The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-08-24
CHANCELLOR
is DAMAGED
Fire and Explosion on Seventh
Floor Sends Walls TOttering
Down Into Crowd.
CHIEF OF POLICE
RESCUES SONS BODY.
Damage Is Placed at $4,000 and
Fire Started in the Laundry
of Very Fine Hotel.
spseiql 4 ,, ptsPsish e the I1.eliigence1.

Special Dispatch 10 the Intelligencer
PARKERSBURG. w. Va. Aug. 23-
Three dead and one fatally injured
was toll of life in a disasterous fire
which badly damaged the Chancellor
hotel. the leading hosiery of the city
this afternoon. An explosion on the
seventh floor of the hotel where the
fire started pushed out a section of
the wall which fell on spectators be
low crushing out the lives of three
and fatally injuring another while
many had narrow escapes. The dead
are:
Floyd Smith, aged fifteen years son
OF Captain W. A Smith. head OF the
local police department
George Washington, aged twenty
two, colored.
Harry Hall. aged fifteen. colored.
Fatally injured:
Robert Dews, aged fourteen.
colore.d.
Several others were hurt including
Chester Kraft. a prominent business
man and u. c. Spears
The fire started shortly after the
noon hour in the laundry room on
the seventh floor and top floor of he
hotel II is presumed TO have been
caused by clothing catching fire from
hot iron left by one OF the laundry
girls
Small Building Crushed.
When the blaze was discovered II
had gained tremendous headway and
about one o'clock when the fire was
AZ its height there was a gas eXplos-
ion on the seventh floor IN the as
sombly room The entire east wall
on that story fell down Falling
debris completely demolished ,ls
one story brick building occupied By
the Office of Dr. = II. Wise II was
nere that the spectators were caught
oy the falling debris.
II was not until the fire was under
control that a search In the debris for
the bodies was begun. Dcws. the in
Jured boy. was dug out OF the ruins
by iiremen and rushed TO the hospital
TIL" dead were not found until an
hour later.
Police Chief Reseues Own Son.
One OF the touching scenes in con
nection with the disaster was the fact
that Captain Smith directed the police
in rcscuing the bodies OF the dead.
and did not recognize the mangIed
form OF his own boy, who was dug
out OF the ruins. II was not until
this evening that the Identification
was made.
While the fire was confined 20 the
seventh floor OF th. Chancellor hotel.
the entire east side o. the building IS
flooded with water from top 10 bottom
The total loss 20 the hotel will exceed
twenty thousand dollars. while other
losses eHta.led viii bring the total up
20 twenty-five thousand. There was
but ten thousand Insurance on the
hotel. DO being supposed 10 be- "a FIRE
proof building The building is the
second finest To the city and is worth
over q quarter Of a million dollars
The First National bank. L.ocke's
shoe store. 900 agency OF a Wheeling
COMPANY, Epstoins 'tOgFory' shop
and d barber shop are all in The build.
INK and are damaged.
Tho fire WIS 'hc most spectacular
10 The history Of rho cify. and great
thronEs surrounded fhc -guar. Tho
height at which rho fire raged rord
cred it very diGcu.t 90 tight tho
ham's Adjoining property was at
10 tm" o. great Danger