The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-07
A FIERCE FIRE
WITH Z. r The MERCURY BELOW zERo.
BodltI'a Wagon Factory Partially Destroyed Yes.
terday aornins-Ths Cold Weather Makes II !
Bad for theFlremsn-Rror.n Fingers sud So
tlg, Eirs-Tho Loss and lnsurnuce,

assume me proportions OF u ConilagrGtlon
broke out yesterday morning in the bent
wood works Of Dobhs & Reisinger, on
Eighteenth a!reet in tho GAME building as
Bodley Bros wagon factory. The flames
were frat noticed about half past four, isau-
Ing from the part OF the building occupied
by tho firm named, which IL situated about
midway between Chapline street aud the
large new warehouse on the corner OF Eoir
anu Eighteenth streets. Tho alarm was ssnt
III, md tho department responded promptly
and did good work, though they labored
under many difficulties owing 10 the cx.
lfeme!y cold weather, tho mercury In the
Thermometer registering ten degrees below
zaro at tho time. For while the flames
teemed 10 DO getting the best OF tho fire
apparatus, and they spread 10 Beliz & Flad-
ings planning mill. OIL tho cast, and through
large section Of Bodley' works on the north
anu west, burning 10 the paint shop and hub
factory al tho west end on tho old portion OF
tue Works. Both OF these limits were well
defined, the planiDgmill aud the western end
OF the factory suffering little damage. The
flames would have spread even further had
It not bean for the precaution taken BY Mi.
JoMp Bodley, 70 start up the engine anu force
sufficient steam Into tic heating pipes which
extend throughout the building, TO assist In
queNohins the flames, Tho pipos were out to
allow tho ateam TO escape for this purpose.
N FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
Not since tho Washington hall FIRE has
wheeling witnessed such scenes as thcse OF
yesterday morning. Tho mir was bitterly cold
and tho water thrown from tho hose frcss
t,gainst the walls and formed vast masses of
ice acres, the windows. The ruins presented
picturetquo sight all day yesterday, the
south or Eighteenth street wall being one
sheet OF ice.
The cold air also hsd the effect OF fretzt{,r
ears, hngerA and noses OF The iremcn and
others about and SO still End dry was the
atmosphere, that the cold did Its work insid.
lously, aud many ears were frczau before
their owners wero aware OF 1t. Olo of the
sai!erers YVES Chief Cumming, whose left ear
freq, stiff betors hn felt uncom Portable from
It. Messrs. Rose, Lusens and Baker, OF tho
Department, had Their hands frozsn in the
sane manner. Extraman JackoWsy snt down
Ia second story window to handIethe hose
conveniently, and when he attempted to Use
found hiuse!f fastened 10 lie sill, and he was
compelled to break the tsils OF his coat oil
!iks u thin board before be could rise, Being
lloz,A stiff it broke easily.
Mr.. John Bodley's clothing ives also frozen
still upon him, and no bud 10 hsys II cut oirl
OF MIN Ia pieces.
The neighbo:s were kind and thoughtful.
and msny OF them got up and made warm
coffee Tor thoss engaged In attempting 10 ex-
tingulsh the flames. 5
ORIGIN or TIE FLAMES.
The origin and cauge OF the fire can only
be corjec:ured. There is not stove or fire..
place Of any kind in the building, the whole
works being heated by steam, uad the boiler
houss and furnace Is situated ut q distance
from the main building. There is no rlsts-
rial about which might be expected 10 gen.
erate spontaneous combustion, and tile only
plausible theory seems to be that the fire WAS
OF lncsNdiary origin, though how incer-
diaries could gain access to the building is
not easily guessed. Mr.. John Bodley had
been ut the works himself until after mid
night, running the engine so as to keep the
supply and Steam pIpEs from freezing up.
When he left he placed the engineer in
charge. at tiIs time OF the fire. the engineer
had left bis post for few minutes to 70 up
street for some purpose, and as he returned
nc heard Smln passing Oh Eighteenth street
yell Fire ~
The new wayshouse, The splendid large
brick building recently completed, was not
Damaged at ali.
The destructive power OF the tits was in.
creased by the large amount Of seasoned
wood In the building. There WIS also much
fininhed stock, a great deal Of 1t being wagons
ready Tor shipment. Just how much of this |
stock. IS destroyed cannot yet be told.
TIE LOSS AND IN: TRANCE.
1ndeed, the loss in general can only be |
guessed until the ice can be cleared away, !
and the remaining machinery oiled up and |
repaired. Dobbs & Reisipg.r, the bent wood |
workers, lcsa about $1,000 OH stock uad ma
chinerr,. on which they had no insurance. |
Bei!z & Fiadilg'sloss will ba t.intue, es little
damage was done in taeir part OF the works,
and part OF the machinery there belongs to
BDdley Bros
Bodley Bros less may BIO estimated at |
from ST.. 600 10 SIS COO. Though not yet def |
:niiely asccrtaiued It will probably DO be- |
tween these sums 1t is chiefly OF maccin- I
cry, though the damage to the building and
loss on stock is included. They were insured
sufficiently to more than cover this !oss In |
the following companies:
lug ..s....S ,Ib2 co
StAAua1u l.uuuOU. lgl5 m