Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-29
A SUNDAY BLAZE
DESTROYS TIE DONALDSON & LEWIS CAR
RAGE WORKS
The Loss About $4,000, With $4,000 or $4,000
hs0rance-Ihrss Firemen Hurt By
Falling Wall-The Details
Of the Fire.

NN~NAAA SUI "a AAD bbh4AASuA ~
Lewis carriage and wagon factory, On
the east side Of Main street. four doors
south Of Twenty-frst street. about
twenty minutes Of nine o'clock yester-
Gay morning. Property Of the eStim-
ated value Of twenty thousand dollars
was destroyed and three fremen were
hurt, one very seriously.
the origin OF the fire is wrapped in
considerable obscurity, it not having
been discovered until considerable head
way was gained, but the best Judgment
OF the members Of the firm, and Of the
nremen and police who were first upon
the scene, is that il started in the paint
shop, probably from spontaneous COM
buStiOn. The last any one was in the
building was at o'clock Saturday
night.
The fire was discovered almost stimuli
taneously By Foreman John Ritter, Of
the Hook and Ladder, by Fireman Null
kearn, Of the same company, and by
Police Officer Henry Frohme. Foreman
Ritter had walked down Twenty-frst
street few minutes before the fire was
discovered, and turning the corner of
Main street, saw the smoke Oozing from
the second story windows Of the carriage
works, which embrace three three-story
buildings, He ran to the front door Of
the northermOSt building, where the
., h., .
ran up stairs a portion of the way, but
was Immediately forced back by the
smoke, and running ont of the building,
he ran towards the Hook and Ladder
house, shouting 10 turn in an alarm.
While this was going on, Fireman
Mulkearn ana Officer Frohme, the
latter having gone 10 the hose
house 20 shine uD the buttons of
his uniform before reporting at the City
Hall for nine o'clock roll call, saw thin
wreath Of SuOke emerging from the
rear of the wagon works, and just as
Mulkearn was about to pull the box,
Foreman Ritter ran around the corner.
Mulkearn AZ once pulled the box, and in
another moment the Hook and Ladder
truck was at the scene OF the fire, and
the men, reinforced by Officer Frohme
and several citizens, were at work run
ming out vehicles, while awaiting the
arrival of the first engine company.
The Niagara came first, and hooked TO
plug at Main and alley IS, and was
rapidly followed by the remainder of
the department, which got to work un-
der the personal supervision OF Chief
Healy, who handled his forces with con-
sumate skill throughout. The firemen
were greatly hampered by the fact that
there was no water in the plug at Main
and Twentieth streets and in plug on
Twenty-frst street. BY the time
the firemen were we'll at work, Officer
Frohme, Councilman Warneke, and
others had rescued considerable num-
Der OF vehicles from the first floor Of
the buildings, but were compelled TO
desist before they got everything out.
Lieutenant Terrill, of the police force,
did good work, and had coat ruined.
The upper portion of the north build
ing was we'll alight when the hremen
got to work, but no fire had made its
appearence in the first story, and 70
batter get at the blaze Chief Healy or
dered q twenty-fOur foot ladder erected
against the front Of the building. EN-
traman Eugene Muhleman, of the
Niagara, Foreman Wilson, of the same
company, Foreman Ritter, Of the Hook
and Ladder, and Chief Healy all
mounted this ladder, and were direct
ing a stream into an upper window,
when that portion Of the front wall or
the north building extending from the
level OF the third floor TO the roof, fell
outward. The ladder and the four men
upon IL was carried 70 the ground with
the mass of brick and burning frag-
ments of wood, amid the EXPLANATIONS
OF the crowd, who supposed that all
four men were buried In the ruins.
Many sprang TO the rescue, but Chief
Healy and Ritter escaped without in
Jury, and needed no assistance. Muhle-
man and Wilson did not fare so well,
however. The former was caught I'M
der number OF brick and sustained
compound fracture of his right leg,
below the knee and cut on top OF MS
head while Wilson was struck IN the
back by falling brick and was pain
fully Injured. Both the wounded men
were al once removed, Muhlemsn be-
ing taken 70 his home, just across the
street from the fire, where DIR. Camp
bell, the Drs. Taylor, and Drs. Belle
vile and Morris attended TO his hurts.
His leg was found to be in bad condition,
and fear was expressed that IL might
have 20 be amputated. Muhleman was
formerly driver for the Hook and Lad
der, but of late has been teamSter Tor
the Wheeling Beef Company. de Is an
excellent fireman, and much sorrow was
expressed for him yesterday In his mis-
fortune. He will be taken to the hospltal
to-day. Foreman Wilson, OF the Nj
agars, is not seriously hurt, but VIII
have to be OF duty for a time. ABOUT
the time this accident occurred In the
front Of the building Fireman James
McCIyment, OF the Island hose com
paHy, was struck in the head by Iall-
Ing sheet Of glass, while working In the
alley in the rear Of the works, ana got
twO-iuch cash in his scalp.
After the excitement attending the
falling OF the wall, the fremen went 10
work with renewed effort, an entrance
was effected into the middle building OF
the works, which the fire had invaded |
and the flames there were extinguised.
dreams were gotten into play from tne
roof Of the building adjoining on the
north and from the alley in the rear |
Where a big frame addition was IN SeFl-
Gus danger, and by dint Of the hardest
Kind Of work and by rare good manage,
hent the fire was practically connheu
% the uOrthermosL building, where u
originated, and was finally extlnguISh-
4