The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-19

o. the others in the great building. Th
iloors were flooded with water 10 tn
depth ol foot or more, and tho deBtrut
lson which was 60 well started by til
nre, was absolutely completed by tn
water.
ASSOCIATED PRESS BURNED OUT.
! When the day force arrived ahortl
before s o'clock, It. was then evideu
that the usefulness OF the great bnildin,
was at IN end for tho present. Tho ruiz
OF the operating room rendered ever,
Western Union wire on Manhattan Ii
land useless, 30 the Associated Pres
opened headquarters In Jersey City
every facility being afforded them b,
the officials Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company, aud before the fire wa.
under control, tho various circuits OF tn,
Associated press were in active opera
ton.
The building OF tho Wcstern Unior
Telegraph Company had been for man,
years one of the great and imposjnl
landmarks on lower Broadway. Ii
fronts on Broadway, iacing east, aud oc
cupied ha!i n block on Dey street. On
tho ground floor are the receiving
Offices OF tho company, together with
the oilices Of the American District Mes,
Beuger Company. The building runs up
eight lofty stories, which are surmouut.
cd by ,cupola. Running up from tho
cupuh Is staff Oh which hangs the
time ball, which drops ut the hour OF
noon and tells the standard time.
The building Is filled with Offices in
five lower floors, which are occupied by
some OF the greatest railroad magnates
in the world. The vast system Of the
Pacific railroads is operated through in.
structiors given from tue Western Union
building, and there nre the private
offices OF Jay Gould, Sidney Dillon, DR..
Norvin Green aud others who are ia.
nous through tho length cnd breadth OF
the land.
TIE DISCOVERY.
james Larrissey, wire man who was
on duty in tho building was frss to dis.
cover the fire. About the same time,
Mr.. Tobin, night chief, noticed ian odor
Of burning rubber aud on looking into a
wire shaft leading from the battery
room to the operating room, saw smoke
very distinctly. This WAS five minutes
before seven o'clock. Two wa,camen
were supposed to be on duty, but no
alarm was given by them. When Mr..
Tobin discovered smoke in the shaft
and descended to the battery room, he
was surprised at the great headwny the
fire Ind already made. The flames fol.
lowed the wires which, being covered
with rubber, oil and parraiiue, were
very intismaste, to the room behind the
great switchboard and soon all OF the
woodwork WIS burning. The Ere laaped
from table 10 table, and to tho window
and door castings, and all efforts OF the
men on duty to suppress the fire by the
appliances at hand were unavailing. All
above the sixth floor is destroyed, car
pets, papers, etc. The fifth and other
floors below are soaked with water. The
battery aud storage rooms occupied the
sixth floor. The operating room and
the gallery devoted to the work of the
Gold and Stock Company occupied the
entire seventh floor, and the Associated
Press and part OF the book keeping de-
partment, the entire eighth floor. On
the ninth floor were the Western
Union files. The loss of the Telephone
Company is large and it will require
long time to replace the material. The
large switchboard in the operating
room alone cost $4,000.
IREEPARABLE INJURY. %.
The Associated Press loses instruments,
type-writers, furniture and all Of its
books, papers and records dating from
1915, and a valuable reference library.
This less is irreparablc. All OF the ma
terial for a history OF the growth OF the
press OF America contained in letter
books and files ia destroyed, and can
never be replaced. The money value is
estimated ut $4,000. There ia no in
surance.
Hon. William Henry Smith, the Gen.
eral Manager, is personally d heavy loser
by the destruction OF rare books aud
papers, many Of which cannot BIZ dupli.
Gated. Among these were hundreds of
rare phanplets, collected in Europe,
which Mr.. Smith supposed were secure
in this fire-proof building. An extern
sive correspondence OF grea. value was
also consumed.
The Gremen have taken the hose out
OF the building, although the water is
still deep on the floors. A survey has
been made OF the upper portions. 1t is
found that the cables and pneumatic
tubes are intact, and will be soon avail
able for use.
General Eckert, Vice President OF the
Western Union, is Of the opinion that
the loss Of that company will not much
exceed 100000. He also believes that
they will be able to employ consider
able force in the main Railways in day
or two. Already new awiteh-boards are
on the way from philadelphia, aud all
lint energy and money can DO to quickly
restore the service for the public, will
be done.
The Associated Press will use the ex-
ecutive room on the fifth floor and such
other rooms as can BE- had in the neigh
borhood.
Superintendent Hempstone, OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company,
called on Mayor Grant at noon to. day
aud secured permission IRON him ae
President OF the board OF Electrical Con
troll, to etring wires to be run into the
OLD Baltimore 4 Ohio Telegraph Com
pany's building at 4l4 Broadway, which
will be the temporary quarters OF the
Western Union Company. A large
force OF lineInea were put work at once
and by tomorrow it is expected that 10C
wires will be put in use.
The fire burned out the ship news
cable and no dispatches have been re.
ceived this morning from Fire Island,
Sandy Hook or Quarantine. Two reve
nue cutters were sent down the bay tt
find out What ships arrived, aud arc cx.
pactsd to return late this afternoon to
bring full reports Of all outgoing and in
coming vessels. The polics estimate tht
loss to building and fixtures at $3.50, 900
The fire ID supposed to have been causct
by electric light wires.
THRILLING STORY.
| 4 later account says: When the oper
a,or who discovered the Gre saw wha
was up he called the boy who was near
est him. lie was Mart Doyle, mes
senger.
"Go down stairs as fast as your leg