The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-06
FAMOUS HOTEL BURNED.
The MonongaheIa House at
Pittsburgh Destroyed.
NARROW ESCAPE OF GUESTS
From orematton-AF Fire that Caused
Much Excitement In the City.'Two
Firemen lpjured-Hlstory Of
the Hostelry-The Loss.

pHuNtN9 uptoAS ANbh ANp Weo hNHNSNNAsN
In the main structure, and despite the
efforts Of the entire department the
building was almost wrecked,
No lives were lost, as the porter who
discovered the flames sent the alarm
through the house at once, and the
guests were able to get out, though many
had narrow escapes,
The FIRE was discovered by the head
porter, who upon going down stairs
found that the blaze had Just started at
the bottom Of the freight elevator,
Almost as soon as he had chance to
give the alarm the flames shot up
through the elevator shaft, which, form.
Ing a vast chimney, gave headway to
the fames and In an instant the entire
upper portion Of the building was envel.
oped III clouds Of smoke.
The cry at once went throughout the
entire house that the building was on
fire. There were upwards of 200 guests
In the house, more than half OF whom
were In their rooms, when the cries rang
out from floor TO floor for the people to
escape. A number Of people were just
preparing for dinner aud some were net
completely dressed, Hastily donning
whatever lay close at hand In the way Of
wearing apparel, they rushed for the
passenger elevator, only to find that that
shalt, too, was o solid volume OF smoke.
The stairs were then resorted 10 and
every one got out In safety.
BY the time the second section OF the
fire department reached the tcene the
entire upper portion Of the hotel was
hidden behind the dull black smoke,
the Office was completely filled, and even
with powerful lanterns, the hremen were
unable to see their hands before their
faces,
BEYOND CONTROL,
The saloon attached 10 the hotel, at the
corner OF First avenue and smithAeld
street, was also filled with smoke, and
the doors were soon closed aud locked.
1t was Just 1915 when the first large
blaze was seen. The flames commenced
TO issue from the southeast corner Of the
hotel. The entire fire department was
put TO work but the blazes were sprlng.
ing up. all over tue building go that II
was impossible 10 do any thing with the
fire. The blaze was in the false roof
and the fremen had to get ON the top OF
the roof before they could do any good.
About IL o'clock Daniel BeGkstall, one
oil the clerks Of the hotel, was awakened
by the FIRE aud came TO the window OF
his room, on the fourth floor. The fire.
men yelled TO him to come down as the
roof was liable to fall at any moment.
He was 80 overcome by fright that he
could do nothing for himself, and one OF
the hremen had to 20 up the ladder and
drag him out. Mi. Wood, one Of the
Of the hotel, was In this
room with bis family when the fire
broke out. No one told him that the
building was on fire, when be ran down
siairs, saw the office deserted, aud sue.
ceeded in getting his family out.
Shortly alter the fire started II was
stated that the Atlantic Dynamite Com
pany had considerable dynamite IN its
office, which was in the building, and a
general rush was made to get the explo.
sives out Of the building. The 6remen
had considerable difficulty for the first
fifteen or twenty minutes TO keep the
crowd back, but ropes were stretched at
at last and everyone was kept out.
NARROW ESCAPES.
On the third floor II. Il. Mohler burst
open door and found that one Of the
guests, woman, had tainted dead away.
She had bundle OF clothes In her arms
aud seal sacque. She was picked up and
and carried down the stairs through the
dense smoke tn one OF the buildings on
First avenue. The appearance OF the
man with his burden wss hailed with
loud cheers from the crowds.
Another escape was that OF a man
named D. O, Mason, Of New York.
When his room was burst into he was In
bed aud knew nothing OF the raging fire
IN the hotel. He started for the stairway,
only TO be shut off from escape by the
flame and smoke shooting up the stair.
way. Not To be daunted be. returned 10
his room, where he tore up the bed
clothes, and tying them together secure.
ly he let himself down from his room
window to an, adjoining building, from
which he was taken down In safety by
means Of ladder.
During all the time Of the eight OH the
roof, from every window near the top
floors, persons hurriedly, aud with evi-
dent great excitement, fled, carrying
with them all manner oI goods. Men and
women were hurrying each other in
their efforts 10 escape BY means OF the
rope fire escapes, and the large iron ..
cape on First avenue was full OF q mot
10y crowd ot fremen, men, women and
children, All was bustle and confusion.
The lght Of the aremen on the roof
with tue flames was such an exhibition
oil excellent disCi pline and courage as has
rarely been equalled. In danger Of be.
lug driven irOnl the roof every moment
BY the aercely surging flames, they man
fully held their place.
THE LOSS.
The hotel was owned by Florence O.
Miller, Charles ]. Clark and the CroSson
heirs, They valued the building aud
lot at S5OO,OOO. It was recently reatted
at q Cost Of $4,000. The actual loss by
the are Is 100000. The insurance Is
sl0L6OO, Of which Sl00C00 Ia on the
building aud 81, 800 on the stock, The
fire originated III the cellars. The boil.
trs are directly Under the freight eluvA.
tors, and the rubbish under Il caught
Rre from the boilers, aud The blaze
went directly mp the elevator shaft TO
The seventh lloor. Tue only accidents ~.
nnrted were the injury Of two lifemen,
w. II. Duboll aud Gotrinplang, who
were hlt by falling debris, The news Of
The fire created the greatest Excitement
throughout the city, A pecullff feature
u the are was that oil the papers we're
drawn for The sale aud transfer Of lhu
building at three o'clock this afternoon,
the ptl6s being $47b0OO, Most ol lhe
gpeBls lost oil ltelt personal ptoneriy,
Among The two hundred guests regis.
tefed At the hotel, and who were pfoba
bly, there when the dte broke out, we're
., I, Stewart, NJ. u. Hofkhelmef and
Jacob Berger, all Of Wheeling, ", 7.
Graham aud W, H.,TallmAny.ot Bridge.
POtt Ohio,
-E-rg-s
A FAMOUS HOTEL