Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-16
SATURDAYS FIRE.
A GREAT MANY PEOPLE VISIT THB SCENE
YESTERDAY.
An Official Of The Company Talks Regarding
The Probability Of Rsbullding--HOw The
Ruins Look.

The disastrous fire at the Hinge Factory
Saturday evening WAS the principal topic Of
conversation, yesterday, and general regret
was expressed that the Company should
meet with such disaster. The works were
running steadily, giving employment to q
large number OF men and boys, who will
all be thrown out Of employment, and this
fact will be very perceptibly noticed,
especially in the Eastern part Of the city.
Some of the employees Of the company wsre
at work nearly all night after the fire had
been extiDguished, building fence around
the structure to prevent vandalism, and
watchmen have constant surveillance over
the property.
A great many people visited the scene
yesterday, and many were surprised at
the extent Of the blaze, as they had been
in ignorance Of the sizs of the Compsny's
works. The ruins are ruins indeed, as
the building was almost entirely COM
posed of wood, which being very dry
burned with great rapidity and was al
most entirely consumed before toe water
quenched the blaze. The warerooms and
packing department are almost entirely
unirjured, and the books of the Company
and other things which had been taken
out during the fire, were all returned yes
tsrday.
A rumor was afloat yesterday TO the
effect that the Company would not rebuild,
and it became pretty generally circulated,
but it is quite certain that the report was
entirely without foundation and was start
ed in the same manner that all such foolish
rumors are-by some one who knew moth
ing whatever about 1t.
The insurance adjusters will get to work
at the earliest possible moment, and until
not have its curiosity satisfied to any sat-
istactory extent
| An official of the Company said last
night that as far az could be toreseen at
present, the works would be rebuilt as
soon as the insurance matter was adjusted
satisfactorily. He reiterated the seDti-
msnts expressed in the REGISTER yester-
day, as to the heavy blow the disaster was
to the Company, and said the fire came just
at time when the outlook was particu-
| larly good. Everyone had felt that the
year would be the best in the history Of
I the works, but in an hour everything had
been changed. This official said that q
most rigid examination of the premises,
and the questioning Of employees, had ut.
terly failed to throw any light upon
the origin of the fire. 1t seemed
| 10 have first made its appear
ance near small tempering
/ furnace, but the workman in charge had
said in the most positive way that there
had been no fire In the furnace after
o'clock in the afternoon. AT any rate,
the furnace was very small one, prob
ably about fourteen inches square, and
was only used to temper fine tool steel.
No fire was seen in the rear Of the build
/ ing by the watchmen, or the police officers
/ who passed along the creek bank a few
minutes before the outbreak, just as stated
| in the REGISTER yesterday, and yet in three
| or four minutes after the officers passed
tee entire rear end Of the factory was q
mass Of ere. In reply to question as to
/
been entertained, the gentleman said it
had not, for the reason that no motive for
such crime could be guessed, and yet it
seemed that the FIRE could not be &C.
counted for satisfactorily upon any other
basis. Little could yet be told, he said,
about the actual loss, except that
il would be far in excess Of tho insurance.
The gentleman deprecated the statement,
made in another paper, that natural gas
had anything to do with the tire, saying
emphaticslly that it had not.
Fire broke out again in tie plating room
of the works, about 10 o'clock yesterday
morning, but WAS extinguished before any
serioas damage was done. At $50 o'clock
members of the Company passed through
that portion Of the plant, and everything
seemed to be all right; but two hours later,
on some one CHANGING to enter, the flames
were found to be burning four feet high in
the heavy oak floor.
The REGISTER yesterday stated that
Northumberland Richardson could not get
his key into ire box No "a, and therefore
could not open it. Later, however, the
box was opened. Another paper said there
was something the matter With the box.
This latter statement calls forth cOrrec-
ton from Chief banning, who stated last
night that the box was all right, az was
proved by the alarm being sent in from it
a little later. He said Mr. Richardson's
key was probably buried 8 little on the
end, OF eiss had something in it which
prevented it being PIT into the key hole
far enough.
The Eagle Building Association will be
the largest ever started in this section.