Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-24
who had been clinging for life to the
attic gables.

ladders, and they stood helpless,
screaming with terror. Suddenly
White came out of a window carrying
| small rope With this he lowered
! the women into the arms of the fire
men who were waiting at the windows
| of the next floor Then he started
down the rope hand over hand. Half
way down the rope parted and the man
who had just saved three lives was
| dashed to the pavement 100 feet be-
| low.
Lucky Baldwin had narrow
| escape from perishing with his fire
| trap Amid all the din he slept peace
fully until his room was broken into
and he was dragged from his bed.
H. l. Kowalsky, well known at
torney. was also dragged unconscious
from his bed. He will recover.
| One of the
MOST THRILLING INCIDENTS
of the fire was the rescue of A. H.
| Christie by Fireman Keough. For a
few minutes Christie ran to and fro on
the cornice of the fifth floor, seeking in
vain for some way to escape the rapid
ly approaching flames. Fireman
Keough, after many efforts, managed
to reach Christie and bring him down
in safety.
The Baldwin Hotel has been known
and dreaded for years by firemen and
insurance people as the worst kind of
fire trap. It has been stated often
that there were no fire walls in it ex-
cept those enclosing the theatre, and
that no insurance company would write
a risk on the building except for a
small amount and heavy premium.
The building Of the hotel began in
1873 and was finished in 1877, its total
cost, including ground and furniture,
being $4,000, 900. The building was in
the French renaissance style, with
cOrinthian columns and mansard roof,
six stories high and with a principal
dome 1862 feet in height. The hotel oc-
cupied the lot at the Gore formed by
the intersection of Market and Powell
ctreets. Extending about 200 feet on
Market, 400 feet on Powell and 300 feet
on Ellis streets. In the building was
the Baldwin theatre. The street floors
of the immense building were occupied
by the hotel Offices, bar room and
rumber of stores. In the basement
was an deliberately fitted cafe.
f. ]. Baldwin stated to-day that he
CARRIED s10O 900 INSURANCE,
but he could not remember in what
company.
At $40 a. m. the Market street side
| seemed to be crumbling. An alarm was
sounded, and the crowd, together with
the employees of the Emporium who
were watching the fire from the side
walk, scattered. A few moments later
a stream was turned on the chimney.
The falling of the chimney caused the
remaining portion of the fifth floor 10
give way and it came down with a
crash. The entire front and center of
the hotel wall settled and the firemen
working at the engines stationed OPP
posite the west wing, deserted their po-
sition, expecting the mass to fall in
their direction, but the wall sagged
only two or three feet and remained
stationary. The chief of the fire de-
partment has issued orders to his men
to take every precaution. The fire is
still eating the base at the west end of
the hotel and only frail iron work sup
ports it. When it falls the dome, which
for many years
HAS BEEN A LANDMARK.
will be destroyed. In this dome were
stored many relics Of the Baldwin the
atre The Baldwin Theatre was COM
pletely demolished by the falling of the
fifth floor. The entire effects at that
theatre were destroyed. Nothing what
ever was saved. The scenery and
stage settings were very valuable. A
great deal Of jewelry and money be-
longs 10 HltIubtIo VI the tOulpdls NCLC
In addition the contracts were burned.
2 wall on the south side appears
to De strong. but the west wall which
appears to be very weak, leads toward
the interior of the ruins.
The Columbia Theatre and places of
business opposite the Baldwin were
damaged by water to the extent of
$4,000. E. ]. Baldwin. owner of the
hotel, is Frustrated and unable to tell
much about his affairs. He says he
Will not be able to estimate his loss
for several days. H W. Lake, manager
of the hotel, barely managed to get out
with his wife and child. He says there
were 302 guests in the hctel
Carrel D. Gelvin, mining engineer,
from Boise, Idaho, who occupied rooms
on the fifth floor Of the hotel,
WAS THE LAST PERSON
to enter the ELEVATOR descending TO the
ground floor. Mr.. Calvin was sleeping
soundly, totally unaware of the calam-
ity going on around him when ne was
awakened by the Waterman on the
fifth floor. He hurriedly dressed and
gathered a few valuables and opened