The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-17
trod upon one ano,her's fingers, bumped
into one another and progress was allow

/ ~ 1 = e
trod upon one another'S fingers, bumped
into one another md progress was allow
and difficult for them ull. M
Many of those who could not reach.
the fire escape mode their. way to the.
front windows and II was out OF these
that Clark, Smith and elns hurled
themselves TO death. aS
Clark was book-keeper for the olm.
stead Scientific Company on the sev-
enth floor, The fire was close upon him.
the walls and floors behind him were
crashing down and 1t was certain death
10 remain where he was. There was no
possibility OF help and he took his only
chance. Three seconds later he was
dead on the pavement below. Il
Miles A. Smith. n salesman for the
olmstead Scientific Company. also
leaped from a window In the sixth floor.
He hesltated some time before taking
the leap. but like Clark understood that
It was his only hope, He was Instantly
killed, his body being horribly man
gled. !3 81
Edward Binz, ,the cashier OF Sweet
Wallach & Company, on the sixth floor,
and to protect his books from harm. He
upon, hearing the alarm. ran to the rear
OF the store to warn the employees to
run for their lives. He then rushed
back 70 his desk. gathered UP his books
and jammed them into the vault, Then
he started for the stairway. but the
flames were ahead of3h!m, and he turn.
ed back. There was nothing but the
window and to this he went. He clam
bered upon the sill and stood there In
View OF the crowd below. Clark and
Smith hnd already bedaubed the pave
tnent with their life blood, and the
crowd knew there was no moro chance
for Binz than for them. They watched
him in silent horror as he stood dcllb-
Grating. The building was roaring
mass offlames and Binz face and handS
were badly burned before he jumped. He
pondered the matter but O few seconds
and then his form shot downward
through cloud of flame and smoke and
In the drawing OF a breath he was as
1ifeless az the stones over which his
blood and brains were spattered.
4 One fireman distinguished himself by
daring rescue. He was on a ladder
close TO the building when he heard a
cry ringing out above the roar of the
flames. He stendled himself upon the
ladder and peered into the dense smoke.
Just then n gust OF wind cleared the
scene. The fireman saw man in n.
window OF the fifth story, carrying an.
.inanimnte 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 evident. The fire was
roaring SO that no voice could be heard.
Putting up his hands as n signal to
wait until he got ready, the fireman
again braced upon the ladder and then
he waved his arms for the rescuer 10
drop the unconscious man to him.
With a shock that nearly knocked the
I heroic fireman from his position upon
the ladder. the body OF, the man struck
the fire fighter. But It did not get
away from him. He held the uacon-
scious man through oil the swaying
swinging OF the ladder. Hastily de-
sscending the fireman turned his uncon-
scious burden over to the police and
returned to his post. The man who had
saved the unconscious workman had
disappeared. He had a chance to es-
cape had he been bravo enough to dash
through the smoke and fame. But if
he did not Immediately follow the fire.
man who bore away the man he had
picked up on the fifth floor. his cha-red
remains will be found in the ruins when
the search for, the dead is made.
The scene upon the downtown streets.
srivaled anything seen at o, fire in Chi
cago fo2 years. The great flames which
shot from the center OF the burning
structure rose to such a height IN the
air. that they could be observed three
blocks In either direction down Wa
bash avenue. Black volumes OF smoke
rolled upward and spread over the
surrounding street. alarming the
crowds. Business and shopping affairs
OF every description were abandoned
Immediately and the vast throngs
made a rush for the scene.