The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-30

~. : :
and barrels. from which the flames,
which burst out from the Tarrant build
Ing like the belching Of cannon. at
once broke forth.
Flames Leaped Across Buildings.
Across Warren street to the opposite
buildings the flames leaped, setting
them all afire at once, the force Of the
explosion demolishlng windows and all
wooden structures about the houses. In
q moment Warren street was choken up
with q mass OF debris and the whole
place was afiame.
The great explosion was followed by
half dozen mora scarcely less intense
and by countless number Of smaller
ones.
BY this time the fire apparatus was
arriving from every direction. Deputy
Chief Ahearn came about two minutes
after the second series OF explosions
and he at once ordered a fifth alarm
sent out followed by q general call for
ambuIances. The explosion and fro to-
gether had nov assumed the proportions
OF a great catastrophe and 1t was at
first thought tha, hundreds OF lives had
been lost. Throngs of people were rush.
Ing about in the nearby streets, many
OF f,them pan!c-str!ckcn, fleeing from the
fire. They mingled In the crowd that
was rushing down from Broadway to
see what had happened.
Chiefs Hurried to the Scene.
The heads OF city departments con-
cecned In the many sided disaster, hur-
ried to the scene OF the FIRE. Chief Dew
cry, OF the police department, with de-.
putty CHIEF Mclaughlin and Inspector
Brooks and Captain Mccluskey, OF the
detective bureau, were on hand but a
few minutes after Fire Chief Croker.
Commissioner scanneil, OF the fire de-
partment, Deputy Bremen. OF the Char
tiles department, in which the city's
hospitals are included, and Superinter-
deEt Dooner, OF the Building depart
ment, We're soon on the scene.
Half an hour after the explosion the
Streets for blocks around the FIRE were
crowded with IRE; apparatus with q
score of ambulances. while hundreds Of
police were being rushsd from all the
lower Precincts of the city to form lines
and many priests from nearby parishes
were going here and there In the smoke
obscurea thoroughfares. seeking for In
jured who might need their aid. From
the burning districts a column OF smoke
was rising high in the air, mingled with
flames that could not be controlled by
hundreds OF streams thrown upon them.
The Second Explosion.
The second explosion carried destruc-
tion in every direction. That it did not
cause wholesale loss of life was due
to the fact that almost ten minutes
warning came after the first cry OF fire
"a cry that was real warning to the
people,who knew the character Of the
chemicals in the burning bulldins-and
fully five minutes occurred between the
first and minor explosion which warn
ed every one within hearing and the
second one. Just after the outbreak OF
fire from the windows OF the building a
downtown train stopped at Warren
street station OF the Ninth avenue ele-
waited road. 1t passed on In time to es-
cape the explosion and the few people
who We're left on the platform OF the
station are thought to have all escaped
before the great explosion came. The
station master fled across the structure,
carrying with him the receipts OF the
day and his unused tickets, while two
women. who had stopped on the plat
form to watch the fire. frightened by
the first explosion fled down the down
town tracks, assisted by the station
porter. who took them to the Barclay
street station in safety.
Carried Away the Station.
The big explosion completely carried
away the station and the mass OF ma
sonry that fell with 1t broke through the
flooring and almost demolished the
structure Just below the building. In
mense MASSES Of masonry, pieces OF cor
nice, great beams, window castings and
an indescribable mass OF wreckaee Of
every description tumbled suddenly into
the street in front Of the building all at
once. The force OF the explosion below
had thrown the fircmen back across the
street. SO that they werp not caught,
but their escape from the rain Of de-
bris across the street was almost
| miraculous.
The wreckage was thrown across
through the windows OF the building in
which the Irving National Bank is, on
the northeast corner OF the streets. The
Offices Of the Irving bank and Of Neck
lem, bankers and brokers were nearly
wrecked.
Money Scattered in Confusion.
President Fancher. OF the Irving bank.
was away on business a; the time OF the
explosion. but Vice Presidents Charles
II. Mattlage and John W. Castro. Cash
Ter James A. Denn!son and Assistant
Cashier BENJAMIN F. Warner Paying
Teller William Dunlap and Adjuster
Van Zcidt. We're present.
At the first explosion an attempt was
made TO gather all the money and paper
that WIS lying on the counters together
and throw them into the safes, and It
vas supposed that this had been done
when the second explosion brought NY
lns glass and plas,enngs from the
| lighted ccilInrs down nbov+ IN, h,,ds