Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-01

Eighteenth Street-A Busy Day
for the Fire Department.
Yesterday was the fire departments
busy day.
During the twenty-four hours ending
at midnight last night four calls were
responded to.
At three Of these fires a large amount
of property was in jeopardy, but the de-
parment did its usual good work, and
the loss. so far as it could be prevented
by the iremen, will amount to compare
lively little
One mana Hmgarian-Was fatally
burned, and his death was expected
hourly, last night
The first alarm Of the day was call
about midnight, to the Atlantic, a blaze
having started at Edward Schaenfe-d's
l0ck-smiJh shop, at Sixteenth and South
streets. An officer kicked open the
door. and the flames were soon eXtin-
suished.
The next alarm was about a. m.
from box 9, at the Top mill The trou-
bic was caused by terrific explosion OF
gas in the blast furnace, caused by the
stock in the stack hanging and then
dropping, causing the gas to explode
with great violence The iron hopper
ring about the bell was blown off,
while a large amount of coke and other
stuff making up the charge, was scat
tered over the surrounding neighbor-
hood, and the stock house was set on
fire Two t0p-fllers were at work on
the platform at the top Of the furnace
when the explosion occurred. One of
these men, a Hungarian named JOekic,
or some such name, was caught by the
outburst of hot gas and was fearfully
burned about the head, face, neck,
breast and arms. His fellow workman,
escaped with comparatively little or no
injury. The burned man was taken to
the North Wheeling Hospital and DR..
Birney was summoned. Little could
be done for the victim of the accident.
and he will. in all probability. be dead
by to-day. At ten o'clock last night
rumor was circulated in North Wheel
ing that the victim had died. but this
was untrue The fire in the stock house
was soon eXtinguished, and after a sus-
pension of work of few hours the fur
mace was again put in operation.
The third alarm of the day was at
about half past seven last evening.
when box No was pulled for a fire
at the plant of the Wheeling Mold and
=,
street The company is quartered i'm
about the center fthe big Bodley build
ing. which extends from Chapline to
Eon street, on the north side of Eigh-
teenth street. and is adjoiled on the
east by the Red Letter tobacco plant
and ON the west by the new ice plant.
The fire broke out about the cupOla. and
got a very good start. but the chemi-
cal company got at il i'm good time and
held it down until the steamers got to
/ work The loss Will not exceed six or
eight hundred dollars. which is fully
covered byinsurancei i'm the Emsheimer's
agency The foundry company's plant
is a good deal mUssed up, MS result
but amember of the company said last
night they would be ready to resume
operations next Monday. The build
ing where this fire started is an inn
mense one. and it is a very fortunate
thing. indeed. that the flames were
checked when they were. Had the fire
gotten beyond control in that immense
house, one of the most extensive con-
flagrations i'm the history of the city
would have been the result.
At a quarter of ten last night, just
after the department had barely gotten
back to their houses. a second eXplOs-
ion occurred at the Top mill furnace,
blowing the hopper out of the furnace
and setting the stock house on fire in
several places. As was the case with
the first explosion coke and other fill
ing from the furnace was scattered for a
hundred and fifty yards along the eX-
tension of North Main street, up on the
hillside and out toward the river the
ground looking as though a car of coke
had been distributed around. Scatter
ca among the coke were numerous burn
ing fragments of wood The top filters,
on the platform at the time. were again
placed i'm great peril, and for time it
was feared they had been suifocated or
killed. as The cage came down empty
soon after the blast of gas occurred An
Investigation was at once made, and
the men were found all right. The
VigiIant engine and the chemical COM
panv got to work on the fire in the roCG
of The stock house. and after pumping
water at intervals for an hour all dam
ger from that source was averted. The
furnace was tapped as soon as possi-
bic after the explosion but the iron did
not aow freely. and several of the work
men said it was probable a partial emil
had occurred as q result of the eXplos-
ion of the morning Should this prove
to be true. the loss viii be a very SER
ious one. as the furnace is being worked
TO it's full capacity The roofs OF the
stock house and boiler house were con-
siderably damaged by the explosions,
but this loss is not to be considered If
the furnace is all right An immense
crowd was attracted TO the vicinity OF
the mill by the night accident ana
many remained until nearly midnight
when the department got away.
WILL RESUME OPERATIONS.
The Warwick pottery which has been
off since July 18th. will resume opera
+ion i'm full next Monday morning.
Low Excursion Rates 20 Lima. Ohio via the
baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
On August > and the Baltimore a
ION