Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-31
A ROYAL WELCOME.
GContiaued from Fourth Page. ! t.

tered through the town, and every man
and woman had heard of the great event,
and were prepared to be present.
Long before the time set for the opening
of the exercises, Hanover street, as far as
Second, was solid mass of surging hu-
manity, and, despite the threatening as,
pect of the heavens, the crowd continued
to increase, until the time that Miss Flora
Williams took the Roman candle in hand
that was destined to bring the dawn oil
new era of prosperity into our midst. For
nearly an hour before, the Committee on
Fire Works had been treating the assem-
bled multitude to an exhibition on the
Hanover grade. Promptly at eight o'clock
O. Russell Wood, of the Wheeling Natural
Gas Company, directed the gas to be
turned on in the stand pipe
at the Buckeye Glass Works,
and few minutes later Miss Flora Viii
liams, stationed on the platform at the
glass works office, lighted large Roman
candle and pointed the tlame-bearer to-
wards the escaping gas The first effort
was a failure, the discharge from the pipe
being principally accumulated air. A
second candle did its work satisfactorily
and in a minute large brilliant blaze
shot ten feet above the pipe, making the
street as light as day. At this juncture
rain commence falling but the crowd held
on in hopes of an abatement OF the natural
disturbance.
1t soon became evident that all the care
fully arranged plans for what promised to
be the grandest demonstration ever seen IN
Martins Ferry were for naught. The
streets presented an unbroken sea OF UNI
brellas, their drenched surfaces shining
like silver under the strong glare OF the
gas light. Judge John S. Cochran, the
first of long list of speakers, delivered
short address under an umbrella, and the
choir rendered single song, after which
the meeting was adjourned. Had ii not
been for the untimely interference of
the rain the affair OF last night
would have been an important event
in the history of Martins Ferry,
Us it is, we have the gas and are thankful
for it, and are sorry the people were him
dered from expressing more audibly the
satisfaction they feel.
WHO WILL Use GAS.
The different factories of Martins Ferry
are taking kindly to this new fuel and pre-
diet longer and Steadier runs than ever
before Among those having their fixtures
ready or nearly completed are the Laugh
lin Iron and Nail Works, with over two
hundred nail machines when in full Oper-
alton, and one of the largest and most sue
cesSiul mills in the country, and employing
from three to four hundred
employees. The ElSon Glass
Glass Works, which has the largest furnace
in this country, sixteen pots, employing
three hundred men and boys, the Buck
eve Glass Works, which has three large
furnaces, one fifteen and the Others twelve
pot furnaces, and which, i'll anticipation
of the gas, has fixed up to run on larger
scale than for several years before, and en-
ploying over six hundred people when
running full; the Union Flint Glass,
which is one of the most successful iactO-
rieS about here, running so steadily that
they hardly take time for their annual
shut down for repairs, and employing from
two hundred and fifty to three hundred
men and boys: the Standard Sheet Mill,
one OF the largest mills devoted exclusive
" to sheet and corrugated iron, and which
gives employment to over three hundred
persons. and the Etna Iron and Steel
Works. one OF the monster mills of the
covering several acres of ground
and employing over six hundred men and
boys. The following industries are now
figuring on its introduction: The Martins
Ferry Stove Works, with forty mOuldcrs
and fifty or sixty other employees; War
woods Rake Factory, Spcnces Agricul-
tural Works, Mann's Foundry, devoted
to heavy mill castings, and
the most extensive of its kind this side
of Pittsburg; the belmont Stove
Works, new and extensive en-
terprisc; the Hoylc-JoncS Manufacturing
Company, a large new industry devoted to
the manufacture OF steam thrcShCrS and
road ScrapcrS; Spence, Bags Il Co. 5 stove
foundry, which has Just been rebuilt and
largely increased i'll size and capacity, the
Ohio Valley Wire Company, Il. EXley &
Co.'S planning mills, the different brick
yards, J. Kerr Il Sons planning mills, and
several other minor industries.
Already several large new enterprises
have correspondence with the Board of
Trade with view of locating here, and
with an abundance of natural gas, the
of the new railroads now build
ing into our city, the completion OF the water
works, and the many natural advantages
We possess, Martins Ferry is bound to
boom.