Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-14

fore the Special Left-The Loss
Falls Inside Of Five Thousand
Dollars-The Marrow Escape of.
the Town.
Moundsville, the county seat of Mar
shall county, eleven miles south of this
city, on the line of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad, had a narrow escape
from a very disastrous fire last even
ing
So imminent was The danger that
Wheeling was appealed TO for aid by
J. w. Gallaher, Esq, aud other prom
inent citizens, and in response to this
appeal one steamer and O. hose reel.
with a thousand feet of hose. were
loaded on a special to De run over the
B. & o., but just about The time the
apparatus was i'm shape ON the car and
while the locomotive was waiting with
steam up to be of word came by tel
ephone to fire headquarters. where
Mayor Caldwell and Chief Healey were
in waiting that the fire was under con-
troll and the services of the section OF
the Wheeling department would not
be needed. The company selected for
the service waited a short time, how
ever, but as another message corrob-
Grated the first one. the apparatus was
unloaded and taken back to the Vig-
liant house, and The officials dispersed.
The fire broke out about twenty
minutes after eight o'clock, from some
unknown cause. i'm the livery stable Of
r. j. McFadden. ON Sixth street imme-
diately in the rear of the Johnson
House. The building was owned by.
James Henrietta and Vas valued at
about $1,000, while the contents, be-
longing to Mr. McFadden, were worth
as much more Some of the vehicles
were rescued, but the loss here will
approximate $4,000.
A high wind was blowing from the
west and northwest. and i'm a very few
minutes the fire had spread TO the ad-
joining livery stable of A. +. Lynch,
the building being owned by Mrs. Mag
gle J. Harris. This building burned
very rapidly. and the loss was but lit
tie less than at the McFadden stables.
BY this time the people of the town.
almost the entire population being at
the scene of the fire. had become very.
much alarmed. and Wheeling was CALI
ed up by telephone and the informa-
ton impaired that the fire showed a
decided tendency To get beyond control
and that help was needed at once.
Mayor Caldwell and Chief Healy were
i'm communication with MOundsyille IN
a very few minutes, and as result the
Vigilant steamer and hose reel were
ordered out, while Mr.. Jamison. of the
b. & o., was communicated with, and
he gave instructions 10 have a special
made up at once. with the assurance
Of a clear track and a fast run 10
Moundsyille.
While these arrangements were be-
ing made i'm Wheeling the fire spread
to the dwelling house owned by Louis
Dressell and occupied by John Cook.
and it was completely destroyed. The
volunteer department was on the
scene as soon as could Doe expected.
but the firemen had but two reels. and
they were further handicapped by the
fact that the hose COUPLINGS had been
changed a couple OF days ago, and the
men did not understand how the new
appliances worked. They finally got
water on the fire, however. and assisted
by the citizens generally, the further
spread Of the flames Yves prevented, al
ter one or two small buildings bad been
DESTROYED or damaged. The high wind
blew the fire right in the direction of
Seventh street. which is the main busi-
ness street Of the town. and there
was very grave anxiety for th" block
extending from the Henrietta House
TO the bank building. which a just
across the alley from the Court House.
II was the first intention to load the
Wheeling fire apparatus ihr o.7 ID.
e O. freight station, at the corner OF
Water and Fourteenth street but
there were so many irelghi cars lh me
way that this was found inpos7iDIe'
and Mr.. Jamison directed tlat the APP
paratus be taken 10 seventeenth anu
Eoff streets. whore the pe'iI lalh
was sent An incline was plliJ Jhe
reel run up on the ear tt nan NUN
dred volunteers. and the engine was
started up. when the " - came lhaI
the fire was under control
The Moundsyille people ehpIesaeu
lively gratitude over the wire Jo ihe
Wheeling officials for the willing spirit
manifested. Had DO not been for me
unavoidable delay al the old lreight