The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-11-24


.bortly after Q o'clock this morning. sup
nosed'y in the property room Of the
BALDWIN theatre. totally destroyed the
,mmanse structure, entaIling financial
lass Q, nearly a million and half dol
lars. besides destroying property that 20
amour, of money or science can replace.
The loss of life So far as reported has
becp nIraculously light, but two deaths
having occurred as far as known. The
list OF dead and injured and missing so
FAR as known is as follows:
Dead. Captain j. L, White, San Fran
cisco. capitalist; Lewis Myers, skagway,
Alaska. merchant. -,
Injured. f. p. Noon, ST. LOWS, MO-,
bo,h ankles broken; George Huber, san
Francisco, cut about body; Miss Bridsst
Mitchell, San Francisco, badly bruised;
FIRE Marshal Towe, San Francisco cut
about head. - u.
cisco, purser steamer City OF syangy'
F. Weetherbee and wife: HaVgrhlIl' "
Mass: Tate Pryor, NJ st. Louis; r. h.
Andrews. Cashier CAlG' "
two chambermaids; John Carter, race
track Judge; Thomas Berkey ana WIFE,
assessor Sacramento county car
The financial losses are very lar
reaching. almost every branch oL COM
mercIal trade being directly aHecteu.
The ground floor of the hotel wac, diVl-
ded into number OF large stores ana ,il
few Of their occupants saved onytnlng
worth mentioning, the majority report
Ing total losses.
civ were gutted and their stocks de-
s.royed. The Baldwin theatre tHe tash-
Ionable amusement place az this city,
was io,aIlv DESTROYED with the rest OF
tho building. aud the Secret Service
cnmn1ny. headed by William Gillette,
now pIayinE an engagement at the thea-
trs Ia, ali lis paraphernalia and ac-
cOu,rements. Many oiSthe members OF
the company lost most OF their belong
Ings and trunks containing the cIiclal
rspers OF the company were destroyed.
The flames were confined to the Bald
win structure, but much adjoining prop
erty was seriously damaged by water
and sIn1ke.
The Columbia theatre building. on
Powell street. on the west side OF the
baldwin theatre, suffered considerably
and the basement Of the Columbia thea
tire. another fashionable play house, was
gutted and much valuable theatrical
apparatus destroyed. "The Gay Cnney
leland" company win lose considerable
and DR.. Freeman, manager OF the COM
pany who was a guest at the BALDWIN
lost trunk containing valuable papers
and $500 In cash.
scenes Heggnrr'i Description.
There were upwards OF 800 guests in
the hotel when the fire was discovered
AMI the scenes which followed beggar
description. The watchman, bell boys
and other hotel employees worked nohly
IN arouslnR eleeplng residents. 1t is be-
Ileved that every person IN the building
was appraised OF the danger within ten
minutes after the fire broke out, but
rumors are rife that many Of those In
the east wing, where the flames we're
discovered. were cut off from escape and
lost How true these rumors are cannot
be definitely told for several days yet,
as many parts OF the building have col
hpsed, buryIng any who may have been
left in the building under the debris.
a force OF messenger boys employed
in an all night office adjoining the hotel,
did excellent work in connection with
the warming of guests and several brave
rescues are credited to the boys OF the
messenger service. In conjunction with
the employees OF the hotel, the police and
fremen, they went through the building,
awakening guests and aiding them to
dress and rendering other assistance.
The employees of the hotel are highly
praised by the guests and the hFeHen
and police are spoken OF in unmeasur.
ably complimentary terms. Half an
hour after the flrst alarm was sounded
III policemen were on the scene OF the
cOHflagratIon. Many Of the guests OF
the hotel are eastern turfmen, many OF
them lost their effects The hosiery
was tavorite stopping place for sport-
Ing people. the location being an admir-
able one, and convenient to all sporting
resorts and places OF amusement.
What the loss OF life win be cannot be
etalei at this writing, but 50 far only
two deaths have been reported.
jiInitIng RrHrne'.
Captain ]. L. White. who occupied q
room on the fourth floor, was killed
while trying to escape by means OF n
rope which dangled from the iitth floor
almost IN the street below. The rope
nld previously done good service, being
the means by which five persons escaped
from the burning building. The story
Of The rope Is a thrilling one. For eight
years Kate Richardson has been an ems
pi1y" gt ,hc hotel, occupying a room on
the lf'h floor. Five years ago Miss
Eirhlt0a)n, as precautionary measure
ioI Just such an emergency, procured a
lengthy rope long enough to reach from
her room to the street. When the alarm
was given Mis- Richardson, with the
assi3lnce Of Gussle johnson, u COM
lan.on, secured the rope 10 n piece OF
heayy furniture and threw the free end
out 0f the window. The TWO girls were
about 10 make the descent 70 the pave
ment when three lady guests rushed into
the room and begged to be saved. The
TWO brave girls gave precedence to the
guests and then Miss Johnson took her
position on the rIpc and went down
hand-oyer- hand. Misc Richardson was
M last to leave. and she had gone down
but ono story when Captain White, cali
90 to her appedllngly. begging hcr not 20
lump, Miss Richardson stopped and
begged the captain 10 take her place on
t9e line. This he refused 10 do and only
aIter clint Of much persuasion could he
induce Miss Richardson to cave herself,
promising to follow In her wake Miss
richardson reached terra ilrma In safe
y, ana Captain White had launched
himself In the air when suddenly the
rope broke and he fell 10 the ground be-
Low, y distance Of nearly a hundred feet.
lhe rope, weakened by the constant
ntlin To which II had been subjected,
and Chnfnh with the contact with the