Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-08
BIG FIRE IN p|IISbURG
EARLY THIS MORNING.
THE DEPARTMENT STORE OF
JOSEPH HORNE & COMPANY
DESTROYED.
LOSS MAY REACH 100000.
THE STOCK, VALUED AT NOT LESS
THAN A MILLION DOLLARS,
Is Complete Loss, Every Article in
the Big Store Having Been Burned
Soaked With Water-Damage
to the Building Hard to Estimate.
Fire Started in the Restaurant on
the top Floor.

PITTSBURG, Pa, April S.-For the
second time in three years the extern
sive department store of Joseph Horne
& Company, at the corner of Fifth st.
and Penn Avenue, is in ruins.
Shortly after midnight Policeman
Sylvester Doyle discovered flames issu-
ing from the windows of the eighth
floor and inside of an hour the big
eight-story structure was completely
Quilted, entailing loss of over a mil
lion dollars. If the building, which
was supposed to be fire-proof, proves
to be so badly warped as to necessi-
tate a new structure, the loss will be
nearly 100000.
A member of the firm says the
buildings was valued at $4,000, and
was insured for $450,0O0. The stock
was valued at $1,000,000 with insurance
in the neighborhood of 100000. A
meeting of the firm was held during
the progress of the fire and it was
decided to resume business as soon as
suitable quarters can be secured and
rebuild their old stand.
The fire three years ago caused a
loss nearly equal to that of this morn
Sng.
The fire was discovered by Police
man Doyle shortly after midnight,
when flames were seen issuing from
the windows OF the restaurant depart
ment on the eighth floor. In five min
utes the entire floor was ablaze and
flames burst through the roof. A gen.
eral alarm brought all the engines to
the lower town district to the scene,
but the flames ate their way so rapidly
from one floor down to another that
the efforts Of the firemen were almost
useless to stop their progress The
building was supposed to be fire proof,
but not until the fire reached the first
floor was there any possibility of get
ting it under control.
Probably every article in the store
was either burned or ruined by water.
When the flames had eaten through the
seventh and sixth floors and came to the
fifth the vast stock of inflammable ma
erlal, such as mattings, rugs and travel
ing bags, added new fuel and the blaze
made its way with almost lightning like
rapfdity to the floors below, consuming like
kinoling wood IN a furnace everything in
its way. Following in quick succession,
the fourth floor filled with couches bed
ding and tapestry, the third floor with an
enormous stock of millinery and men s
clothing, and the second floor with it's
hundreds of tables covered with shirt
waists and tailor-made suits were licked
up by the flames.
The perfect deluge of water poured into
the building by the many lines of hose
finally began to make some impression and
when the first floor was reached the fire
was being conquered. The fire damage on
this floor is not great but the valuable
stock of silks, laces and imported dress
goods, as well as novelties of every de-
scription. are probably ruined beyond re-
claim.
The steel frame of the building and its
partially fireproof qualities kept the flames
within itself and no damage resulted to
property adjoining. though every prepara-
ton was made by those nearby to profit by
their experience three years ago. when the
Horne fire took with it half dozen other
buildings.
During the fire when eleven firemen were
on one of the fire escaps, a pair of iron
shutters fell from above right into their
midst, but all escaped with injuries no
more serious than bruises.
The origin of the fire is still a mystery.