Lyceum Theatre Fire,

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-From the Wheeling Intelligencer, Tuesday, January 19th, 1909
 

EXCITEMENT IS INTENSE WHEN LYCEUM THEATRE TAKES FIRE.

Small Damage However and the Amusement Place Will Be Open in a Few Days.

Intense excitement prevailed in the heart of the business district yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock when the Lyceum theatre, a small amusement place on Market street, directly opposite the Hub clothing house, took fire. The place furnishes a continuous motion picture show, but at the time when the fire broke out there were only a few persons in the building.

The blaze originated in the front part of the building, from crossed electric wires which set ablaze the film on one of the motion picture machines. From the balcony, where it started, the fire worked its way up to the roof filling the auditorium with smoke and causing volumes to gush forth from the doors and around the cornice.

When the department arrived on the scene in response to a call from box 25, the blaze had a good start, and owing to the difficulty in getting at it, the firemen were longer than usual getting it under control.

The damage to the building alone will hardly exceed $200, but the loss on the two films for the picture machines is placed at $300 making a total loss of between $500 and $600, most of which is covered by insurance. The picture machines were damaged to some extent, but not destroyed. The work of repairing the building commences this morning and the show will be on again before the end of the week.

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