Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-17


from Sweet Wallach & Cos floor, fell
from second floor to ground and sus-
tanned internal injuries, may &c.
Hugh S. Elliott, manager Presby-
terrain Board of Publication, hands
and face burned not serious.
Nineteen others were more or less
hurt.
The building was six stories. 'front.'
ing on Wabash avenue, and extended
back 100 feet to an alley. 1t had two
elevator shafts, and reaching from the
third story TO the roof was a light
shaft and it was because of this shaft
that the fire spread with such awful
rapidity.
The building was occupied by
number of concerns. 1t is estimated
that 400 persons were at work.
The origin is in dispute. BY some
it is charged to an explosion OF col
lodion in the wall paper warerooms of
Alfred Peats. on the third floor, and
by others to an explosion of chemicals
in the Photographic supply house of
Sweet. Wallach & Co. Employees of
both deny any explosion in their vicin-
ity.
THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE
seems TO be. however. that the eXplo-
sion was in the lower part of the
building, for the flames shot up the
light shaft.
The explosion caused wild STAN
pede for stairways and elevators. The
elevator men ran their cars up shout
ing fire" at every floor. They took
on load of frightened women and
went down.
In less than ten minutes all escape
by the stairs and elevators was cut
off. There remained only the windows
and the single fire escape, a narrow
iron thing. This was speedily COW
cred with a string of people, some on
one side, some on the other.
Many Of those who could not reach
the fire escape made their way to the
front windows, and it was out Of these
that Clark, Smith and RIM hurled
themselves TO death.
Clark was on the seventh floor. and
remained TO put the books in the safe.
He was first seen at one of the seventh
story windows and a few minutes after
showed himself in a window of the
sixth floor. The fire was close upon
him, the walls and floors behind him
were crashing down, and it was GER
tain death to remain where he was.
There was no possibility Of help and
he took his only chance Three sec
onds later he was dead on the pave
ment below
Miles A. Smith also
LEAPED FROM A WINDOW
on the sixth floor. He hesitated some
time before taking the leap, but like
Clark, understood that it was his only
hope. He was instantly killed, his
body being horribly mangled.
Edward BinZ, on the sixth floor. fell
victim TO his desire to save others
and to protect his books from harm
He. upon hearing the alarm, ran to
the rear of the store to warn the en-
ployes to run for their lives He
then rushed back to his desk, gathered
up his books and damned them into
the vault. Then he started for the
stairway, but the flames were ahead
OF him and he turned back. There
was nothing but the window, and to
this he went. he clambered upon the
sill and stood there in view Of the
crowd below Clark and Smith had
already bedaubed the pavement with
their life blood. and the crowd knew
there was no more chance for Bnz
than for them. They watched him in
silent horror as he stood celebrating.
The building was roaring mass of
flames and Binz's face and hands
were badly burned before he jumped.
He pondered the matter for a few
seconds. then his form shot downward
through a cloud of flame and smoke,
and in the drawing of breath he was
as lifeless as the stones over which his
blood and brains were spattered
One fireman distinguished himself by
a daring rescue He was on ladder
close TO the building when he heard 4
cry ringing ont above the roar of the
flames. He steadied himself upon the
ladder and peered into the dense
smoke. Just then a gust of wind
cleared the scene. The fireman saw a
man in a window of the fifth story.
carrying an inanimate form That
the rescuer was about to throw the
unconscious human being into the
street in the vain hope of saving the
man from a death by roasting was evil
dent. The fire was rearing so that no
voice could be heard. Putting up his
hands as a signal to wait until he got
ready. the fireman again braced upon
the ladder and then he waved his arms
for the rescuer to drop the uncon-
scious man to him. With shock
that nearly knocked