The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-15

room in the Planters House discovered
live Goals dropping on the paved alley just
outside the window. Going out he found
the alley so densely filled with smoke that
it was impossible to distinguish the locality
OF the fire which caused it. The Goals, how
ever, evidently came from the store room
OF tie hotel, which was part OF frame
structure extending out across the
alley at the second floor and abutting
on the large furniture warerooms
OF the auction house Of Black,
Tiller Il Co. The fireman ran to the end
OF the alley where the high gates enclosed
it, making with the frame structure, a long
narrow room, in which the smoke had ac-
cumulated. He succeeded in getting the
gates open, and thus carried oil some OF the
smoke and then returned TO cxtinguish the
fire. He found, however, that it had a
strong hold in the store room and kitchen,
which is Immediately over the boiler room
where he was ut work.
TIE TERRIFIED GUESTS.
lie gave an alarm and in three minutes
the hotel was bedlam. Nearly three
people, filled with the recollections
Of the Milwaukee horror, were dashing
hither and thither through the main corri.
dors and down the several stairways into
the office and street. The hotel employees
acted with good sense and promptness,
rapping loud and long on every door in the
house, and five minutes later making 4
second trip to make sure that everybody
was up and advised OF the danger.
Very few waited TO dress. The smoke
from the rear Of the building where the
fire was located had already invaded the
corridors and was making its way slowly
into the rooms. Stopping only to grab Il
few articles OF clothing, men, women and
children lied in dismay and would not halt
even in the cOmmodious main office, where
there was light, comfort and little smoke.
AS the engines, the first Of which arrived
within fifty seconds Of the sounding OF the
alarm, dashed up TO the hotel, the stream
OF fugitives began to pour from its doors.
DIDN'T STOP FOR THEIR CLOTHES.
There were men in naught but their
underclothes, women with but night
dress and possibly shawl or cloak over
their shoulders, and little children hastily
bundled in blankets or other wrappings,
few wore shoes and a great many were in
their bare feet. The lights OF the RtpubIi'
can and Globe Democrat offices and OF a
house, all Of which were within
the distance OF block, led the half.Crazed
people to temporary refuge Of warmth.
Thence carriagesi in few moments removed
them 10 other hotels.
THRILLING SCENES.
Some OF the scenes incident to this hcgira
we're quite thrilling. their effect being inter-
spersed by the rattle, clang and shrek of
the engineers and the shouts oil the ire
men. Soon the main body OF the hotel
was cleared OF guests and the building was
in possession OF the iiremen, who, within
twenty minutes, as n result OF second
alarm, had thirteen engines at wOr k.
Meantime events in the rear Of the
building were Of far more ugly
character. The hotel, which is six
stories high, fronts on the west side OF
Fourth street from Chestnut to Pine, while
wing runs back on both Chestnut and
Pine streets to depth OF half block, thus
the main building forms three sides OF Il
reCtangle. The fourth side il formed by a
four.stOry building forty years old, mid
way in which, on the ground floor, is
the boiler room above referred TO, and the
kitchen is on the floor above. The two
upper floors were occupied by the help oi
the house, some seventy.fve in number.
ESCAPE CUT OFF.
Along side Of the boiler room a narrow
stairway rises and windsto the roof. The
fire, which started very close to this stair
way, was carried up to the roof by the
draft in the stairway, and thus not only Cut
of escape by that means but also formed a
barrier which prevented the men
sleeping in the south halt oi
the building from reaching another
stairway at the north end, hence these un'
iortunates; almost smothered by smoke
were compelled to climb out on the frame
structure which abutted over the alley, and
thence either to jump or lower themselves
by means OF pully rigged there Tor hoist
ing supplies.
How TIE VICTIMS MET DEATH.
One poor fellow was seen 10 start down
the stairway before the fire reached the
third floor and an hour later his crisp
corpse was found in the kitchen near the
foot OF the stairs. Another employe who.
although answering call, seems 10 have
been loo much stupetied by the smoke 10
Get up, Afterward bis dead body was
found on the smoking mattrass OF his bed.
The female help all escaped by the
stairway at the north end, save one, who
broke her ankle in jumping to the roof oil
the shed.
The fremen madea grand fight and noz.
zles were carried through the walls otsmoke
right TO where the flames were raging, and
twithstanding the inilammable nature
Of the building they succeeded in prevent.
inr the fire from extending beyond dis.
tance OF twenty feet from the point oi
origin, but in that space it burned clear
through to the roof, destroying about ten
rooms, The balance ofthe rear building was
made unhabitable by water, but the hotel
proper did not suffer 10 the extent OF a
dollar. The fire, however, crossed the alley
10 the furniture warerooms, whelo the
tiremen had another fierce but short fight,
The damage to the hotel property is about
$4,000, and to the auction firm about $2O,'
600 all covered by insurance.
cHARRED REMAINS FOUND.
This evening the workmcn engaged in
clearing away ythe debris found the charred
body Of man amid the broken timbers al
foot OF the stairway on the basement floor
The other three dead men are G. Rebole
A, SChuller and Dennis RepoAte, a carver
The hotel is substantial structure, well
provided with fire escapes and stairways
remote from each other, and even had the
fire invaded It the progress would have
been slow. There were two watchmen in
the main building. The origin Of the fire
is unknown.
OTHER BLAZES.
MlLwAykRE, January l4.-Thc Sentinel
special says Firc broke out at 4:3O yes
terday afternoon in the great wagon ant