Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-03-01
A GOOD DAY FOR FIRES.
Rfveseparate Alarms I'm Philadelphia
and over q Million of Dollars Losses.


PHILADELPHIA, February 29.-Firs fires
occurred during the night. Owing to the
violence Of the wind and the great dis.
tance between the various alarms, the fire.
men found much trouble in keeping the
flames under control. The most destruc.
tive was at the chemical works OF Powers
& Weightman, the largest of the kind in
the country which were totally destroyed.
The loss at this place will be over a million
dollars. The fire was first discovered
about one o'clock, but the alarm was not
responded 20, because the only en-.
gines in that fire district were already
engaged in combating similar fire in the
wool mills al Second and Lehigh avenue.
One OF two engines which answered the
first call came a distance OF nearly two
miles. The store of Coon Bros, & Co., pro-
South Water street, damaged $4,000.
About the same time the Echo carpet mill
at Lehigh avenue and Palethorne street and
1 three Gr four aWelliRgs edjofning were DE.
stfoyed, involving loss of S25 900. The
other FIRES were not so serious, but the fire.
ouent alarms served to distract the tirenen
and tax the department to its fullest Ca
pscity. Every fire company in the city
was in the service at one time with one
exception, at Frakford, which was left
as a precautionary measure TO protect the
great number of mills in that section.
At 2:l5 A. NJ. q general alarm was sound.
ed and the fremen responded as promptly
ss possible, but were weary after working
one fire, ther another. ard the fires burn.
II in various sections of the city made
their work appear erd!ess. They were be.
numb with the cold, but succeeded in
kee eping the neighDoring buildings soaked
with water as the wind enveloped them in
a perfect storm OF sparks and Cinder. BY
three O'Clock the chemicals seemed TO
burn with such extraordinary fierceness
and the fire was evidently spreading so rap
idly that the residents of the ncighbOrhood
left their houses under the impression that
q terrible explosion was liable to occur at
any moment 1t was difficult to calm
them, and induce them not to risk the
lives of the children by exposing them to
such Rirht. At this time the entire
sQuare s. 10 be vast sheet OF flame
and soon sfter three an explosion of fusil
oil occurred. The burning fluid ran through
the streets and the iremen called upon the
Gil zans to help rescue the engines and hose
carriages from the river OF blazing oil. The
oil soon burned itself out, but the flames
had spread across the alley-wsy to five.
story brick building, stored with large
quantity of combus'ible materials.
1t is now estimated that the loss on
buildinGs. machinery and raw aud mann
isCiured stock et Powers * We:ghtT ans
chemical works will amount to Sl,dOOO,0.
There is said to be over 100000 insurance
On tie property destroyed, but the owner9
refuse to give the list OF insurances. and
have requested the agents OF the different
companies not to do so.
Brass Works Burned this Morning.
Lorraine, o., February PA fire this
morning damaged the Joel Hayden Brass
Company's works t. he extent Of $4,000
Fully insured.
Machine shops Partly Destroyed.
MILWAUKEE, February 2O.-Corbett Il
Co.'S machine shops were damaged $1,000