Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-14

suarter wide. The fire started on th'
north side OF Avenue A, setter known Al
the Strand, which is ore block from th'
Bay, and it stopped within two blocks o
tbs Gulf Sixteenth street is nine blocks
west Of the extreme inhabitabls end OF the
island, the FIRST resident street being Sixth
From Avenue. A to Avenue d the FIRE wa
confined TO the strip bounded on the east
BY Sixteenth street and on the west BY
Seventeenth street. The business part Of
the city begins ct Twentieth street and
runs west ten blocks
This outline locates the FIRE, which be-
/ gan to spread rapidly after it had passed
Avenue D. By the time it had reached
Avenue J, or Broadway, it was sweeping
nearly three blocks in width, from the
west side Of Seventh to the east aide OF
Fourteenth street. About three hundred
houses we're burned, which were occupied
by fully Eve hundred families. From
Avenue A to Avenue E, for four squares,
the burned dwellings we're occupied almost
entirely By the poorer class, and several
families were crowded into single house
in this "trip. i.
From Avenue s, however. ihe hpERed
district includes the Wealthieet and most
fashionable portion of the city. One hun
dred elegantly furnished mansions are IN
ruins. Many Of these residences had
beautiful gardens attached aud the money
ed loss does not represent over halt their
value.
All manner OF estimates are 10 De heard
at this time. The City Assessor says the
taxable value Of the dwellings burned is
$3.50 coo. This makes the actual value Of
the property $l,500OQ0 which perhaps
represents the loss in money. The iusur-
anee is estimated at S609,O00, although
some insurance men have walked over the
district place the insurance at $500 600.
So far as can be learned not 4 single &C.
eidsnt occurred. The scene during the
progress Of the IRE was simply frigbttul-
90 filed with misery and terror that whoev-
es witnessed it must bear its vivid impress
for lifetime. The wind rose to q scream
ing gale in the vicinity of the ire, and
swept through the buEliHg belt in terrific
NQAklS, tuE LALAAAOho " AA'S SASN'AS
high up in The air Sn3 raining them down
O mile distant over the wooden city aud Its
paric-strIcken inhabitants.
The entire east end Of be city scarcely
contains dozen brick dssi! pgs All Is
vood-Texas pius-snd it burns with su
indescribable fury Five minutes AFTER
house had caught It would be wrapped in
one mighty flame. The alley ways and
streets for ten squares on either eide Of the
burning belt we're flied with the blsrched
faces Of helpless men, women and chif
dren, who could do nothing in such gale
but crouch down down tos shelter and
Vstsb the flames lick up the fruits OF
TfetimS. although the victims number
many of the Sesith hest residents OF the
city. whose individual Sesl;S runs up near
the millions. yet the great majority OF those
burned out lose the better portions Of their
fortune. o. their little ALL Some families
saved a good dssi oi furniture, others are lett
With nothing but theclOlaes os their backs so
confident vera they that the ire would aot
reach them. The loss in personal and
household property can never be estimated
and il 90: iGciuded in the previous esti-
mate.