The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-17
A "RA7TLlNGI' FIRE
On Market Street. IN the Second
Ward last Night.
FIREWORKS SET OFF By ACCIDENT
FIJI tho street with Shooting Flames.
distressing Rumors of Loss of
Life Prove Fortunately unfounded.
Good Work of the Chemical Engine.
An Interesting Time for a While.

One Of the most interesting fres ever
seen in Wheeling occurred last night at
nine o'clock. The alarm, from box II,
was rung in SO close on the stroke Of
nine that many people thought it was
the clock striking the hour.
The fire was on Market street above
Tenth, in an Italian fruit store adjoin-
inr the old jail. The proprietor, Louis
Martini, an Italian, is now in his
mother country, while his wife and
family occupy the house over the store.
Among his stock Louis had two win
dows packed full OF tireworks-Jack
crackers, Roman candles, sky rockets,
'szzers" and everything else.
Last evening Just q little before 0
o'clock little girl bought @ small Rom
an candle, and lighting 1t in the store,
started toward the door. The candle
went off and one OF the balls OF fire shot
in among the fireworks in the north
window.
In less time than It takes to tell it
the whole mass was in a state OF errup-
finn. Dynamite Gre-craekers making q
report like cannon, skyrockets that
sent FIRE into the hayloft Of feed store
across the street, Roman candies that
colored the whole space from house to
house red, and those littlo Kissing
bombs that shoot through the air like
playful snake and finally disappear with
a crack like q rifle and q, shower OF
sparks, we're mixed in confusion which
made the most brilliant display OF pyro-
technics ever witnessed in Wheeling.
At the height OF the fusillade two
little Italian kids started to run toward
the door, crying, Mama burn TO deat!
Mama burn TO deat!"
Ladies' watched them in dismay,
wripgiug their hands and screaming
Just AZ the two children reached the
sidewalk, and were in the. thickest OF
Of the shower Of fire, Buck Tyler,
the we'll known young colored man,
snatched them out Of the mouth OF
death. y
The shooting Of the firecrackers was
heard in Bridgeport, and somebody
telephoned over TO u friend TO know
KlAb " lueHlts 4n6 lhuaW0E W0H thaV
the friend did not know, butt here was
"a good deal OF shooting upSahout the
old Jail" ~
that. mob, bent on lynchipg some-
body, was being repulsed from the
county Jail, and several men ran clear
across the Island and over both bridges,
only to find the fun all over.
Soon after the alarm was rung in the
chemical engine arrived and had the
fire under control in q iiffy. After. the
flames we're apparently out, however,
an occasional firecracker would go off
like the last stubborn gun ,of con-
quered army. n
There were rumora prevalent that the
Martini family had persisted, but re-
porter found Mrs. Martini an5 ~ num-
Der Of children sitting in front Of a
neighbours house. Her whole anxiety
seemed to be about trunk left in the
house. Afterwards tiremen saved this,
bringing 1t down ladder.
William Kirbach owned the building.
The damage to it will scarcely, exceed
$500, so far as could be seen last might.
Martini had q pretty good stock worth,
perhaps $500, and none ofitworth men
ton was saved.