The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-22

Shortly after ie o'clock this morning
telephone message from Nngo
Junction brought the information o: a
disastrous fire that was raging In the
business quarter OF the village. The
message came from the once OF the
Junction Iron Company. and no pa-tic-
ulars could be obtained then. An e1ort
10 communicate with the central at
MIngo was unsuccessful. and It wEs
said that the building where the tele-
phone Office was located had burned.
Mingo Junction is located a Few miles
below steubenvllle and # is probable
the Ere department from that city was
called upon for assistance, as the town
OF AIingo is said to have no hpe APP
piiances.
1t was rumored that the fire was
caused by the turning over OF the table
where some young men were playing
cards. The lamp. It was said. exploded
and before anything could be done. the
flames had spread to the woodwork and
were beyond control. II this Is the
truth, the stakes in that gams o.
cards were high, indeed.
At 1850 O'Clock this morning the fol-
lowiag particulars OF the FIRE were OBJ
tained over the long distance telephone.
The fire started soon afler midnight in
tie second story OF double frame
building on the east side Of Commercial
street. and is supposed to have been
the result OF quarrel OF gamblers who
freauented the place. This double
frame building was occupied by Charles
Hanna, barber. and Edward MCNEIL
meat store. From that house It ex-
tended to Scanlan's saloon, adjoining.
At this point the wind changed and
came from the north causing the de-
struction OF the following houses: Nc
Eiroy's saloon; Henry Becker's groe-'
ery. q fine building and stock valued at
s. 900; W. Z. Pelley & Brother, drug
store: Mrs. Lucas saloon, and McRee's
meat store.
At . o'clock the property loss was es-
tImated at $4,000 TO $4,000. and the fire
was unchecked. although fire engine
and reel from steubenville. three miles
up the river, had just arrived and was
pouring water on the fire. The h7e's
pathway was through the business cen
ter OF the town and as most OF the
buildings are OF frame they fell an easy
prev to the flames, particularly as pvae-
;icaily no resistance could be made be-
fore the arrival OF the steamer from
Steubenville.
No information regarding insurance
and details of the buildings burned
could be learned at O'Clock. The fire
was strl raging at that hour, and the
entire population Of the town was out
II was feared that the high wind would
cause the destruction OF nearly all the
buildings in the upper part OF the
town.
Stems hotel was the next building
that caught FIRE. Il IS brick building.
owned by George FlotO, OF steuben-
vile. 1t has burned TO the ground;ioss
$500, without any insurance.
The fire jumped across Commercial
street to the large brick structure used
as the city hail and opera house. At :
O'Clock It was entirely destroyed, the
bare walls only remaining; loss 5000.
fully insured. II the walls should fall
the FIRE viii spread to several frame
buildings in the rear. AZ . o'clock the
fire had destroyed ten buildings In the
business portion OF the town and the
efforts OF the steubenvllle fremen were
not very successful in battling with
the flames. The only water supply
was from the basin at the Junction
iron works. The FIRE extended over an
area about three hundred and fifty feet
in length by one hundred and fifty feet
in breadth. The loss was estimated at
this hour at $4,000, and the Insurance
was not more than $4,000.
Some OF the losses and insurance fg-
ures were as follows:
Seaman, loss 5000; insurance. $1,000.
McElroy. loss, $500: insurance. $1,000;
william Simpson. loss. $1,000; no in
surance. John Dadodski, tallot. loss
5000: no insurance.
Unless the walls OF the city building |
fall It was believed that the Gre Area
had been defined.