Wheeling, WV Business Section Fire, Aug 1881

LARGE FIRE IN WHEELING.

SEVERAL BUILDINGS BURNED -- BOYS ARRESTED AS INCENDIARIES.

Wheeling, West Va., Aug. 21. -- The most damaging conflagration that has visited Wheeling for several years started this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock in the small wooden stable in the rear of N. SCHULTZ'S candy factory and wholesale confectionery. A brisk breeze was blowing, and several sheds and outhouses in the adjoining yards were quickly one sheet of fire. The flames communicated to the candy factory, a three-story brick building in Market street, and in an incredibly short time it was all burning. The buildings occupied by HEBRANK'S jewelry store, adjoining to the south, and the AEtna Insurance Company, on the north, next caught, and the fire also spread to the PAXTON block, on the south, occupied by W. S. HUTCHINS as an art and music store, HEIMBRIGHT'S cigar factory and tobacco store. OEHMS & Co.'s clothing store, and an Italian confectionery. This block was completely gutted, and the extensive stocks of goods were burned or ruined by water. The Opera house caught several times, but was saved by the efforts of the FIre Department. The Intelligencer office, adjoining in the alley in the rear, was also threatened, and the intense heat kindled a flame in the rear of several extensive wholesale establishments in Main street several times. So intense was the heat that the roof of a house on the opposite corner of Market and Fourteenth streets from the Opera house caught fire at once. The losses are estimated at about $60,000. The principal losers in stock are:
NICHOLAS SCHULZ, $12,000; insurance, $6,000.
W. S. HUTCHINS, $5,000; insurance, $2,500.
OEHMS & Co., $10,000; insurance, $6,000.
Five others lost smaller amounts. On buildings J. W. PAXTON, $15,000; insurance, $10,000. N. SCHULZ'S candy factory and HEBRANK'S jewelry store, $10,000; insurance, $1,500. Four boys, street arabs, were arrested, charged with firing the stable where the flames originated.

The New York Times New York 1881-08-22
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!