The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-09
A So, 600 FIRE
At MARTINS FERRY YEsTERDAY,

IT MARTINS FERRf 9HsTEnpAY.
,o,nmsrpiai Block Destroyed BY Fianssaf
Mysterious Origin, Starting In swartrs
Eat store "A Bank, Drug Store
andTslephone Exchange Gone.
Martins Ferry seems peculiarly doomed
o loss by FIRE. But recently the Hoyle-
Zones Manufacturing Company's works
we're burned, and yesterday morning
Block, the principal business
,uildlng in the town, containing the bank,
he telephone exchange, Odd Fellows
md Red Mems halls, the principal public
hall in the place, and the lead
ng stores as well, was destroyed, together
With q two.story brick building and two
small frame houses adjoining. CONNER
cial Block was q substantial brick struc-
lure, III by so feet, three stories high on
Hanover street and two stories on Fourth.
It was the property Of Gray 4 Smith, and
was built in 1928, at cost OF about
$4,000. The adjoining brick house on
Hanover street was new, and belonged to
]. d. Hohensack, who until recently &C.
cupied II rs a drug store and dwelling.
He recently sold his drug store to Cox 4
NIcSwords, who occupied the first floor.
The aaHnnd WINS vacant
The entire loss will approximate $50, 600,
about two.thirds OF which is covered by
insurance.
THE START or TIE FLAMES.
The origin Of the fro seems TO be wrap
ped in mystery. The blaze when discov.
cred was in the cellar OF Swartze's hat
store. There was no fire kept in the eel
lar aud It was used only to store empty
boxesin. How fire could have origina-
ted there cannoteven be conjectured: The
outer door OF the cellar was an ordinary
board one, and 1t could easily have been
broken open by anyone who desired to Sc
cure access to It. But motive for incen-
diarism is entirely lacking so far as the re-
porter AgaS able to ascertain.
From Swartz's, which was on the east
corner OF the block, the flames spread rap.
idly, and by three o'clock, half an hour
after the fire was discovered, the block and
Hobensack's buildingadjoining were little
but mass OF blazing embers. The fire
was under control by hall past four. Only
the distance intervening between the
burned houses and the nearest otherprnp'
erty prevented much more destructive
confiagration.
HELP PROM WHEELING. RS.
A telephone message was sent over to
Chief Dunning OF the Wheeling fire de-
partment, for an engine, and the Niagara
went over. It labored under great dis.
advantage in having to force water s, 000
feet up Lii, the river being the source Of
supply. However, it did good work, and
the general opinion at Martins Ferry Is
that but for the services OF this engine at
least three more houses would have been
burned, and probably the fire would have
swept Fourth street north to Walnut
grove. The Island hose reel accompanied
the engine, and it required nearly all the
hose OF this andits own reel to cover the
distance from the river to the fire.
All the walls OF Commercial Block but
the south one, which fell, were pulled
down yesterday. The block will be rebuilt
as soon as possible. A temporary shed
will be erected over the bank vault to-day,
TuE HEAVIEST LOSERS.
Gray & Smiths loss on the building
will reach $4,000. On this there was an
insurance OF Sll 900, 5000 Of this being
in the Columbiana County Mutual, 81 0OO
in the German, OF this city, and 81 600 in
the Ohio, OF Dayton. The last two risks
were placed by w. NJ. Lupton, the Mar
tins Ferry insurance agent.
Z. O. Boyd, dealer in boots and shoes,
lost his entire stock, which was heavy
one. His loss will reach about SIC, 900,
On this there was an insurance OF s, 800,
placed by air. Lupton. AS this gentle-
mans office was also in the burned build
ing, and all his books were burned, it is
i'm possible to name the companies yet.
q. W.Swartz, dealer 10 hats aud gents
furnishing goods, lost 81 800. Insurance
S, 900, in the Cooper, Of Dayton. =
WIS Dilworth, drygoods and notions,
estimates his loss at 81, 900, principally by
damage done from water and theft, as his
stock was largely saved.
r. @. Duncan, lawyer, loss $500 on fur
niture and library; no insurance.
T Charles Green, confectoner, loss $50;
no insurance.
a. Dossle, barber shop, loss $3.50; no in.
". i. Shark, shoemaker, loss SIS; no in.
surance.
TIE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
The centra1 Talenbona EXCHANGE wasin