Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-09-05
FIRE AND WATER
Unite to Produce a Wholesale De-
structioa
In the hclain BIock----Parsoa's Photo
graph Gallery Starts the fire---Sey-
ecal Stores Badly 0renched---
More Mess Than
Damage.

Wheeling bad very marrow escape from
a disastrous FIRE. last night. Under certain
circumstances, one of the most central and
most valuable blocks in Wheeling might
have been consumed and the only wonder
is that the actual FIRE was confined to so
limited spot. About 8 o'clock two Young
men. A. ]. Hunk and Charles j. Behler,
while standing on Twelfth street, saw smoke
coming from the small port holes of the
eorniee on the McLain building, corner OF
Twelfth and Market streets and at the same
time, saw trihing smoke issuing from the
developing room in j. A. II. Parsons
photograph gallery. They spoke Of it to
others, and in few seconds an alarm had
been sent in from box %, at the city build
ing. Five minutes later a dense black
smoke began pouring out from the gallery
and creeping out from under the cornice of
the entire roof, from the gallery around to
Thcs. Hughes & Co. s on Market street. At
the same time west wind sprung mp and
carried the smoke down Market street, CIV
eripg it like pail, while a blaze sprung up
over the gallery and exactly located the
FIRE.
BEGINNING TIE FIGHT.
The FIRE department responded very
promptly to the alarm and in a few minutes
dad eight streams playing on the blaze,
The two from the Silsby equaling all the rest
in amount and execution. The hook and
ladder was also on hand, but if the fire had
been below and any people above not a lad.
der would have reached the third story
windows. The streams were generally di'
rected upon the photograph gallery, where
all the fire seemed to lie, and
as often as the blaze was subdued it would
spring up again, showing that chemicals
we're feeding the flames. The accepted be-
lief was thai the fire was spontaneous and
came from Parsons developing room and
il evidently Was not subdued until the last
gestige had been consumed. This occupied
some little time, during which the frame
work of the developing room was destroyed.
This was the entire damage By fire and $500
will more than replace it.
ALL OF rHE DAMAGE WAS DONE By WATER.
1t was difficult to imagine why such
quantities Of water were scattered about so
promiscuously, but it seemed as though the
entire block, from Littens restaurant to
Hughes, was literally drenched from garnet
o basement. Tie water soaked through
from floor 10 floor, accomplishing its work
of destruction as it went. Parsons was the
heaviest sufferer in this line and his beauti
tul studio was sight to behold. Every
thing was drenched TO ruin, his negatives
broken. pictures DESTROYED and apparatus
damaged. The sleeping apartments of VIM
n. Sheib and +. l.. Rose
were badly damaged, everything being
tearfully drenched. DIR. Charles Mason 5
and DR. r. s. Harvey rooms escaped. In
he hall leading to Higgins gallery, on
Twelfth street, water fell profusely, bat
Higgins escaped, while Littens eating
house got off with slight wetting. j. L.
Lynchs shoe store was thoroughly wetted
and almost his entire stock damaged. Vim.
II. Frank had most Of his stock removed in
lime, but some that remained was damp
aned 10 slight extent of injury. McLaln
Bros. drug store was considerably torn up
and many articles were badly wetted, but
the extent of the damage cannot yet be
nScertained. In the Mozart Hall building
there WAS not very much damage but an awful
lot of water. The third story is sort
ot Italian fiat, some twenty-five Of them liy-
ing there Their quarters were drenched,
nut their loss will not be heavy. The Drs.
Morrison had their dental rooms in the
anne state Of watery chaos, but by sweep
ng the fluid to the rear they saved all OF
he stock of Henry Somehow, beneath. A.
\. Franzheim's store was verv vet ana
Ooked very much damaged, but he re-
moved most of his valusbles and his loss
viii not be heavy. The workroom over
Thos Hughes & Co, got a slight wetting
and it sumsup the list Of those damaged BY
water.