The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-10-25

ieliing departments, This latter Building
lie the growth OF many years, and Is com.
posed Of pieces, built from time 10 time
as the increasing business Of the concern
demanded them. at tho north end ore
the straw shed and packing rooms, next
below comes two story brick structure,
In tho second story the en-.
craving, etching and decorating depart.
ments, and in tie frs. the wrapping and
cementiDg rooms, tho blacksmith 0nops,
engine room and mixing room.
The fire originated somewhere In the
engraving and etching room. No one
saw 1t, even in Ito incipiency, and no
one knows just what caused it. August
Marschner, who has charge Of the etch.
ing, engraving and decorating depart.
mentB, was In tho engraving room at
1880, aU,i at that thus there were no
sigus Ct ll,e. Ten minutes later Angus.
henry, the hight Waterman, found o
bright b!sss in the woodwork around
kiln used for burDirg elsas over ware
decorated with plint. The gas had
been very ecarce during the day and 1t
Is supposed that those In charge OF the
kiln left the valves open to get all the
gas going, md that tho pressure came
on, causing tho flames to burn out
through tho openings in the furnace
and ignite the woodwork about it.
The factory whistle blew short blasts,
and i'll q few minutes an alarm vas
turRedia. Foreman Rose, ofthe Eighth
ward hose company, heard the whistle,
and hitching up, got nearly to the fac
tory before tho alarm sounded. The
Eighth ward company, under Assistant
Chief Ankle, laid line OF hose up from
Thirty.seventh 10 Woods street, along
Wetzel, 10 the blszc, but when the pres.
sure WAS turned Oh atream could no,
be thrown more than ten feet, and no
execution could be done except cutting
through tho roof and allowing the water
to run down onto tho Gre inside. By
tho time the Eighth ward company got
there the fire was under way, and was
eating down through the building. Tho
Niagara company was the next to arrive.
1t made an attachment NJ Thirty.sixth
and Woods streets, but could only work
one line Of hose on account Of the small.
ness OF the water mains and the conse.
quent light supply. The Atlantic got
down in fairly good time, and hitched
to the plug at Thirtysixtfi and Woods,
and got another stream QUITO the blazs.
By that time, the fire had gotten into
such shape that the whole place seemed
in imminent peril, and the second alarm
WAS turned in calling the Vigilant from
North Wheeling. That company stood
the lorg run pretty well, and taking the
plugat Thirty-seyenth ard Wcois, did
some very good work.
One stream wss stationed on the roof
OF the main factory and was used to
keep the blazo from cutting through
into the packing room and straw shed,
end was successful. Another stream
WIS used to cut Of the fires southwark
progress, but 1t burned on down till q
fire proof building used i9r tho storage
OF chemicals was reached. The third
stream Kept the heat from setting fire TO
the main factory buildingand quenched
any little blaEe that might start away
from the main body OF laa fire,
From the upper end OF the engraving
room, where the blaze started, it worked
rapidly along the second story to the
south end, where tho mixing room,
WHICH Was frame building and only
one story hish, was located. When il
had consumed that building it turned
back through the lower story OF the
main building, consuming everything to
the north wall.
While the loss was heavy and the
material burned cutie Valuable end I'M
portant to the operation OF the factory,
it was not nearly 80 severe blow as ii
the other departments had been de.
stroyed.
The etching and engraving rooms
were well stocked with finished ware,
ready to bs packed, some Of it ruby, and
very valuable. Much OF this was car.
ricd out and saved. In the cutting shop
the machinery was expensive, aud is a
total loss. The mixing room had
heavy stock Of chemicals and sand,
some OF which wes carried out. The
engines and boilers were badly burned,
but whether they are ruined could not
be told last night. III the cement room
lamp collars, molasses jug tops, salt and
pepper box tops, caster frames and the
like are fitted to the glassware. A large
stock Of silver.plated and britannia
goods was on hands, and it is total
lose.
MIR. Hobbs was seen by reporter,
and stated the loss would probably
amount to $4,000, though it,cannot be
estimated till to-day. HG said the insur.
ance was placed by the franklin Iusur.
ance company, and that all the local
and the foreign companies
hero hold policies.
He further stated that to-day, as soon |
as the bricks are cold, the work OF pre-
pairing for replacing the building will be |
commenced, and that 1t would bs 70.
placed in two weeks.
1t is the. intention to have the factory
20 on Monday as usual. Part OF the
building burned was the original struc.
lure built in 1880, and with its additions
50 by S25 feet. 1t was spared
at the time Of the fire OF 1850, when the
factory buildings were destroyed. ;!
The wind was very favorable, blowing
toward the hill. It was feared that the
fire might light a big tank Of benzine
located up on the hill side, but it was
closed, before the blaze got under head.
way.
Hundreds Of people climbed up the
hillside back OF the burning building
and petched on stones, presenting a
pleasing spectacular effect from the
streets down in town, 9l-
James Havern, workman in tho fac.
tory, while walking on tho roof, fell
through hole, a distance OF thirteen
leet to the factory floor. His head and
lace were badly cut and he was bruised
about tue body. He was taken to his
home, No. 1880 Woods street, where DR..
E:key dressed his wounds putting six
stitches into CASH over his eye. When
davern came down he brought q board
With him which cut a bad cash over
Joseph Watkins's eye md hurt several
)thars e4 ssE-= 49, 1Is-- 49, 80