Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-20
Toe MUCH WATER
CAUSES A BIG LOT OF LOSS AT A SMALL
FIRE.
The Basr Bros. COfse-Roasting Building Dam
aged to the Amount of $4,000 to $4,000.
The Building Dsluged by the
Fire Department

About half-past eleven O'CLOCK yesteI-
day morning a fire broke out in the rear
portion of the basement of the S. Baer's
Sons coffee roasting and storage estao-
lishment, in the old Mendel furniture
factory, On Eoff street, adjoining the
jail on the south, and before the fire.
men could locate the blaze and put it
out they damaged the large stock in the
building to the amount of from $4,000
to 5000 The loss to the building is
Insignificant, and 500 will repair all
the damage in that direction.
The fire started among lot OF chat,
husks and dust coming from the coffee
in the roasting process, and which was
allowed to accumulate in the basemen I,
towards the southwest corner or the
building. an adjoining the stables
This refuse became ignited in some
manner and made dense smoke which
soon drove all the employees out OF the
building and conveyed the idea that a
fierce fire was raging and that large
portion of the building had already lg-
nited. An alarm was turned in from
the box at Eoff and Thirteenth streets,
and the entire department responded.
A very large crowd Of spectators was
attracted, and as is usual, the police ar
engagements were very lax, and citizens,
firemen aud officers mingled together
Unfortunately. The ropes were
stretched after time, but they aided
little in keeping the crowd back.
By the time the department. got to
work smoke was pouring in dense vol
umeS from every door and window IN
building allowing a vent, and the whole
interior Of the house seemed to be on
fire, and it was the general expectation
for quite while that the building was
doomed, and there was even some APP
prehension about the jail, particularly
i'm the rear. The firemen poured an aw-
full lot OF water into the house without
any very clear idea as to where the fire
was, but the flames were finally drowned
out. II was then discovered that the
fire had all the time been confined 10
the immediate vicinity of the refuse bin
where it broke out, and that one stream,
applied to the right locality, would have
extinguished it in few minutes, with
but nominal damage. As II was, the
entire building, except small section
of the two upper floors, was soaked, and
thousands of pounds Of coffee, both
green and roasted, and large quantiti eS
of -four, peanuts, and miscellaneous
stock were ruined or badly damaged
After the fire member OF the firm
SAID the stock 10 the building was
valued at about $500 on which the
loss would be $50, 600, or sixty per cent.
This did not include the damage to the
machinery, which was probably quite
small. This loss was almost entirely
by water, but a small amount OF 1t be-
ing due TO smoke, and but a tri tle TO fire
directly. The loss TO the building was
not much over over 500.
A very different estimate OF the loss
to the stock was made by Mr.. Joseph
Emsheimer, through whom the insur
ance was placed. He said last evening
he thought the loss on stock would not
be over ten per cent, or 50, 500 to 81, 900.
Other estimates ran from $4,000 to
$4,000. The adjusters will likely get
10 work tomorrow.
The fire department was subjected to
a large amount OF criticism during the
remainder of the day, for m akiDg such
a lavish use Of water, some Of the con-
demuation being very emphatic. In
extenuaton of their action, members OF
the department said it was impossible
TO enter the building because Of the
dense smoke, that the appearances in
dicated that the whole interior was in
blaze. which was liable TO get beyond
control at any moment, and that they
used as much care as was consistent
with the circumstances.
The insurance amounts to S29,S75,
divided as follows