Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-18

Wheel1DR was VlSlteo 1891 pi6n IL
by one of the most disastrous fires
that has ever struck the city, by
which the News Publishing com.
pany's fine Building aud Its entire
stock Of material and machinery
located on the corner of Alley 10
and Main street, became a total
loss and also the building and con-
tents of the Schaefer & Driehorst
company, wholesale liquor dealers
which occupied the alley corner
opposite.
Owing to the inAamable material
contained In both buildings the
f.mes spread with such rapidity
that the firemen could not check
them. The loss will reach at least
5000, 900, divided as follows: News
Publishing company, on buildings
and stock, the Jarvis Engraving
company and Stats Zeitung, $3.50
900, with insurance on stock and
machinery as near as could be as
certained, amounting to between
$40, 900 and $4,000, divided be-
tween the L. A. Rolf, Theo. Roller,
George J. Mathison, Alfred Pau
and the Terder agencies, the Ger
man Insurance Co., and the Frank
lin Insurance Company. Schaefel
& Driehorst company's loss will
reach almost similar amount or
building and stock, amply covered
by insurance placed through the
German Ere Insurance company
and the Morgan & Stroehlier ageu
cies.
The building Of the Locke Sho'
company adjoining the News build
Ing was threatened but as they were
protected by a heavy FIRE wall, ,thei
only loss was the scorchtng o.
their cornice and window framel
aud the loss that may be entailet
by the water thrown by the 6remen
This, however, Is small.
There was a small night force
working In the building Sunday
night consisting of Joe Carson
Charles Hinsey, printers, working
on the second floor, William Krat7
engineer and pressman, and g
young boy In the press room.
The first intimation that the
printers had of the FIRE was when
the boy, whose name Is unknown,
rushed up to the second floor where
they were working and announced
that the building was a6re. Hinsey
Immediately rushed down to the
press room and found that the oil
soaked wooden tloor was all ablaze
evidently originating near the gas
engine. He started up stairs for
his coat and then escaped from the
building through the rear, while
his fellow printer, Carson, who was
Joined by Kratz, the pressman,
made their way to the front where
they were compelled to break the
glass front door to make their es'
cape.
In aim ost less time ttan 1t takes
to tell 1t, the press room was a mass
of A,mes which followed the
draught rushing up the second
floor setting fire to everything com
bustible In sight, and from thence
through the larger elevator to the
remsining floors.
When The 6remen arrived the
blaze was In the composing room
on the second foor and extending
rapidly. The second floor was di
vided by partition into parts, ,one oi
which contained the linotype ma
chimes for the newspaper, while
the other half was used by the job
department. When first burned
through this partition the blaze
seemed to leap almost Immediately
to the front of the building making
the second floor a roaring furnace,
while the flames were gradually
making their headway from the
elevator shaft to the other portion
of the building.
In the meantime the FIRE depart.
ments had arrived and all the chemi-
cal tanks were In operation without
making any appreciable effect In