The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-06-20
Mrs.
Nanderbiit's
Beautiful
Home as

Owners OF pretentious country
houses that burn are not deliberate
incendiarles.' says Safety Engineer
Ing, but are they not passive incen-
diaries In accepting conditions that
favor lrcst Certainly they could have
afforded homes built 10 endure: they
had money TO encourage the languish-
Ing craft OF perpetuating beautiful ar
chitectural creations with lasting ma
terials. and incidentally. TO set a few
good examples To a country that
needs them badly"
Mistakes. II is pointed out. are
often made in building a house which
must eventually lead to fire
sooner or later. For instance. a plank
OF the flooring may project into a
hue. The protruding plank in the
fue would become as dry as finder
as a result OF the heat to which Il
was subjected. and eventually a ny-
ing spark from the fire would ignite
the plank and the destruction OF the
house would almost surely follow.
No clue at all would be left TO tell
the tale.
Sometimes. OF course. the care.
lessness OF carpenter might re-
suit In a similar situation. aud in
one OF the fires in question. this
possibility Is being considered. This
vas the case OF the Dawson FIRE.
The Dawson place at Peacock
Point IS three-story brick and
white stone structure. one OF the
handsomest on Long Island II had
been closed all the Winter until the
day before the FIRE. when Mrs.
Dawson, her two sons. Trubee and
Harry. and three school chums OF
the sons. motored from New York
20 spend the day.
Il was cool in the house and the
boys decided 10 build a wood fre.
Logs we're lighted IN a huge fire.
place. When the place was suff-
Gently warmed. they put out the
IRE and forgot all about Il Some
hours later one Of the caretakers
saw smoke coming from the roof.
and long before the fremen from
Glen Cove arrived on the scene. the
mansion was doomed
Here was case where heat.
dTled plank protrudinE into the
nue. might very readily have been
the cause or the FIRE. but. OF course,
u vas impossible 70 ascertain its
actual origin
The sixty-room mansion OF Mrs.
W. X. Vanderbilt. Ir. which vas AZ.
stroyed on February rs. was a new
mouse. a defective hue was given
az the cause Of the FIRE which de-.
stroyed TO- but whether or not A
pfoFuding hoor plank figured IN the
case viii never b. known. Mrs Van
aerbit did not have the chance 20
i've even day in her new house
ne disastrous IRE In the Port
washington shlpyards. which de.
stroyed several valuable yachts. IL
believed 20 have started In an out.
mouse. whether an incendIary was
responsible for DO or nor has never
been definitely aacertained.
State Fire Marshal Ahoarn r. now
conducting vigorous investigation
INTO the causes OF these fires While
there is little hope tha. the ruins
of the splendid mansions will fur.
hish sufficient evidence 90 warrant
arrests. Witnesses are being exam
med with the idea OF locating the
sulprit
The owners of the other cs'ab-
lIshments in the vicinity are plan
ming 90 form vigilance commit.
Gee to protect their property against
The torch OF tho frchur. whoever be-
may hc. and until hr o. unprecedented
no Long Island millionaire will con.
slider his country residence safe.