Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-05
BUSINESS PALACES BURNED.
Three Great New Building Destroyed
Last NIGHT.


Last Night.
TIE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE BIG
STORE OF ROGERS, PEET 4 CO.,
SHORTLY AFTER NINE O'CLOCK,
AND SPREAD To THE SIXTEEN-
STORY HOME LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY BUILDING, ON ONE
SIDE AND THE TWENTY-STo
POSTAL TELEGRAPH COMPANY
BUILDING ON THE OTHER FIRE.
MEN POWERLESS 10 FIGHT THE
FLAMES IN THE TALL STRUC-
TURES-THE LESS ENORMOUS.
New York, December AIN a blind
ing rain storm tonight, the massive
block of buildings on Broadway, Nos.
253 to 25s, and included between Muir
ray and Warren streets, was almost
destroyed by FIRE. Within three hours
more than million dollars worth of
property was destroyed. The fire
began in the five story brick building
occupied by the mems furnishing firm
of Rogers, Peet 4 Co., on the southwest
corner of Broadway and Warren
streets. Adjoining the Rogers. Peet
building, and south OF It, was the mag
nificent white building of the Home
Life Insurance Company building. and
next to this was the brown stone build
ing of the Postal Telegraph Company.
erected at the cost Of millions only a
few years ago.
Within few minutes after the dis
covery of the fire the Rogers, Peet
building was
A ROARING FURNACE,
and an alarm had been turned in which
brought more than a score of engines
to the scene. 1t was but a short time
when the flames had eaten through the
wall of the Home Life and were roar
ing high above that lofty structure.
Thousands Of people had gathered on
the scene and the binding glare of the
flames lit up the lower part of the city.
Even in the downpour the great crowds
of people grew, and the police reserves
were called out from many stations
and kept the people back for blocks.
Great showers of sparks were carried
in all directions by the gale that blew
sixty miles an hour. 1t was a pictur-
esque fire.
At o'clock, however, it was still
burning fiercely in front, and although
not observable by the thousands of
spectators, was burning still more
fiercely and extending lower down in
the rear.
An insurance man roughly estimated
the losses at about as follows:
Rogers, Peet & Company, building
and stock, and losses to other tenants
in the building $350,0Oo.
Home Life Insurance Company,
building and losses to other tenants.
$500,00
Postal Telegraph Company, building
and losses to other tenants. 100000.
Losses to surrounding buildings,
$4,000.
Chief Bonner thought that the esti.
mate, on the basis of a million dollart
loss, was as about as near correct az
it was possible to make.
The Rogers, Peet & Co, building
was the property of the Hoffman es-
tate and was one of the historic build
ings of Broadway. 1t was erected
thirty-five years ago.
The fire started from three explo-
sions. What caused the explosion nc
one knows.
The firemen could not find out. They
thought gas had escaped in some man
ner in the basement and so resulted in
explosion and fire.
The Postal Telegraph Company Off
Gals said that all their wires had been
burned out and that they had no con-
nections from thGif building.
The hardware quarters, which vera
on the top floor OF the Postal Building.
were ruined. Their loss is heavy.
The Home Life Insurance Companys
building was one of the handsomest
on Broadway and was supposed to be
absolutely ire-proof. It's summit was
20S feet above tie sidewalk. Leading
architects Of the country submitted
plans for its construction.
THE FIRE STARTED
in the basement OF the building occu-
pied by Rogers. Peet & Company.
clothiers, about $3.50 O'Clock. Two
policemen standing within half a
block of Warren street, heard loud
explosion and a moment later saw q
thin line OF smoke curling up from the
side Of the Rogers, Peet & Company
building. At that time the rain was
falling in torrents and the wind blew a
gale. An alarm was sent in, but be-
fore the first engine turned into
Broadway, the Rogers, Peet & Com
pany basement was roaring furnace,
with great flames bursting through the
floors above and rushing fiercely TO the
roof. Within ten minutes five alarms
had been sent in. bringing engine after
engine to the scene.
By 10 o'clock, so rapidly and fiercely
did the flames make progress, that
,bara u-ac nothing hi1f the shell of the