The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-07
CAMERON
VISITED BY
A BIG FIRE.
A Message for Help Sent to, the
Wheeling Fire Department
Early This Morning.
THE FIRE WAS CONTROLLED
And the Appeal Withdrawn, the
Fire Being Kept from Reach
ing the Business Section.


This morning at o'clock. the follow
Ink telegram was received at the At
lantIc engine house:
CAMERON, W. Va, Sept. =. 1:45 a. m.
wheeling Fire Department. Wheeling:
II possible. come at once. with engine.
Town burning down. Answer.
WIN. NJ. RINCAID.
The message was delivered to Assist
amt Fire Chief clatOr, at the Atlantic
engine house, in the absence Of Chief
Cline. He at once called up Mayor
Sweeney, and consulted him relative to
sending out an engine. The mayor
told Clator that he would leave the
matter in the hands of Chief Cline. The
latter was called up. and ordered the
vlEllant engine got in readiness. In the
meantime ciatOr asked the Baltimore s.
Ohio oflclals to get out an engine and
fiat car for the trip to Cameron. A
few minutes later telephone message
was received at the Atlantic from
Cameron, stating that 1t was believed
the are would not spread further and
requesting that the engine be held in
readiness in the event that the FIRE
should spread later This was done.
Early this morning the Intelllgencer
secured telephone connection with
Cameron, and 1t was learned that the
fire had wiped out three houses, all
dwellings,. The FIRE started in craw-
ford Bros feed stable on High street,
and soon spread to Boss Fry's residence,
a fOur-story frame dwelling; Joseph
xnox's two-stOry building, occupied hs
tin shop and residence, and Harrison
Hicks two-story brick dwelling. These
were soon wiped out of existence by the
are flend, the bucket brigade being un-
able to oner more than very slight re-
sIstance. Several smaller and less val
liable buildings were burned.
The Harrison Hicks building is dan
gerously near the business district of
the town, and the fear was general that
rha 6re would spread and bring about
a repetition of the terrible disaster OF
June. 1895. when the town was practI-
Cally wiped out by fire. This fear was
so general that the message to Wheel
Ing for help was sent by Colonel Kin.
caId, but as related above, the appeal
was rescinded, or held in allegiance,
pending further developments.
Near the Hicks house are the Fox and
Helms houses and the Disciples
church, and II any of these caught FIRE
1t was certainty that the conhagra-
ton would become disaster. Blankets
were plentltully distributed over the
roofs and sides of these houses, and
ayalled to prevent their catching fire,
at least up to $50 O'Clock this morning.
Shortly before this hour the roof Of the
Hicks house fell in, and It was believed
the fre was under control.
The loss is estimated at about 5000,
partially insured.
At about the same hour of the morn
ing in June. 1898, the Wheeling IRE de-
partment sent the old Atlantic engine
to Cameron to fight flre that wiped
out the business section of the place,
and near Rosby's Rock the special was
wrecked. Two young men were killed,
the late VIII s. Faria. then city editor
Of this paper, sustaining a broken arm.
In addition the fire engine was wrecked
beyond repair, and this city had to bear
the loss. but notwithstanding all this,
the city officials were willing to extend
RhelpIng hand to Cameron this morn
Ing In her hour Of need, as was sup
posed, This is as It should be, and the
action Of Mayor Sweeney and Chief
Cline will bO heartily endorsed by the
entire community without doubt.