Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-29

The worst FIRE for the department to
manage seen in this city since the Bod
lev fire OF fifteen or eighteen years ago,
broke out in the second floor OF the At
lantic Tea Company's building, No.
2245 Market street, at half-past eleven
o'clock last night.
If the members of the fire depart
ment ever earned their salaries they aid
In the fignt with the flames which re-
suited, and which continued without
intermission until almost daylight this
morning.
The mercury was two degrees below
zero at the Island Chemical company
house when the alarm came in. from
box No AZ, at twenty minutes of eleven
o'clock, and the run to the fire alone
was hard thing on the men suddenly
snatched from sleep. 1t wasn't a circum-
stance, however. to the subsequent
hours of work with wet hose, and be-
fore one o'clock struck this morning
every fireman in the department was
covered with an inch OF solid Ice, from
the top Of his head to the soles OF his
feet, and many of them could not bend
an arm and could scarcely walk. II
none OF the men lose their fingers or
ears, IL will be a great piece OF luck.
As nearly as could be ascertained
from those first at the scene Of the
blaze, the FIRE broke out 10 the second
floor Of the large four story building, In
the rear, where the spice mill OF the
Company appeared TO be located. 1t
must have burned good while before
1t was discovered, for when the hremen
arrived on the scene, which they
did in very short order, considering the
temperature and the condition OF
the streets, the rear por-
tion OF the building was we'll aligh:, aud
there seemed very little chance of saving
any OF the Company's property.
All four steamers we're put to work 10
the shortest possible space OF time, un-
der the personal supervision OF Chief
Healy, and In few minutes seven as
GOOD streams OF water as were ever
thrown by any department were play
Ing on the FIRE.
Owing to the peculiar situation OF
the building, with narrow alleys on
two sides OF it, and with no fire on the
street front, the only side upon which
the building could be we'll approached,
the fremen worked at q great dis
advantage. They mounted the snow
covered buildings upon both sides, how
ever, aud poured water through every
available opening, but after an hour and
half OF this sort OF. work, the men
were about exhausted with the expos
ure and cold, aud the fire appeared TO
be burning in the interior OF the build
ing as merrilY as ever. There
was good deal Of in0ammabe materi-
al In the building, there being eleven
hundred cases OF canned goods alone on
the third floor, and immense quantities
of spices, boxes, coffee, tea, sugar, and
all manner of goods carried by such
corporation in all parts OF the premises,
and the flames burned between the win
dow openings at will, II being impossl-
BILE to direct streams TO any advantage
from the surrounding buildings, while
the thin walls OF the company's build
ing made 1t too hazardous for the Chief
to order his men 10 fight the fire at
closer quarters.
The intense cold CONCEALED the water
almost as soon as itleit the nozzes, and
In a very short time after the depart
ment got to work the whole vicinity Of
the FIRE was covered with coating OF
Ice several Inches in thickness, electric
light and telephone and telegraph wires
being transformed into cables two
inches in diameter, until they finally
broke OF their weight, falling with =
crash which ressmoled the droppinz OF
q section OF wall. Sevsral times, before
two O'Clock, the rear portion OF the Tea
Company wall, which was only nine
inches In thickness at the upper part
seemed to threaten a fall, and Chief
Healy bad N keep on the alert to keep
men bers OF the Department and spec
tators out OF danger. 10 which work he
was assisted by the mem bers Of the po-
lice force on duty.
A considerable number OF citizens
living In the vicinity volunteered 10 AID
the 6remcp, and rendered valuable help
10 pulling lines OF hose around, putting
up ladders, etc, particularly after the
firsmen were so covered with Ice that
their movements were hampsrsd.
Councilmen james Filan, Charles
Menkemiller and one or two others were
also on hand, and Mr.. Fiian early pro-
cured a big kettle Of steaninE coffee,
and he and Others mounted ladders and
crspt over roofs in the snow until all
the fTsmen had been visited several
times and given tin full OF the gratis
full beverage. Many fremsn could rot
lift . cup OF coffee TO their mouths
when reached, snd The tin had 70 De
raised TO their lips that they might
drInk. a Register reporter gave up .
pair of seal gloves 10 Chief HeAly. whose
aIuds were almost frozen, but 10 re-
ouirsd two men 70 put them on his
hands, ss be could bend neither his arms
nor hrs fngsrA
At half-psst two the frs was still
confined to the building woere lt orlgi-
natsd, and seemed 10 bs under control.
bat "a vas a hour later bsfore the 6rs-
mes felt sure OF their ground-
No worse fire WAS ever handled In
wheeling, and the mem bers Of she de-
partmens dsssrvs AL the credit thai can
be given them py ths public.
ruk.. - frnn nrffl ~ confH nuIu 10