Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-02
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
The Ohio Valley Glass Factory
Burned to the Ground.
TO-0ay's Delegate Convention of Nailers---
A Most important
Meeting.
Last Evenings Temperance Meeting
Mrs. ScoyiIle on a Tear---Ihe Health
Office s RepOt---lOng Dis
lance Telephoning.

About half past one o'clock yesterday
afternoon q FIRE broke out in the root OF the
factory building Of the Ohio Valley glass
works, in Bridgeport, and in less than an
hour the building was a mass OF ruins. At
the time the ire was first discovered the
workmen were setting pots, and a pot oven
door having been left open the fire IN the
furnace was communicated to the root IN
the southwest corner OF the building. b
umbers Of the edi6ce were as dry as Under.
and the FIRE shot up to the come OF the root
ike a fash, and soon spread in all direc-
lions. The workmen at once endeayored
to save the building, their first efforts being
to subdue the FIRE with hand grenades.
These, however. proved oflittle use, owing to
the combusible nature of the structure,
and reinforced by a number Of citizens, they
formed a bucket line to the edge OF
the river, near which the burning building
stood, and soon wooden pals, iron coal
boxes, powder a and every conceivable
species of vessel that would hold water was
being rapidly passed back and forth up the
steep bank to the factory.
The large warehouse south OF the factory,
was only a few feet removed, and the two
we're connected together by a wooden cause
3 The wind was blowing q stiff breeze
from the northeast, aud the flames were
blown directly toward this warehouse, and
its destruction seemed certain. A number
of employees. however, stationed themselves
on the c~ausewsy between the two buildings,
water was passed 10 them from the bucket
line. and the flames were fought to such good
purpose tha. The threatened building was
saved almost intact, the fire being con,
fined TO the factory and a small warehouse
forming q northern extension to the build
irg. The large new factory building was
one hundred feet distant, on the north, and
wss unirjured.
As soon as the alarm was sounded, a tele,
phone message was sent to Mayor Grub for
a steamer, but the Mayor declined to send
one over, Council having,a at a recent session
declared that no steamer should be sent be
youd the city limits, except the town asking
for it agree TO pay $50 per hour for its use
expenses Of transportation, and the repair
Of breakageS, terms with which the Bti4Se
porters declined 10 agree.
The burned building was jui!t about tTo
years ago, at which time it vas as on this
occasion, destroye ed by fire, and was about
5OxSO feet in dimensions. The loss is va
riously estimated az from $1,000 TO $,
600, fully covered By insurance in the
North American and Ohio Mu
tual companies, placed through thu
sgency Of Mr.. r. 7. Howell, OF Bridgeport
A very small amount Of manufacture
goods was destroyed, but there W - consld
cradle loss in raw materials The firm has
been very prosperous, running steadily al
winter. 1t specially was fruit jars, tele
graph insulstors. beer boules, etc. Abou'
sixty bands we're employed, and the ps!
roll averaged something like 5000 weekly
Il lsrgest stockholders are C.. N. Rhodes
Frank Lergel. if and Frank Leigel, ST., o
Bridgeport, and Jacob Berger, of this city
The upauy will rebuild al once, and ex
pect 70 bave things running again in two o.
three weeks.
At one time the boiler, located in th'
easement. fronting the river, threatened t
explode. but some of the employees got the
.atety valve open With q pole, and ayerteG
the danger.
1t il also said that when the cry Of fir
was irst raised the men in the packing
roCm, thinking il ~ April fool joke, re
fused 10 take auv stock in the matter, bu
heir minds were quickly disabused Of III
icta.