Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-16

O'Clock = Narrow Escape Of a
Flreman-A Nasty B.azs on the
South side Last Evening.
There were two nasty fires last even
ing, either Of which might easily have
led to a serious conllagration.
The first was at $50 on Eoff street,
Immediately south OF the LANCE apart
ment building, opposite the City Hos
pital. For a time che firemen were
handicapped by the lack of water, and
the promise OF good local story was
fair until streams could be brought to
bear. Firemen say that had there been
d chemical engine available at the out-
set, the loss would have been nominal,
/ but as it. was, they exhausted every
available Babcock, and then had to
stand around and wait for the water
which the pipemen couIQ not get for
quite a time.
The second alarm was almost stimuli
taneously turned in from boxes Nos.
% and 25 at 9:17 o'clock. Box NO. %
was tribe ahead of the other, ana was
pulled by O4lcer McCausland The fire
was seen at about the same time, how
ever, by half dozen people, among
them NightWatchman Waliy LukenS.
1t broke out III the northern portion
Of the upper story Of the building at
the northeast corner of alleys B and Il.
The building is brick, and is a part Of
the old Beck brewery plant 1t belongs
at present to the heirs of the late n.
Crawley e. B. Carney being the admin
istratOr, and is leased by William A.
List, who subjects the upper floor to
George w. Stephan, who manufactures
metal measures, etc. On the lower
floor, last night, were couple Of dozen
barrels of Oil tar, etc. and what ap-
peared through the smoke and falling
water to be some sort Of agricultural
machinery. The alarm attracted an
immense number of people, and The po-
lice had their hands full keeping them
cut of danger, as the alley is full of
electric light wires, and there was dan
ger that the walls Of the building,
which is very old, would fall.
The fremen responded promptly, but
were badly handicap ed by the fact
that they had to work at the intersec-
ton Of two alleys, without room
enough to turn around in, while the
Building had q metal roof, which shed
water llhE Il lLtA , bel'- "a
The hook and ladder Chemical and At
lantic frtmen were naturally the first
members Of the department to arrive, and
they at once plunged into the building,
which was well alight on the upper floors,
while the fire had eaten its way down the
elevator shaft to within d couple Of yards
Of the lower floor. On this floor there
were several dozen barrels Of oil and tar,
and the first arrivals proposed to roll
them out Ex-Fire Chief :. J. He2iy,
Ex-Chief of Police DeIbrUgge, Frank G.
ca dwell. a Register reporter and several
citizens undertook this work, and while it
was in progress Fireman Henry Frchme,
Of The hoes and ladder company, made a
nisstep and fell into the cellar. He could
neither be seen nor heard, on account Of
the smoke. but lantern was procured
and Mr.. Delbrugge and others got him out
a. considerable personal risk.
Meanwhile the fire was making very
good progress up stairs. The chemical
turned a stream up the elevator shaft, and
the various engine companies located
themselves as follows:
Fisilant at Fourteenth and Market, two
streams.
Niagara, Main and South streets, two
str52r7s.
Atlantic. Market and Alley p, one
stream.
Wheeling, Sixteenth. between Market
and Main. two streams.
Niagarl. Il hose stream on Main, north
of Fourteenth.
Island. q CHI mical stream in Alley 3,
and hose stream later.
Chemical q etrcor0 e., AlI-y- 20