The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-27
TWELVE THOUSAND
Dollars was tho Fro Loss at tho
Bonwood Conflagration.
WHEELING'S FIRE DEPARTMENT
Lcut Valuable aud indispensable Aid
In Combining tho Fro to n Limited
Aroa-John Lublo Ia tho Heaviest
Losor-A Strong Wind from tho
South Famed tho Flamcs-rho Or
igin Is not Known-rho Insurance.

Tho fro department had n worry busy
afternoon yesterday. Shortly before .
o'clock alarms wero runs In from box.
os 81 aud 81 In tho extreme lower por.
ton Of the city calling tho entiro do.
partment to n fro In tho largo stable
building Of tho Boggs Run Mining
Company at tho head OF Fortv.cighth
street, just within tho city limits. Tho
iircmen had just got to work in carnCs.
on this blaze which threatened adioiu'
Ing valuable property OF tho mining
company, whom the cry went up that
there was a big fro on in upper Bon.
wood, three squares below tho big street
car bnrns. Two engines remained to
handle tho Boggs Run mino iiro, while
tho balance OF tho department was do.
tailed by Chief llcalOy to 60 to tho rs.
sistance OF tho Benwood people, who
were without fire apparatus or water
supply. Tho fire at the mine was soon
e~xtinguished, with tho loss only Of the
stable building and tho damaging OF
several OF the coal cars; loss about
$500. which Is insured.
The Benwood fire started In tho
houses OF John Lubic on the Jacob
street extension, just above White
mans, about four square, below tho
city and county line. Lubic owned bTo
large two-story buildings fronting on
thn stFnnt alan ttrn tA,t -, yn.ilnnNaa -
the rear Adjoining tho Lubic houses
on the upper side was the two.story
frame residence OF William Carpenter,
owned by the Adam Stoker estate.
Further north only u few feet apart
were several other frame buildings. All
OF the buildings mentioned fell prey to
the flames which were urged on furious.
~ by the strong south wind that was
blowing nearly n gale at the time OF the
fire.
Opinions differ as to tho exact loca.
ton OF the start OF the fire, although
two persons claim that il WAS first seen
from the outside when smoke pouring
out OF the roof near the brick chimney
on the upper side Of the Lubic building,
attracted their attention. Certain il IS
that the fire secured u fearful start be.
fore Il drop OF water was ut hand. so
much so that the building was doomed.
The efforts OF everybody was concentra-
ted on the saving OF property and much
merchandise was taken out OF Lubic's
dry goods store which was recently
opened aud considerable furniture from
his boarding house was also saved, but
IN the saloon, also owned by Lubic,
very little stock was taken out before
the fire had such lieatwav that the
workers were driven IRON the place.
When the Wheeling fire department
arrived on the scene the Lubic build.
ing, fronting on tho street and the two
frame buildings in the rear were burn
ing iuriously, and the Carpenter house
was catching fire. a steamer was placed
at the extreme lower city water plug, at
the street car barns. and Il long line OF
hose stretched to the scene OF tho fire,
but tho stream was neither strong nor
sufficient to subdue the fire. Another
steamer was taken down to the river
bank and two stronger streams were
Don at work. The tiremcn mado their
stand at tho Carpenter building and
eventually succeeded in stopping the
fire a. this point in the face OF the wind.
which is work Of which Fire Cheii Hea.
ly and his men may feel proud. For a
time it looked rs though tho Stab
blacksmith shop building and tho three
frame residence, above, rs well as sew
eral below would also burn, but at 1
o'clock after two hours OF the hardest
kind OF work danger to the surrounding
property was over. Though not entire
" burned, the Carpenter residence is n
total loss.
4 conservative estimate OF the loss is
about rs follows: John Lubic, four
frame buildings, dry goods and saloon
stock and fixtures. furniture and hotel
furnishings. almost a total loss OF Sl0.-
600; William Carpenter, furniture, 500;
several Polish families. who lived in the
rear buildings, loss $500: Adam Stoker
estate. frame building, $500; tota!loss
$1,000. Lubiccarries insurance amount
ing TO 5000 in tho Scottish Union and
other companies represented here by
Emsheimer 4 Co. Tho loss to tho
Stoker building Is almost total and is
partially covered by insurance in the
Standard, OF Wheeling.