The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-12-10
headquarters in the building 10 the
Scottish Rite cathedral.

Scottish Rite cathedral
Walls Begin Failing.
The walls Of the House & Hermann
five story building began 10 fall follow
ing its interior burning for nearly an
hour. The first wall to fal! was III
Market street. about midway of the
structure The wall fell upon the hook
and ladder aerial $4,000 truck. crushing
the apparatus like an egg she'll. The
falling wall made a report like an ex-
ploson Of powder. Shortly afterwafd
two more sections Of walls fell leaving.
only part OF the walls standing. sec
ton OF the main entrance on III" corner.
a section on the Fourteenth street SIDE
Of the structure and part OF the TWO
story front on Market street.
Miraculous Escape.
When the first section of the wall fell
crushing the aerial truck. Capt. Charles
Clouse. Of the Hook and Ladder ocm-
pany. quickly spranG under the truck
and escaped injury. The braces under
the r,nchinc held up the broken ladders
and he was dug out from under tn.
brick by firemen.
Heat Intense
The heat from the House ana Herr
mann building was SO intense that IN"
crowd began to gradually move back
ward in Fourteenth street and thoS" Wh"
braved the heat at Chapline street In
tersection stood with their "rercoets
and hats smoking. The sparks from the
burning building shot skyward ana
were carried as far as F.oft and Tenth
streets on the north and as fal as the
High school building. south Of the
creek.
The heavy snoN upon the roofs OF
buildings in the adjacent vicinity OF
the blaze prevented their being set. on
tira. Some OF the sparks wore as large
rs flour harrel-head and steam arose
from the tops Of buildings when they
alightcd into the snow.
Trolley Wires Fall
When the second section Of the wall
fell the many trolley and electric wires
at Fourteenth and Market streets were
torn down. The current was quickly
gu, ~ and Il part of the business and
residential sections vas In total dark
ness ,nr about three hours. Restaurants
and hotels on the disconnected circuit
used candles. Many homes where thetc
were no candles were without lights.
Building Doomed
Despite the heroic effort Of the hre-
n,cn playing 4 dozen streams on the
House and Hermann buil3irG the IN
flammable stock could not he conquered
hy water and after TWO hour hattlH
with the flames the contents anu oulld-
ing wore Il smolderinc mass OF ruins
The loss on the building was $l00.ot@.
while the stock was cSt''hA'"o IL S-'''
800.
When IL was seen that there was no
chance nf saving the building. the Tire
men directed their efforts 10 preventing
tho spreading Of the flames TO other
structurcs In the meanwhile the large
water tank on the RegEter :euiidhs
took fire and burned on the side ike 4
great torch in midair IN the MIDST Ct
he binding smoke.
Reilly Building Catches.
The Reilly fire!story building. owned
h.. John Reilly and occupied BY the BUT
faIo Confectionery Company. roof TOOK
fire frbm the intense heat and sparks
from the House & Hermann structure
across the street. The firencn directed
thcir work to the Register and Reilly
buildings They were supplemented in
their efforts BY the fire comtanies from
on, the pike and the Martins Ferry and
Be:la;re companies. In short dne
there we're thirty streams playing upon
these buildings and on the house y
HERMANN structure. preventing the
flames from the latter building spread
inS to the Masonic structure and the
C;ee Electric Company. 6n Main street.
across the alley It IS said that there
wer.. moro streams playing upon the
fro last night than AT any one time IN
tho history Of Wheeling.
The Reilly building WAS leased some
time ago by tn" Euffalo Confectionry
COMPANY OF East Liverpool. Ohio. The
entire structure was occupied by the
company Tho first floor was devoted
20 the store and soft drink section. the
other floors were used in manufacturing
candy. while the upper floor was
Creek rooming quarters. 1t Is estimated
that tho Buffalo loss will bc SJ0.Oon.
All the personal belongings Of tho room
org wcre burned Or destroyd by water.
The merchandise loss is said 10 be prac-
,ically covered by insurance.
The loss to thu Reilly building. which
was Quilted on the upper floors Will
reach about S1J,GnD which Is also COW
cred by insurance.
Register Building Catches
The fire communicated to the rear or
the West Virginia Printing company
The Observation-Disclosures. With more
than score of hose playing upon the
fire. the flhmcS w"rN cXiimGuISh"d after
over an hours work. II" ant '-'''s'
fire system prevented the fire spreading
into the lower floors Thu $;nr!. %. IT,"
big printing establishment WAS rrrnil:
damaged by water. while the Register
plant was put out Of commission The