Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-09
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
The Big Blaze at Martins Ferry
Yesterday Morning.
Nearly Forty thousand Dollars Worth of
Property Goes Up in SmOke---The
Details of the Disaster.

visited by one Of the most destructive fires
ever known in this vicinity. At about two
o'clock the Commercial block, situated at
the corner of Fourth and Hanover streets,
was discovered to be on FIRE. When first
discovered the FIRE q confined to the Gel
lar under Charles Swartz's hat store, from
which point it spread very slowly until the
entire block and a dwelling on the north
and The business room Of DR.. j. d. Hoben-
sack on the east, occupied By Cox Il Nc
Swords as q drug store, were entirely
consumed. A small frame building ad.
Joining the Hobenssck building, was torn
down to prevent the fire from spreading
and was afterwards burned.
As soOn as practicable a telephone message
was sent to this city tors fire engine, which,
when it arrived on the scene, did effective
service in throwing water on the safes and
bank vault in the building, thus saving
many valuable papers and a large quantity
Of iewelry in the safe Of the Martins Ferry
jewely store.
The Commercial Block was built in 1872,
and is therefore thirteen years old. The
rooms on the ground floor were occupied
by Charles Schwartz, hat store, +. G. Boyd.
shoe store, Gray 4 Smith, Commercial
banking house, John Lash, jewelrY store,
John Green, Confectionery and news depot,
Vim. 81. Starke, shoe shop, A. A. Dazzle,
barber shop, W. l.. Dilworth, dry goods
and notions. On the second floor were
Lupton's insurance Office, Geo. Duncan's
law Office, Central Telephone Office
and two families. On the third
floor was the Odd Fellows and Red
Mems lodge rooms and the CONNER
cial Hall, the only public play house in the
town. The building on the north belonged
to Gray & Smith, and was occupied by VIM.
Carey as a residence. II seems to be uni
versally conceded that no theory can be ad-
vanced except that the fire was Of incen-
diary origin. The part of the building in
which it was first discovered had no fire in
it. In the hat store above a very light fire
had been left in a stove, and George 81.
Smith, one of the proprietors of the build.
ing, saws that the fire could not possibly
have originated from that source. Mr..
Swartz's loss is in the neighborhood Of
81, 200. His stock is insured for 1000.
c.. C. Boyd valued his stock at $ll 900, and
is insured for $500. Gray l. Smith, the
owners of the buildings burned, are insured
Tor Sll. 900. Their loss will amount to
$1,000
John Green saved a large part of his
| sock from the flames, but had most OF it
8 olen afterwards. He was uninsured. w.
Fl Starke was also uninsured, and will lose
about 800. A A. Dozzle saved every.
thing but one chair and some of his tools
His loss is about $500. w. s. Dilworth
was insured for 50, 900, but had most Of his
stock saved. The Red Men were uninsured
apd loose about 500. The Odd Fellows
were insured for $1,000, which will almost
cover the loss. The telephone Office lost all
its fixtures and had all the ines broken;
their loss will be about $500. Cox Nc
Swords were not insured, but saved nearly
all their goods. The Martins Ferry jewelry
firm saved nearly everything except a few
clocks. They are insured heavy enough 10
cover their loss.
VIM. Lupton, the insurance agent, lostal
bis books and papers, which will be a great
loss, it leaving him with no means ofsettling
his business.
George Duncan lost q number Of vslua.
bic law books and his Office furniture. His
whole loss will be about $500. His bust
ness books and papers were in his safe,
which is now in the cellar and covered with
debris.
DR.. J. d. Hobensack, the owner Of two OF
the buildings burned wasinsured for 81 SOC.
His loss will be about $4,000. The doctor
took out a policy last Monday.
NOTES.
The Niagara did good work. She stood al
the Buckeye wharf and threw water on
the building, which is over five squares
away and at an elevation Of over seventy
feet. If Martins Ferry had an engine like
this she would be protected against fire in
almost any part of town.
At one time it seemed that the whole
upper end OF Fourth and Third streets had
to be sacrificed and it wa only because the
night was very calm and The roofs were all
wet that the damage was not far greater.
The entire telephone system was destroyed
What was not heard of a few years ago, now
seems to be an actual necessity. Manager
Wolfe was over yesterday with q force Of
men and will have the lines in operation
this evening. The central Office will be
just across Hanover street from the old
Office.
Geo. Smith opened the vault in the bank
yesterday afternoon and found all the
papers and books in good condition, except
tost they were slightly blsckenei. |. NJ.
GouGy has commenced the erection o
. temporary building over the vault
nd the room formerly occupied By
the bank. AS soon a. this is completed,
which will be today, business will be re-
sumed and carried on as II nothing had hap
pened.
f. c. Boyd opened his safe and found his
books, though slightly damaged, in a very
good condition.
The telephone Office will be in the Gray
building across the street. W. II. Starke
viii hold forth in jeremiah Blacks building
on Fifth street. Swartz and Boyd will have
anew stock againstth the middle of next week
and be open in one of Theaker Il
and Cox & McSwords will keep
in Carpenters room, on Hanover street
DR.. Hobensack can be found at his fathers
residence on the same street. A. A. boz.
zle has moved into 7. A. SCOTS room
John Green has opened up in Chss. Hum
phreville's shop. Vim. Lupton can be found
in Harrison's block.
There were quite a large number Of
strangers in town looking at the ruins.
The insurance on Hobensack's property
was in the hands OF J. T. Hsnes agency;
$1,000 on the Commercial Block was in the
Columbiana, of Salem. All the rest was in
the hands of VIM. Lupton's agency.
A report has been circulated in neighbor-
ing towns that the incendisry, if such per
son there be, was supposed to be q msn who
wished to teach Messrs. Gray 4 Smith and
others who opposed water works their actual
worth. This rumor has no ground what.
ever, for, as these gentlemen will admit they
were treated with all courtesy on the above
named question last winter. We believe
that if an incendiary did the devilish work
- H. - Ln..l =.