The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-31
7 ND FIRES IN
4 HALF HOUR
MILAN BLOCK AT MARKET AND
TWELFTH is THREATENED
WITH DESTRUCTION.
Blaze In Roof Of Residence In CoIored
District Summons Department
From First Fire.

Two fires, neither one OF which
! proved to be serious, occurred in this
| city within n space of IS minutes last
evening and kept the fire department
on the jump and threw the uptown
section into state of wild excitement.
The first blaze occurred in the third
floor Of one section Of the McLain
heirs block, over Nos. 1907 and 1903
Market street, occupied rs a boarding
house and rooming house by Mrs. VIII
| liam Alexander. The other, just 90
minutes later, was In the roof Of a
house on Charles street, high on the
hill above the east end Of Twelfth, &C.
cupied by Crawford Berry, cOlored.
! The loss by fire at either place was OF
little consequence.
At $50 Box %, at Twelfth and Mar
ltet. was pulled by City Detective Ed
Minard, summOning the entire depart
ment TO the McLain heirs block
where a pile Of rubbish in closet Oh
the third floor. occupied by Mrs. Alex
ander as room!ng house, had taken
fire. The blaze caused dense clouds
Of smoke to pour from that section of
the block, which is directly over Son
neborn's mems furnishing store and
! the Mckee cigar store. For q time it
was difficult for the departments work
ing from the Market street side, Qi-
rectly in front Of the Mcclure hotel, 10
locate the blaze. The Eleventh street
chemical department entered the build
ing through No. ~ Twelfth street,
from where Railways lead through the
two upper stories, and succeeded in
checking the blaze before il had made
any Roadway. BY Ills the fire was out
and some Of the departments were
started back TO their houses.
While three truck loads Of chemical
and large hose were being recled again
and the aerial ladders taken down,
Box SO, at Twelfth and Jacob, sounded.
; There was a dash for that corner and
long strands of hose were laid to the
junction of Twelfth and Charles
streets and the engines. with steam
already up, were ready TO throw WA
ter The trucks encountered trouble
in climbing the steep hill. The Elev-
enth street chemical. however, proved
its worth and made the ascension, and
q hand chemical from the truck was
sufficient TO cXtinguiSh q blaze in the
roof near a chimney.
Damage Only Slight.
At the McLain building most Of the
damage was caused by little water
soaking through the third floor and
ceiling onto furniture. beds and car
pets in the second floor. The only dam
age at the Berry homo was the burn
ing of small hole in the roof.
The McLain block blaze caused wild
excitement for a few minutes. owing
TO the nature of The structures and The
number Of business houses ondan-
gered. Among the business houses 10.
Gated in the block are the Bacr phar-
macy, DR.. O. 4. Bonar's dental parlorS,
the Smith Shoery. b. J. Neuhard's hat
and furnishing store. the Calvin Bros.
dental supply store. the Columbia shop,
Helm Shoe Company. Liberty Clothing
Company. United Cigar Stores Compa-
ny. Sonneborn'S clothing and furnish
ingS store and the Mckee cigar store.
Fire Chief Edward r. Rose stated
after the blaze was eytingriShed that
there was almost Two wagon loads of
rubbish stored in TWO closets at the
part of the building where the blaze
occurred. and that it was his opinion
that a match had been dropped into
the rubbish. For 4 time il looked, Ow-
ing to the construction Of the halls and
StairwayS, us though the fire might he
serious. and occupants of the second
and third floors hastily prepared to
move out.
Two blocks on Market street and
Two on Twelfth street were quickly
Ithrongpd with people. who feared a dis
astrOuS Cnntagration. Car service on
the Wheeling Traction. West Virginia
Traction & Electric and City Railway
systems were tied up for several min
uteS.