Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-10
BLAZING BENZlNE.
Tbs Hslnlein Block at Bridgeport
Goes Up
IL Smoke Yesterday Morning, Causing a
Loss Of Forty thousand Dollars
Hoy the Accident Occurred.

At about ten O'Clock yesterday morning
the people of Bridgeport, who were on the
streets in large numbers 10 witness the de-
sruction wrought by the now fast receding
waters, were startled by 8 loud report
which came from the Helnle block front
on Pike street, and Il moment later by the
sight Of two men leaping from the second
story into the wafer which entirely sur
rounded the building. Then flames and
smoke were seen rising from the windows
and in a few nom snts the whole block was
in fans. The la;ge body Of water eVir-
oniDg the burning building ta red all at.
tenpso t y the progress Of the fire, for
all the efforts OF the volunteer firemen had
to be carried on from skiffs and 'John"
boats When il was seen that all efforts to
save the buildings were destined to b. in
vain the frem. condned ther5 eft sr;~ u,
saw Z hecoI tents Of the stores Bat SON
the,progress Of the fire checked all FIR i p
This direction, but oy hard md We direct,
ed work tie flames were prevented from
spreading TO the surrounding buildings.
In two hours the block had burned to the
waters edge and only the walls remained
standing. The block consisted of two
splendid dc uble brick business buildings
and one Gouble twostory frame business
and dwelling houses. The first two msn-
toned were burned to the ground aud the
latter saved. The upper brick was only re-
Gently completed and was
ONE OF THE FINEST BUSINESS HOUSES
= -. ha1H
OF the building, the eastern portion, was
occupied by Wells & Dent, wholesale deal
ers IN drugs, chemicals, confectiOneries
etc. The first story Of the lower portion
was occupied as an office and the confec-
tionsry department, and the second story
ss 8 waIeroOm. The upper half was unoc.
rupied, but Piedmont merchant expected
TO remove into il shortly. The lower half
" as occupied by the drug store, stationery,
lamps, and many other things. The second
3 DRY Of this building was also occupied as
wsreroom This formed one-halt Of the
corner building The other was occupied
by George Griffin as a retail grocery house.
On the south and adjoing this buIling are
two two story frame buildings They ara
occupied by Bowie 4 Deems, druggists,
James McCOnnaughey, confectionery and
dwelling, and the balance BY Heinlein
Bros, timers, and 8. shooting gallery. The
FIRE originated in the first story OF the
rom in the new building occupied BY
Wells & Dent. This was q few minutes
before ten o'clock. The water was several
feet up 10 the room and the stock was
floating around promiscuously. The fire
originated from an explosion OF some
chemicals on the water with loud re-
port followed By ons report, then another,
and sometimes two or three in succession.
MIR. Dent and Doll Co.'S, a young man
lvsW I'D in ha nm
washing down the walls, and narrowly
escaped with their lives As soon as the
explosion occurred Mr.. Dent said to CoSs:
Look out Dali, run and Jump into the
creek" and at the same time leapinS
through the window into the creek. For.
tuDateIy both were good swimmers, and
sUccs eded In reaching some Of the neigh
boring buildings. They were slightly in
jured in jumping. The report Of the ex-
plosion was heard by citizens near by snd
the slsrm of fire given. By the time the
first cry OF ire was heard flames and an
immense volume OF smoke was seen iSsu
irg from the building, and in less than
two hours the two buildings were in ruins.
The two frame buildings were considsra-
by scOrched and damaged but saved. Tne
C. liens
TCRSED OUT EN NASSE,
md great efforts made to eXtinguiSh the
Eames, but they only succeeded in saving
the adjoining buildings. Men and boys
Jumped into the water up to their waists,
climbed over the buildings, drew water up
with ropes and buckets, and worked most
Cesperstely, deserving more credit than
any tongue can express. Every precau-
lion was taken 10 save the adjoining prop
erty from destruction. The meat shop OF
BOggs & Giles, next to the new building,
and the little house of Mrs. CasS AL Joining
II were partially demolished. An effort
was made TO shove them into the creek,
hut without success. ibis was done to
prevent the flames from extending to the
buildings up Main street; but, as the
walls stood, this was unnecessary, and the
flares were confined to the two brick
kuildinfs. Owing TO the water, much dr.
ficulty wss expert, nc, d in reaching the
buildings and getting upon them. For
time the entire town appeared to b. IN
danger, and the contents were removed
from many houses in the immediate
psighborhOod
The new brick was built a few months
PgO by con FACTOR John Clark at q cost OF
81 600. The corner brick was erected in
1SG7. costing aoout $4,000. The entire
block including the two frames on the
were not destroyed the loss to the Helm
lein Bros property will not exceed SIS 900.
The property is insured for 81 800 in the.
Columbfana, Knox County and German
companies. On the glass there was five
hundred dollars insurance held in Elders
Agency.
Wells & Dent say
THEIR LOSS WILL NOT EXCEED $4,000.
On this they have $500 insurance In the
Alma and Continental companies in Rob
inson's Agency. erytAing they had in
their stores, even the books and all their
papers were burned.
George Giffin estimates his loss at about
81 CO., with 5000 insurance, held by the
Hartford and the Fire Association in
Rodgers Agency.
The stock of Messrs. Bowie & Deems and
McCopnaughey was badly damaged, and
the meat shop and residence of Mrs. Co.'S
are almost ruined. Bridgeport probably
never witnessed more excitement than was
created by this conlsgrstion, and the scenes
ARE indescribable. Men, women and chill
dren ran hither and thither. The whole
population was torn up, aud everybody ap-
peared excited. Hundreds Of voices were
heard ct once. Men and boys were run
ming about endeayoripg to save as much
property as possible, while the women aud
children ran shout crying piteously. The
sight was one never to be forgotten.
at noSfr fael ~ailiB Tha skomach ia ont