The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-01-18
Wheeling News Plant De-
stroyed Together With
Several other Properties
at Loss of 100000
One Man Hurt and An
other Likely Burned to
Death.

Wheeling, W. Va, Jan. ls-This city
was visited last night at IL o'clock by
one of the most disastrous fires that has
ever struck the city, by which the News
Publishing oompany's fine building, and
its entire stock oil material and machin.
cry located on the corner of Alley 10 and
Main street, became a total loss ami
also the building and contents of the
Schaefer & Drieshorst Company whole.
sale liquor dealers which occupied the
alley corner opposite.
Owing to the infamable material CON
tained in both buildings the aames
spread with such mpidity that the fire
men could not check them.
The loss will reach at least $500 .0oo.
divided as follows; News Pua'is.l;ng
TO-, on buildings and stock, tie Jarvis
Engraving Company ard snais Zeit,mg,
Sl50l000, with insurance on stock ami
machinery, as near as could be ascerfain.
ed, amounting 10 between $4,000 and
$4,000, divided between the L. A. Rolf.
Theo. Roller, George J. AIathison, Alfred
Paul and the Werder agencies, the Ger
man Insurance o., and the Franklin
Insurance Company.
Scilaefer & Driehorst Company's loss
will reach almost a similar amount on
stock, amply covered by insurance plae.
ed through the German Fire Insurance
Co, and the Morgan and Stroehleir
agencies.
The building of the Locke Shoe c.,
adjoining the News building was threat.
ened but as they were protected by a
heavy fire wall, their only loss was the
'corching of their cornice and window
frames and The loss that may be entailed
Oy the water thrown by the firemen.
This. however, will be small.
The Jacob Snyder Sons building, ad.
joining the Scliaefer & Driehorst build.
ing, escaped without injury.
There was a small night force working
in the News building Sunday night con-
sisiing of Joe Carson, Charles Hinsey,
printers, working on the second floor,
William Kratz, engineer and pressman.
md Young boy IN the press room.
The first intiniation that the printers
had of the fire was when the boy, whose
name is unknown, rushed up TO the see
ond floor where they were working and
announced fhat the building was afre.
Hinsey Immediately rushed down to the
press room and found that the oil soak
ed wooden floor was all abIaze, evidently
originating near the gas engine. He
started UP stairs for his coat and then
escaped from the building through the
ear while his fellow printer, Carson,
who was joined by KTatz, the pressman,
made their way TO the front where they
were compelled to break the glass frgnt
'oor to make their escape.
The blaze was soon one OF the fierccst
yerwftnesscd here and in little while
had spread to the adjoining buildings.
rihe entire fire department worked hero
iyilly 10 check the flames and were us-
sisted by thousands OF volunteers.
The cause Of the fire, as near as can
be ascertained. originated from an ,oScr-
lcrted g.ls pipe in the press roons which
communicated with the oily and greasy
wooden floor communicating Immediately
with the elevator shafts, cine dprights
Of which being of wood and oiled com
municated the blaze to the upper stories.
In the press room, where the fire or
iginated, there was an ample supply OF
hose, with a strong pressure Of water
to be used IN a case Of this kind, but the
fire spread so rapidly that it WAS i'm
possible for the night pressinan, vii
liam Kratz, TO connect It and turn the
water on. in fact, he had a narrow es-
cape from being burned.
John Reynolds, fireman, was probably
fatally injured and another man whose
name has not been learned Is believed
to have perished.