The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-09

By a fire which Is supposed to have
been caused by n natural gas stove in
the o'Neill Photographic establishment
in the McLuin building. at the south
west corner OF Market and Twelfth
streets. Wheeling suffered 10000 loss.
OF which less than ene-half Is covered
by insurance. It was the most de-
structive FIRE that has occurred in
Wheeling in the past eight months.
Yesterday morning at $50 o'clock
when one of the employees of the photo
graphic studio entered the negative
he encountered o FIRE which must have
been started within the previous half
hour, as he had seen no sign OF fire
when previously in that part OF the
building. An alarm was at once turned
in and Chief Heaiy's men responded
with more than their usual promptness.
The fire at this time had spread with
alarming rapidity, extending to the
printing room above the negative room
and to the operating department ad-
Joining. On account OF the immense
volume OF smoke that filled the upper
floors and poured out OF the sky-lights
and windows, the hremen were at a
great disadvantage. but finally open
ings were cut in the roof and four
streams OF water turned in. The fire
was actually flooded out, this being the
only way In which II could be brought
under control, for the reason that the
exact locality Of the blaze could not be
accurately gagged on account OF the
smoke. After IS minutes OF hard work,
Chief HeRly was able to say that there
was no danger OF further loss
While the loss by fire is not very large
the destruction OF property by being
flooded with water Is very great, and
makes up the greater part OF the loss
list. on the second floor were located
the reception room OF O'Nellrs studio
the wholesale dental instrument estab-
lishment OF the McLains, DR.. Smiths
dental pariors, offices of the North
western Life Insurance Company and
the Postal Telegraph Company's offices.
or these the first two suffered largely.
while the others escaped without much
loss. on the ground floor, however.
the damage by water was very heavy.
A big loser will be Noble Bros,
whose hat and mems furnishing goods
store fronts on Twelfth street. directly
under that portion OF the O'Neill gal
lery where the fire ragged. This firm Is
Tor this reason one OF the neilNlett los
ers. The tailoring establishment Of w.
H, Frank, Goetze's pharmacy, Some
born's mems furnishing goods store
and Mc'Kee's cigar store all suffered TO
a smaller extent by water coming down
on their stocks.
The heaviest loser will he r. c.
o'Neill, owner OF the Photographic stu
do, and very unfortunately. he has
practically no insurance. When he
succeeded Parsons he bought the en-
tire stock Of 10000 negatives. represent
ing the work OF that artist during Is
years. To this he added ut least 5000
OF his own negatives, These negatives
can only be insured on the valuation OF
ten cents each. 30 that the loss of
o'NeIll on negatives amounts TO at least
$1,000. However, this does not correct
~ represent the loss. Mr.. O'Eelll says
that his annual revenue from prints on
these negatives amounts TO $1,000. AS
the source OF this revenue is entirely cut
of, the actual loss Is $4,000 at least
representing the capital on which he
secured an income OF $1,000. In addi-
ton to this his studio fixtures, etc. are
damaged to thelextent OF about $1,000
making his total loss $1,000,
The following list OF losses was Sc
cured last evening and is as nearly &C.
curate us could be determined then: