Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-26

IAllillDS 5SCdDS vi d Mall, w u
man and Child-A Property Loss
Of 100000
Spokane, Wash, January Pa mid
and destroyed $500 eco worth of prop
erty. The Great Eastern block at the
corner of Post street and Riverside
avenue, six stories in height, and con-
structed of brick, caught fire about
11:45 p. IN, and in three hours was
demolished
All Of the two upper floors and part
Of the third floor were used for lodg
ing purposes. and at least $50 people
We're asleep in the building when the
fire started. While most of them es
capped with only their clothes, it is
thought a number persisted. What
makes the horror greater is that no
one knows who is still imprisoned.
AS the people We're removed from the
burning structure or escaped them
selves, they sought places of safety.
The last out OF the upper floors report
| forms lying in the hall and women
shrieking in the flames.
The origin Of the fire is supposed to
have been in the engine room. Mrs.
Stark Oliver, wife of Dr. Stark Oliver,
who lived on the second floor, says she
heard an explosion shortly before the
flames appeared. The boiler of the en-
CINE may have exploded and caused
the fire to start. There is another
theory, and that is an explosion among
chemicals in the basement stored there
for the Photographic supply of John
W. Graham and Company.
The Great Eastern block was built
in 1890 at a cost of $250,000, and was
owned by Louis Levinshi, of San
Francisco. who carried $4,000 worth.
of insurance On the ground floor of
the structure were the establishments
of the John W. Graham Paper Com
pany, stationary and supplies; and
Skerritt & Donnelly, boots and shoes.
Both are total losses. Graham carried
a stock worth $1,000, 70 per cent COW
cred by insurance. I he firm OF Skier
rift & Donelly had a stock Of $4,000,
of which $4,000 was covered by in
surance.
In the Offices above this were big
losses on law libraries and fixtures, be-
sides a probably still larger loss on
furniture and household goods.
The fire was singularly hot one,
and the fire department was long in
getting it under control. Even then
the flames rose hundreds Of feet in the
air as long as two hours after its
start All the hose in the department
was brought into use, and the stores
nearby were called upon for all their
stock. Because of the network Of
wires surrounding the building it was
with the utmost difficulty that the lad
ders were elevated. While they were
going up the people were at the win
dows, flames and smoke bursting out
about them shrieking. Crowds of peO-
pie on the streets below shrieked in
sympathy with them.
Mrs. H. H. G. Davies, of Nebraska
City, Neb., fell or jumped from fifth
story window to the cement pavement
below She died at the hospital two
hours later.
A thrilling rescue was that of Rob
ert Mason, his wife and their two
year-old son. from the fifth floor on
the Post street side. From fire escape
on the fourth floor, seven feet to one
side from their window, firemen threw
them a rope, which Mason made fast
to his bed and came down hand over
hand, carrying his boy, Mrs. Mason
following AS she hung suspended far
above the ground the crowd watched
with breathless interest. When she
was grasped by a fireman shout OF
JOY went up.
The names of those known to be lost
are: Rose Wilson, aged 10; Rose
Smith, an invalid aged 20; Mrs.
Davies.
Other bodies are supposed to be in
the building, which is too hot yet to
enter
Spokane. Wash, January 25.-Fire-
men are still playing water on
the embers of the Great Eastern
block. which burned early this morn
ing. and it will not be safe to search
the ruins for the dead until tomorrow.
Miss Rose Wilson and Mrs. Rose
Smith are known to have persisted
w. B. Gordon, prominent mining eX-
pert. his wife and three children, aged
IL. 8 and Z, are missing, and it is al
most certain that the entire family
persisted.
Mrs. c. r. Lewis is also among the
missing. Mrs. H. G.. Davis, who jump
ed from the fifth story window, died
from her injuries this morning.
Minneapolis, Mimi, January pa
special to the Journal from Spokane,
Wash, says: 1t is now absolutely GER
tain that G. Du Albert and Mrs.
! Lewis were burned to death. Du Al
bert was violinist. and only came to
the city a few weeks ago.
Spokane, Wash, January 25.-Late
| tonight it seems certain that eight
lives and probably nine We're lost last
| night in the fire in the Great Eastern
| block. They were:
Miss Alice Wilson, aged Is; employ
| ed at hat trimmer
Maud Wilson, sister of Alice, aged
years.
Miss Rose Smith aged 90
Mrs. H. G. Davies, an elderly lady
from Nebraska City, Neb.. who fell
in descending from the fifth story, dled
at the hospital this morning.
w. B. Gordan, mining engineer
and expert.
Mrs. Cora Peters and daughters,
Ethel and Alma. aged and years re-