The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-04
S1,250,000
|. ON THE BUILDING
FEW RECORDS SAVED
FROM DESTRUCTION
Loss Covered By Blanket In
surance Policy On All \
State Property
FIGHT TO REMOVE
CAPITAL MAY COME
Session of the State Legisla-
ture Will Be Held Next
Week As Scheduled

, Charleston. W. Va. Jan. S.-A mass
Of smoking ruins was all that was left
of West Nlrgin.as state capitol hero
tonight. one man was dead and another
injured, probably fatally. as n result
. OF n fire which started a. los o'clock
J this afternoon.
! The dead man Is Charley Walker. a
roustabout. who was caught under Il
falling chimney. and the fatally njurcd
one IS Oscar ThaNton. city fireman,
who was also caught under the bricks.
Thaxton's spine was injured.
No attempt has been made to esti-
mate the loss. PractlcnIiy all state rec
ords were destroyed and state officials
could say no more than that they
were "prlceless." No insurance was
carried upon them.
The building itself was erected IN
1851 at cost OF between 100000 and
$500 900. Its value was placed today
at about Sl.c50.00Q.
It Is believed 10 have been the only
brick capitol in the Union. Probably tho
most destructive fire In the history Of
the state started in the loft Of the
capitol. Inaccessible 10 the f!remcn, II
was soon evident that the building was
doomed. The fire would have deftcd tho
best department and equipments in any
city ard from the start the efforts Of
the city fire Fighters TO compete with
tho flames were futile.
Rapid speed OF Flames.
In their fury the flames engulfed the
building. spreading from on" part Of
the immense structure TO tho other
until the officials and employees were
early driven from the building. leaving
! behind them in their flight almost
everything. although some efforts were
made to salvage private property which
was done at the risk of the owners.
; Governor John J. Cornwell. who was
In his office when the fire started. was
one of the last OF the officials TO leave
the building. He emerged from a side
door In the executive offices, walked
into the street Just In front OF tho
capitol annex and then went 10 the eX-
ecutive mansion across the street from
the capitol. where he watched the
; flames as they destroyed the building
/ with which ne had such an intimate as
sociat ion during such an epochal period
In hts own life.
! Practically nothing OF va,ue was
saved. A few files. perhaps. were car-
rIed out. and little personal property
may have been saved but all records
and equipment went with the building.
Nothing could have been more COM
complete than the destruction. due IN
part to the rap!dIty with which the
tlrc sprcad and the impotcncy OF deal
Ing with II.
Legislature Will Meet.
on the eve OF a meeting OF the state
legislature conjcc'ur" was rifo rs e
what effect the fire would have on the
session. II was stated authoritattrc'y
that Il would be held on tho scheduled
da;e. and that arrangements would he
made at once TO provide for tho senate
and the house and the various attaches
and clerks.
Tho building was covered by blanket
Insurance, which Includes all state
property. The adjustment. u Is said
will be made on the basis Of tho actual
loss which will hc arrived at by the
insurance adtusters and the board ot
(Continued on Page Seven)