF the laundry, lost . big lot OF
strawberries, and was cut on the head by a
falling brick, The sudden turning of
OF water at the cut off nozzle resulted In
breaking the water main at the corner OF
Main and Eleventh streets.
THE oRMEg FIRE.
Last nights fire will naturally recall to the
minds OF nearly every person IN the city, the
big fire that occurred in March, 1877, and
which totally destroyed that large four
story structure known as the New Grant
House, with the exception OF the part that
was destroyed lest night, and which was part
OF the old structure or old Grant House. and
formed the Mail street front. The 1877 fire
was discovered between $3.50 and 4 A. NJ. In
the stable In the rear, fronting On Mar.
ket Square. 1t was bitter cold and
a strong wind was blowing at the time. The
hotel went like finder. II was a shell like
structure with lath partitions and built in an
al" shape, with porches running along each
story In the inside OF the ID" The stable
filled up a part OF the az" and sat fire to the
porches, While the department was ighiipg
In the rear, the roof in front caught, and
then all attention had to be turn
ed TO surrounding property. The pro.
perry was worth $685. 900 or 50 and was heayi-
The i was alleged to be incendiary.
The property evtr since has been in litiga-
ton. A large number of guests barely ei.