The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-05-16

DosroH, May l5.-By tho torch OF au
incendiary tonight over II million dol
lars worth OF property Ia In ushos, over
hvo hundred families OF tho medium
aud poorer classes, consisting OF 1000
people, aso homeless, snd many Of them,
who had timc to save portion Of their
household furniture, arc tonight aleep-
ing in the open air.
Women with babos in their arms and
little children huddled close together,
havo only tho sky for 4 roof and the few
mattresses saved from the burned tone.
ments for bed and no prospects OF
breakfast in tho morning.
Tho fire covered space Of twonty
acres, and as fur as can be learned only
six persons have boon injured and none
fatally.
The fire started In the Boston league
base bull park, In pilo OF lumber
which was lying under the right field
bleechers, directly back OF first base. In
moment it had leapeI out to the seats
and. famed by brisk breeze, swept
towards tho grand stand. So rapidly
did tho flames spread that before the
occupants of the grand stand realized il.
the fire was upon them and they were
forced to iloo. 1t was several minutes
before the iremon were at work. The
lett hcId bieachers were next ignitcd.
Meanwhile the sparks had fallen upon
tho houses on Berlin street and the
flames surgod on towards fremont
street, reaching out to the right and lott
until the entire equare between tho bali
grounds and fremont street and ex-
tending north from Walpolo street 10
Gurke street was mass OF burning
buildings.
The buildings on tho south sido of
Walpole street were soon burned. The
flames shot down towards Coventry
street on that side Of fremont nearos:
the ball grounds. They swept on in
this direction for three squares as far
as Burke street. devouring tho homes
OF the men and women who were work
ing with frantic energy to got out their
household goods.
A 5 o'clock the eptire block along the
west side OF fremont street from Wal
pole to Burke was mass Of flames.
by six O'Clock the contlugration had
crossed fremont TO Cabot street. Short
ly after & o'clock several steamers ar
rived from Lynn, Salem. Beverly,
Drookline, and Lawrence, and ovory
effort was made to stop the fire at Cabot
street. But 1t could not DO checked,
aud not until it had burned from Cabot
street half way through to Wcrwicls
street and north to Burke street, was
the limit Of tho burned district on the
southeast side OF the ball grounds
reached.
While tho tircmcn were lighting on
this side tho fire was spreading from
Walpole toward Milford Place, on the
southwest side OF the ball grounds, and
in hall an hour nll the buildings in this
block were in rnins. The fire burned
on until it reached Rucglcs street Mt
ono point and consumed tho house, on
both eides OF Chapel street and laid low
the structures on Sudbury strcet.
At Rugsles stroot, on the wes., and
Cabot strcet, on tho southeast, tho tlro
was practically stopped. and at $50 the
fro was under control and in no danger
o; spreading further.
IL is e4timatcd TINT about ono hun.
drcd buildings have been burned and
Gbou. 500 families rendered homeless.
The now house OF ladder II and hoso
: Oh fremont stree: wGs destroyed.
alderman Bryan.'s residence on Wal
pole street. and his store OH fremont
street, wore also destroyed.
Among the other business places
ioyCllcd were:
]. J. McNamara, winos and liquors,
Cabot etrce.; Daniel bernhard & Co.,
fremont street. liquors; Sterling Pro.
vision store, Sterling street; Gray'a
photocraphing establishment. Tromont
street; Martin Regan, undertaken, Ire.
mont street; Milmore's block OF Offices,
etc, Tremon. etrcet; Councilman Con.
nors lost his house Oh fremont street
and many OF his effects.
Prominent insurance men place tho
loss at a million dollars, and the insur.
anco at about two thirds OF the loss.