Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-01-31
the MLLsBuRG FIRE.
set as Bad As At First Re-
sorted.


Inc nfe WHICH bfUAc O1t ~ NC eAcc
store Of G. N. White 4 Co, at Welisburg.
abOat midnight Thursday night. and which
at one time threasened to destroy consid-
cradle portion Of the torn, was fortunately
held in check and confined to the building
in which II originated and those in the i'm
mediate vicinity. The following details
are taken from the Panhandle News extra,
OF YESTERDAY:
last night about u O'Clock the citizens
of WeIlsburg were awakened from their
slumbers by the ringing of the Court House
bell and shrieking OF the paper mill whistle,
with the CRY Of FIRE. On account OF
The EXTREME COLD
and the fact that there have been several
false alarms recently, the people were loatk
to leave their beds, and by the time they ar
rived on the ground, the tWostory brick
building owned and occupied by George NJ.
White L Co. as q shoe store, on Water street,
was in flames, aDd>ft was but q short time
until it was>6 mass Of ruins SO rap
idly did>fhe flames spread that the oc-
eupants Of the brick building on the
south side, the property Of Mrs Cloudy,
widow of the late Robert Cloudy, barely es-
caped with their lives, having no tune to
save anything, with the exception Of q few
millinery goods n the store recently opened
by Mrs. IFrasher from Bellaire, who also lived
in the house and lost all her furniture. The
postOfice building, Immediately adjoining
the Gordy property, was threatened with
destruction,
Being eS FIRE SEVERAL TINES,
but the slate roof helped very much to pre-
vent the flames from spreading, and the
damage to the huiiding is comparatively
slight: Everything was removed from the
uostofice, and the officials now have
everything in shape. The new twostory
frame Building erected BY G. W. Caldwell,
adjoining the White property on the north,
Office and BY ". n. Simpson, the
dentist. was badly wrecked and
damaged, but contrary to all expectations
the flames were confined to this building,
and further loss by fire prevented. AT one
time it looked as if nothing Woald save the
balance of the block on.the north, especial
" as all the buildings were frame, but good
EoCk was done by
BUCKET LIEE
being formed, and no doubt through exer-
tons in this way, the Rose buildings were
saved. The occupants had removed all
their house goods, to be on the safe side.
The FIRE department was under the dis
advantage of having no water, the water
plugs being frozen. The extinguishers had
10 be taken to the paper mill before they
could be used, and by the time they were
ready for work the fire had complete con.
troll Of both brick buildings. Their efforts
at first seemed futile, bat by hard work they
soon succeeded in checking the FIRE and
PREVENTING ITS SPREAD.
The FIRE originated in the store room Of
George NJ White & Co., where, it is report
ed, the gas was left burning in the stove
and, as it stood close to board partition
the latter no doubt took fire and secured q
good Roadway before it was discovered.
The firm lost everything, including theiI
books and stock OF boots and shoes, re
Gently inyoiced at 1920, but
had, an insurance of $1,000 or
the building and $500 on their stock o.
boots and shoes. There was no insurance
on the Goudy property, nor on the con
tents, and both are therefore total loss
which viii be severely felt by Mrs. Cloudy
and Mrs. Carter, the milliner, for both o.
whom much sympathy is expressed. The
damage to the Office Of DR.. Caldwell ii
covered by an insurance of 5000. The
large plate glass windows on the other side
| of the street, in the new Lewis Hanev build
ing, we're cracked by the intense heat, tn.
damage being covered by insurance,
The citizens as rule
WORKED NASFuLLY,
and together WITH the fact that the nigh
was very calm, or from good luck, call j
what you please, no FIRE occurring in an
city in such situation, could have gotten
under control with less damage.
Major J. Y. L. Rodgers, prominent in
serance agent of Wheeling, representing
the companies which are the principal loser
by the fire, was on hands early Friday
morning, adjust the losses.
The books in the safe of G. NJ. White
Co., we're totally destroyed, but George ha'
an invoice Of all the bills to January |
1885.
The Postofice building is badly dam
aged, but fully covered by insurance.
The FIRE was under control at g. M, AZ
ter raging little over an hour.