The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-04
A ..h F&LLH,
HuFyinE Beneath ,he chris Five Pos
~ ri ,kONR-A Number L. iured, -.


back part OF the United States hotel build
log, situated on Pennsylvania avenue, 4
short distance west OF the Capitol, fail In
without warning this evening and buried
IN the ruins o number Of the 'inmates
The building has frontage Of twenty.
Ave feet on the avenue and q depth Of 1856
feet. the rear end opening on the alley lead.
Ing from Third and Fcur.and.a Hall
streets. Asmall portion Of therear wall as
the frat to give away and q general col.
lapse Of the whole rear portion immedi
ately followed, sending up great cloud oi
dust.
A general FIRE alarm was sounded, which
brought to the acme 4 the deaster = mum.
Der Of fire engines and hook and ladder
companies and Il force OF p)lics. There
were about forty five peraons In the hotel
at the time the disaster occurred, in,
Guiding guests and employees, and Ii was
impossible at first 10 ascertain how many
were buried in the MACS Of debris which
occupied the ground upon which the rear
portion Of the building had stood.
Cries and groans could be heard from
the ruins, showing that all who were then
imprisoned were not.dead. A large force
Of men went to- work at once and in the
course Of An hour Ernest Snooks, q boy oi
II years Of sge, and Annie Dickson ,c6lored
chamberma,d, wers taken out, both alive
but badly injured. Ia the meantime it had
been ascerts,ned that the number Of per.
sons buried in the ruins did not
probably exceed seven, viz, Mrs
Belden, wife OF the proprietor.
Ernest Shook, boy II years OF age, Son OF
the re3tsurant keeper next door, and i've
colored sertaD's. II Is feared that those
who have not yet been rescued are dead
The part OF ths building which fell con-
tanned chitf1y rooms appropriated to the
use Of the servants Of The hotel, and It is
belisved that none { the guests have been
either killed or injured. The Uoited
States is one .!cf The Oldest struc.
lures in the city, and It is esid
to have been for long time in an uuaate
condition. The barkeeper is reported to
have made complaint to the Inspector of
Buildings some days ago with regard to ita
condition, dangerous cracks in the walls
having become visible on the outside.
The portion which fell was erected about
twenty five yeara ago and was i've stories
in height. gShg5 !rHEV-a.ii1 i.EE
Mrs. .Beldipe, vile Of the proprietor Of
the hotel; was Rescued alive at hali-pest ii
O'Clock, after having been'imprisoned four
fouls. She was<on the first anor Of the
hack building, and was caught in narrow
v shanad space formed by part Of the sec.
ond door resting in elantinR position
against the sid wall. ns,.'ts
After the itemsn and volunteers had
worked two hours digging down into the
debris from the surface, The force o! fire.
men under Capt Cronin entered from the
front buildi1 6. against the back Of which
timbers aud bricks had partly
lodged and hearing groans worked
their way hack by removing tha timbers
and supporting others. They finally got
near enough to sae Mrs Bslding and talk
with her, and. eventually hand her some
water and whisky. She WAS not crushed bu,
held down by her. clothes and penned In
by fallen timbsrs. Jacks were brought and
the weight held up whiIs saws and axes
were used TO cut a way to her. At last the
rescue1s got close y ensuRh to - cut
her clothing locsa when they
were enabled to e4trlcats her. She was
apparently not severely ipjur d but very
much exhausted and tainted IS she was
carried out, - u'jst2 .4'',r.' 49, -