Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-03

huhk luc ou0AO wac PONAAA6 AAOHh bAO
front windows Of the Caldwell & Peter
son building. No one was to be seen on
the street, and Hughes ran to Mr..
Henry Bieberson's door and pounded
until Mr.. Bieberson answered. He said
there was FIRE aud that he had been
crying fire" aud asked Hughes to
awaken Mr.. Amick, on the corner Of
Main and South streets, who had fire
key. Mr.. Hughes routed out MIR. Amick,
who wanted to throw the fire key out Of
the second story window, but Hughes
told him not to do so, as the key
MIGHT GET LOST
in the snow and mud. Mr.. Amick then
ran down stairs half dressed, and cross
ing the street turned in the alarm. 1t
was then five minutes after four. Had
Mr.. Hughes had q key when he ran into
South street from Sixteenth, after
speaking to the hack driver, the alarm
would have been struck perhaps five
minutes earlier. When the box was
pulled smoke was pouring from every
window, door, crack aud crevice in the
Caldwell & Peterson building, and when
the Atlantic aud hook and ladder COM
panies arrived on the scene great col
umn OF flame was mounting into the
air, being blown towards the northeast
by the stiff breeze. The Niagara, the
Island reel. the Vigilant, the Chemical
and the Wheeling companies soos ar
rived, in quick succession, and in short
time water was being poured into the
building, which was then roaring fur
mace OF fire. The Wheeling engine
company attempted to open the plug on
Main street in front Of John Heiner's,
but il was frozen up, and they had to
seek a plug at Market street and Alley
70, q square farther away from the
fire. In twenty minutes at least ten
good streams of water were playing on
the fire, Chief Healy being in command,
with Mr.. John Bodley and John Arm
strOrg as voluntary assistants, but the
,ater seemed to have little or no effect,
and the intense heat soon drove the fire.
men out Of South street in front OF the
burning building. As the fire rapidly
progressed towards the northern end OF
the Caldwell & Peterson building
the wind drove the flames en-
tirely across the street, until they
DASHED IN GREAT WAVES
against the south wall Of the B. f.
Caldwell building, and in a jiffy the
glass was broken out Of the windows and
the window-frames we're on fire, while
the iron window caps and cornice be-
came red hot, the paint on the outside
walls ignited, and molten solder and
lead dripped from the edge Of the roof
like rain. Even as far away as the
Shafer & Driehorst building, at the
corner Of Main street and Alley 10, the
wet roof and walls gave of volumes Of
steam under the intense heat, and no
living thing could live on South street
between the B, s. o. depot and Main
street. Chief Healy saw the imminent
danger Of q disastrous confederation,
and as he did so. Mr.. Frank Caldwell
ran up and cried:
''Mr, Chief, you can't save our build
ing, Look after the others across the
street."
With the cry OF "Do you mean it?"
and the response, Indeed l do" from
Mr.. Caldwell, Chief Hesly rapidly issued
orders for the fremen TO concentrate all
efforts on the B. f. Caldwell and Water
house Bros. buildings, aud in moment
or two several streams Of water were
playing upon the endangered property.
"Hold il for twenty minutes, until
Aur buildings burn down, and you are
kfe," cried Frank Caldwell to the
ief.
Wen do II, responded Chief Healy,
do Il he did. In a heat almost as
bical as that OF the Internal regions,
ont a fre-shield or even an old
behind which they could find
pr, the frenen stuck 70 their work
he roof Of the Caldwell & Peter
Hiding went crashing down, and
pger was over. With the rapid
Dn Of the flames the fremen once
gan playing upon the Caldwell
son ruin, and by a few minutes
o'clock all danger OF the
the FIRE, either northward or
was over, while the great
ectators lavished
L-DEsERvED PRAISE
emen, number OF Main
IS men and property own
spicuous in, their hearty
re was endangering the
to the north OF South
Pnce and place If bush
Iry Biebefson caught
previously hurkiedly
Family, who bore&With
rather scanty aflpar-