The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-09
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
Ar wnLLspuRe YEsEERDAY NooN
The Riverside Glass House Totally De-
stroySd-About Three Hundred People
Thrown out of work-The Loss, In
surance and Other Particulars,

Some excitement was created here yes
terday afternoon about l o'clock by the
announcement that the Riverside Glass
Works at Wellsburg was on fire, and that
the total destruction was bound To take
place. Mayor George W, Mcoleary OF
Wsllsburg, who was here attending the
races, received one Of the first dispatches,
and several others received word later by
telegraph or telephone.
The FIRE was the most costly and de-
struGtiye one that Wellsburg has ever
known, It was shortly after IL O'Clock
when the flames were discovered issuing
from the roof OF the works, q large frame
structure situated at the lower end Of the
town. Being dinner hour, nearly all the
employees were absent from the works
except the watchmRn. An alarm was
given by 9 Pittsburgh, Wheeling 4 Ken
lucky engine standing nearby, and the
alarm given by It was taken up by the
Court House bell, which was rung wildly.
A vigorous use ofthe limited facilities at
command was directed toward checking
the conaagration. II was allin vain, The
flames spread with such rapidity that In
less than an hour the works including the
large warerooms were q mass OF ruins
The mould room and the brick office
which were separated from the main
building, were saved, although their win
doWs were broken out, and they were
otherwise badly damaged, There was q
large stock OF tinished work on hand
which Ia q total loss. It Is estimated that
this entire loss will reach $4,000, or
which there ia SAC, 900 insurance. There are
about 800 men and boys thrown out Of en-
ployment. A large part Of the insurance
was, 1t is understood, placed with the
companies here,
The origin OF the fire is matter Of con
lecture, 1t started near the leaEs and Ia
supposed to be the result OF some defect In
the heating arrangements. For time the
citizens feared the entire lower part Of the
town would be destroyed, but the services
OF the new water works prevented this,
1t ia understood that the works will be
rebuilt ut once. The Riverside Glass
Company was organized and incorporated
in the fall OF 1870 by Messrs, Charles
Brady, Henry Gasmire, John Dornan,
Jay RatcliiF and others, who were then
interested in a similar business at Wheel.
ing. They made a proposition to the effect
that II they were donated certain low lying
grounds In the town they would pro-
coed to erect glass factory OF large ca.
paciEy for the manufacture OF general
glass ware. Mr.. John Blankensop, sr,, an
old time glass house man, went zealously
to work soliciting funds and in short
time the purchase money, about $500, was
raised by subscription from citizens who
were eager 10 encourage an establishment
OF this character, and have 1t located in
the town. In the January following the
buildings having bsen rapidly erected,
steam was raised and work begun. Ad-
dition aitOr addition was made until the
Riverside Glass Works establishment
was ono OF the most extensive concerns in
the Ohio Valley, with a trade exceeded by
few similar works hereabout. Mr.. Charles
Brady 10 President and MIR. ]. Ratclif,
Secretary OF the Company;