The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-30
CROSSED ELECTRIC WIRES
The Cause Of the Great Fire at
Boston on Thanksgiving,
LOSS TEN MILLION DOLLARS,
According to the Latest Estimates
Tho Search for the BodIes of the
Missing Firemen-The Insur'
auce-Flres In Other Cities.

BOSTON, NOV, Eb-Ile cause OF lue
great fire may be ascribed 10 the crossing
Of the Boston Time ComPsny's wires
with the lines OF one Of the electric light
companies. So far as can be- learned, all
the clocks in the city run by the Time
Company stopped at Gas o'clock. The
office Of the company is in the granite
building in which the fire started, The
contact Of an electric light wire with the
wires Of the Time Company would cause
i current, which, according 10 experts,
would be much too strong for the com.
pany's wires to bear, OF course the re.
suit would be the burning out OF the
company's wires. At City Hall the
clock in the City Messengers office
stopped at 6:4s. The telephone switch
board was burning out and the wire
connecting with police headquarters
hal melted, The telephone linemen es'
tabllshed connections. In a short time
the district telegraph linemen arrived,
and after vain endeavor TO find the
cause Of an open circuit, they asked per.
mission 10 take down the electric clock.
When this was done, 1t was discovered
that the wires connecting with the clock
were burned completely away aud that
the interior OF the clock, as well as the
part OF the wall against which 1t was
placed, were scorched and Charred,
Nothing but the merest chance had
saved the CITY Hall.
Soon messenger from jewelrY store
In Court street appeared with intelli'
genCs that hls clock stopped ut the same
time-O:4S o'cloCk-and the watchman,
who sleeps all night in tho store, had
hard work TO put out the blaze caused by
the burning out OI the wires,
It seems that the Time Company's
wires with 246 wires enters the City
Messengers Office at City Hall with one
cable. Any extraordinary current forced
through Il would cause the connections
to burn out. The fire starting from an
igniled switch board oi the Time Com.
pany at U:4S o'clock would, because OF
the admirable construction Of the build
ing In which II was located, be more than
likely to burn half 4u hour or moro be.
fore being disCoYerOd, 80 NJ $3.50 o'clock
was seut In the hrstNalarm from box 81,
tbs s GIs isas,ap vI If % Sovanhsr uS q iS7S os'O" "
' MN ,os. rps ,'',',ovs
Two more Rremen, Michael Murnan,
driver, and John Crooks, pipeman, Of
Hosack, are reported missing THIS MORN
Ing and are believed to be In the ruins
Of the Drown-Durrell building
The largest bankers look for no bad
financial effect from Boston and Lynn
fires. One Of the largest Owners OF prop.
erty burned yesterday was Mr.. +. l..
Ames. Most Of the INSURANCE. losses are
made by tue English companies as q
rule, as IN the case oi the Lynn fire. The
losses are comparatively small in home
offices and are well distributed. The
individual losers, as rule, are men
abupdanly ly able TO stand their losses.
The general septiment regarding the
effect of the fire Is beoomiag mole en-.
couraging on a closer Analysis Of the sit.
uation. William +. Gray, Of John y.
Paige's agency, estimates the total loss
by the fire at Sl00O0,000.
A SCENE or pRsoLATtoN.
Tho ,nrnod dioi,;,t ,o.,l.v n,o.on n,s a
..a.," an y % Ioso,,,,"" '' .,,d'' m'a ~"
e.sAe s ,-s.. " e.soo -. - pO's,Vl VI W. sl
'',u uvpa'ssuens op'ns 'uv ."','o n'sn'
aaa nIS in hi n1q quehGhng g.O. sne REM NJ
weary wear, " Officers & re are sIIII IN guarding the
ruins. Incoming trains this morning
were packed with sight seers aud crowds
OF people havelllocked to the scene all
the forenoon, but only few succeeded
IN penetrating the roped enclosure. The
walls Of some Of the gutted buildings are
IN o dangerous condition and owners arc
contemplating raSinl them to thU ground
10 prevent tue possibility Of iaCCident,
Gangs OF men have already begun 10
clear sway the debris, All tlle burn.
cd out merchants have made arrange
pspts 10 occupy other stores at onCe and
resunla business. SVnU Of them were
In distant places enjoying Tbanksgiv.
Ing while their property was hGing Gop.
Sumed. Among the spectators Of the
runs to-day were, 500 girls, who were EN-.
ployed by 7. V. Orowell's book blndery,
many Of whom were tho naIn support
OF families and who have now no means
pl spbsistanCe.
the pEpnIs.
Jordan Nfs,ah b a. Iool ,nost =, THAR
o,.,,. V.a- $40 -. ~ 'oTs eO''V
OnrlbtInAA BLOCK OF small wares. as
usual large part Of the loss was oCca.
stoned by water, and buildinps In the
vicinity not burned are much injured
bv water, j. s. FopR 4 son, who occu.
pted lhe lover norton al Brown. Dur.
rtll Il Co.'s building, Say they oln't as.
certain their loss until ihey jsuG INSPECT
the books Ia their safe, which they can