The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-31
BUSINESS HOUSE BURNED,
McMecheu sWhoIesaIe Grocery
Quilted by Fire,
A VERY STUBBORN BLAZE,
Which Keeps tho Department Busy
From Seven O'Clock Till
MIdafght-The Loss is
About $4,000.

About $4,000.
The wholesale grocety and packing
establishment OF George K, McMechen
& Son, was burned out yesterday even,
ing, AT twenty minutes past seven
William Waite, a salesman for Joseph
speidel, discovered smoke and a slight
fame issuing from the cellar Of tho Nc
Mechen room, near thesouth street en-
trance. He ran to the tire.alarm box at
Main and South streets, where Henry
Amick turned in an alarm,
The department answered promptly,
but the building was SO full of smoke
when they arrived that 1t wasimpossible
to enter. Two streams were started into
the South street eide, and three into the
Main streetside, butthey did little effect
i've service on account Of the dense smoke
hindering the hremen from locating the
blaze, In a few minutes the flames had
communicated TO the second story, and
the boxes aud packing cases on that
floor burned brightly, The smoke was
so dense that the hremen could not go
inside, and they had TO throw water from
the street, through the windows,
At 8 o'clock the fire was at Its height,
and prospects were good for 1t commu'
nicating to the building occupied by !,
T, HUTCHINSON on the upper side. At
that time the insurance men, who held
policies on Hutchlsson's stock Of sad
dlery and saddlery hardware, decided to
move it from the building, Permission
was obtained from Messrs, Henry X,
List and Edward Hazlett to store the
goods in their building across the street,
and in u few minutes gang OF volun-
teers had carried many articles Of value
to the List building, About the time
the Hutchinson store was cleaned out,
the flames In the McMechen building
showed in such locations as 10 make 1t
possible for the flremen to get at them
easily,
Alto o'clock the fire was under con.
troll, and all danger Of 1t spreading was
past. The arenlen kept their streams
on the fire till midnight, when oil
sparks were quenChed. The fire was
confined to tho MCMechen building, and
had its origin in the cellar although
even the tiremen thought at first that 1t
had started on the second floor. From
tho cellar it worked up along the rear
OF the building To the second floor,
where 1t soon burned out the light boxed
materials and charred the floor 30 that O
part OF 1t fell. The third floor, where a
twenty-five horse power engine, steam
boilers and preserve kettles are located,
was saved by the tlremen throwing
their streams from the street through
the windows aud against the timbers
above,
At ono time, 1t looked as II the Hut.
Gibson building would burn, the smoke
coming through from the McAleChen
cellar being 80 dense US TO create the be-
lief that the contents Of the Hutchinson
cellar were burning. A oist In the
Hutchinson building and q small patch OF
the second floor took fire from the heat
from the other side OF the wall, but 1t
was extinguished before the building
was threatened:
The fire was very stubborn, and gave
tho department more work than any
fire they have handled in long timc.
Their principal trouble was inability to
get at the lanes. The boxes OF goods
we're piled In tiers, with openings here
and there, In which the flames got
under strong Roadway. The streams
would gplatter against these tiers Of
boxes while the fire ragged just behind
them. Several efforts were made to get
the water 10 through the roof, but the
flames not being located in that part ot
the building, these efforts were unayail'
ing.
midst OF their heaviest fall deliveries,
and had an immense stock on hands.
Their building was piled full from cellar
to garnet with choice goods, and their
loss Is very heavy. Mr.. George K. Nc
Mechn was out Of the city during the
fire, but he arrived Just in time to view
the fresh ruins. Neither he nor w.
B. MCMeChen, the other member
OF the firm, could place any definite es.
innate on the loss, but both stated that
in would reach $4,000, which amount
would have been swelled To $50, 900 had
the third floor come down. The insur'
ance policies were locked In the safe,
and could not be gotten at. Mr.. Nc.
MeChen recollection, however, placed
the insurance at from $4,000 To SIT, 1000.
They will be in the market again TO.
day, and will resume business at once.
The building belongs 10 Charles Loci.
Ter, and was valued at about $4,000.
His loss is about $500, covered by in:
surance. Mr.. Hutchisson's stock was
slightly damaged, and the building,
which belonged to Miss Lizzie Miller,
had some glass broken out and holes
cut In the roof, besides considerable
damage 10 the ceilings by water.
There wal nothoory advanced as to how
the fire could have originated. The
book.keeper left the Office at twenty
minutes past 0, and there was then no
sign OF fire not even a gas Jet burning.
The foreman OF the canning department
asserted that there was no FIRE in the
building, and the stock OF matches was
kept In place remote from where the
fire was first seen,
About midnight, Thomas Rose, Of the
Eighth ward hose COrnrany, fell through
a burned pluCe In the oor-from the
second TO the first story. He received Q
black eye aud badly scratched fape by
4. = a. la - Ia