The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-08
A DISASTROUS FIRE.
TIE lAUeuLIN FACTORY BURNRD
AZ Martins Ferry Last EVSniDE, EntAlling q
Loss OF about $4,000 = The Old Nall
Factory Destroyed for the Second
Tims-oEigIn and tho Insurance.


II Martins Ferry, on the other side Of the
liver, was visited by another disastrous
,onaagration. The old or main nail fac
DRY Of the Laughlin Nail Company's
works, sid ! at the upper end of the
own, wastDf the second time in its his
,ory destroyed by fire. The loss is roughly
estimated at from $4,000 to 100000, but
his is fully covered by insurance, The
Imposition is that the origin Of the fire
vas accidental. The main factory, con-
III nail machines, was totally de-
The other buildings were saved
oy dint Of hard work On tho part OF the
employees Of the mill, residents Of Martins
Ferry and a section Of the Wheeling Fire
Department.
THE DISCOVERY or II FIRE,
II was Just alter 7 o'clock when the
whistle sounded q series oil shrlll
that caused the people to hasten
the works. The alarm was
sounded by James Brandt, the Waterman
charge Of the main factory, which was
that time burning rapidly, The blaze
was then beneath the platform where the
feeders sit, in about the center Of the
building, on the north side. The 6re was
in close proximity to the tending fur
naCes, which are in the center OF the
building, and also neal the engine. An
effort was made to raise steam in order
that the force pumps and factory hoss
be- used, but the fire made such
rapid progress that this was found TO be
lmpraCtiCable.
The fire spread with great rapidity, and
it was not long until the huge building
was entirely e%nveloped in flames, which,
shooting high up in the heavens, illumin-
ated the entire town and cast q glare on
the West Virginia hills across the river,
q grand but awful spectacle, as
the thousands Of dollars that the factory
represented were licked up by the raging
AID FROM WHEELING,
Nearly every one from Martins Ferry
was present; . number drove over from
this city, and q crowd OF railroad men
from Bellaire came up on an engine and
cabOose. The people covered the hill
back OF the mill and spread out over the
level space In front.
As coon AZ it was seen that the main fac
Tory was doomed, II not the entire estab.
.ishment, Mayor Grub was telephoned
and requested to send over a portion OF
The Fire Department. Arrangements were
soon made with tho Police and Fire
Board, and Chief Dunning and the Island
reel and Niagara engine and reel ordered
% proceed to the fire with all haste. The
Island company was first on the spot, and
had q line OF hose laid ready for the
when 1t arrived. 1t took a position
1t the river, and by half.past eight o'clock
mad two streams oil water playing, thereby
the fire under ContrCl in a short
lime.
ARAPID BLAZE.
As illustrating the rapidity with which
he fire burned, Charles Myer, q feeder.
lailOr who lives close to the mill, as soon
ls he heard the alarm sounded, fastened
o secure his tools. His four machines
we're right over where the fire was burn.
.ug. When he entered the factory no
lame was showing above the platform, but
before he could secure anything the floor.
began to give way, and he only saved
himself by grasping the fly wheel OF q
machine. AS the floor sagged the flames
sprang up and went roaring through the
long factory. AT that time no wind was
but later a breeze sbrang up that
sent the sparks whirling, and Increased
he danger that had existed by reason Of
The heat.
AT the time the FIRE started none Of the
or owners OF the mill were about,
out President Glessner was telephoned,
md he, Mr.. Samuel Laughlin and othors
lroYe over.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SPREADING.
Those first on the ground removed from
he Office all books, papers and furniture
o a place Of safety, and others stationed
OH the roofs Of the warehouses,
'tiCe and other buildings with buckets OF
water to guard against danger from
parks. Others opened the warehouses
commenced rolling out nails, but this
york was soOn stopped, as there was no
immediate danger to the warehouses, and
he kegs were broken considerably.
Among the workers were some OF the
I'D n~ailers, who expressed their willing.
less to assist in saving all property but
no 'sCab" nails. Every one seemed to
eel regret over the destruction OF the
property. An engine was sent up from
to pull some loaded car OF the
,ompauy's side track, and the passenger
rain from Bsllaire, on the O. & P. road,
lad 10 be stopped, the heat being too great
o allow it TO pass.
THE BURNED BUILDING.
The building destroyed was 244 feet long
" % feet wide; the main part Of the
building was 40 feet vide, the wings or
IhedS on either eide making its total width
2 feet, The walls were about II feet in
and the iron and glass roof sloped
from these TO a considerable height. In
his factory we're ia machines, two tend
ng furnaces and three Smith gas heating
furnaces. The west end was close to the
J. 4 P. track. At the east end stood the
Ilate and forge departments, and beyond
lloou VIC hVW AalI laCtVlSt CUuLhlulHk 90
machines.
The new factory has never been used.
The mill was running about 9S machines
n the old factory, at the sevsnteen.Cent or
manufacturer scale.
To the south Of the building burned
we're two warehouses and the office, all OF
hem substantial brick structures.
The burned factory stood on the site OF
he factory that wa destroyed by FIRE
night, August y, 1881. That fac.
DRY had 10 machines, and had only been
a short time by the Laughlin
company. The machines in that fire
we're entirely ruined, and the loss reached
bout $4,000. While last nights FIRE
vas a larger one, the loss Is not 30 heavy,
the machines were 90 placed that they
emalned on their foundations and were
nut little damaged by water.
ORIGIN or THE rtRR.
There were a number Of theories as 10
he origin Of last nights FIRE, and the
enIth Of time Il had been burning before
| was discovered. Some were Of the
that II had started from the tend.
hg furnaces, but the evidence wa that IL
vas fully twenty feet from the furnaces