Wissmach Glass Factory Destroyed

From the Sisterville Daily Review Sisterville, West Virginia, Saturday, February 19, 1927

The fire last evening which destroyed a large part of the Paul Wissmach Glass factory at Paden City is to be greatly regretted, not only because of the loss financially suffered by the Wissmach Company, but account of the employees who will be thrown out of work. Although the heavy snow prevented adequate assistance for fighting the fire from neighboring towns, it likewise kept the blaze from spreading to the new factory and other buildings. Again is demonstrated by the disastrous fire of last evening, the urgent necessity for hard surface roads. While traveling would have been hard at best last night because of the snow, nevertheless, the Sisterville fire truck, together with one from New Martinsville, could have been at the scene of the fire in a comparatively short time and no doubt, aided very materially in putting out the blaze. The same proposition holds true with big fires in other communities in this section. It is impossible to say when Sistersville may be in need of urgent assistance from the departments of nearby towns. Let's push as rapidly as possible the building of hard surface roads. Explosion of Gas Line Caused Blaze That will Throw More Than 75 Men Out of Employment; Damage Heavy Blaze Confined to Old Factory. Was Brought Under Control at 1:30 this Morning. Fire companies From This City and New Martinsville Respond to the Best of Their Ability.

At 11:45 last night fire starting from the explosion of a 4" gas main, destroyed the old Paul Wissmach Glass Factory at Paden City, and causing the worst fire that city has ever suffered. The night watchman, Frank Tippens, was near the tank when the explosion came and was hurled to the ground in a stunned condition. After several hours, he reported to be injured. Luckily he was the only person in the factory at the time of the explosion. The intonation was sufficient to awaken people two blocks away from the scene of the fire. Jesse Brown was probably one of the first to become aware of the fire and the siren was started, which received immediate response from the voluntary fire department and the Paden city fire apparatus was soon on the job. By a mere strategem the wind was blowing away from the rest of the factory for it would have been impossible to stop the fire had it changed about. Sparks and firebands were carried by the wind for a quarter of a mile, lighting on dwellings, hotels and factories. The fire might have spread then, had it not been for a 4" snowfall with the snowstorm still raging during the fire. Little headway was made against the flames advancing towards the new section of the factory and for a time it was thought that the fire might spread over the whole northwestern section of Paden City. The home of A.P. Volmar, president of the factory and now in New York City, and R.S. Feldmier soon emptied of all furniture which was loaded on trucks ready for an early departure if the fire advanced. The office records and supplies were removed to adjoining dwellings.

Loss Estimated at $100,000
The total loss was estimated at $100,000, which is said to have been covered by adequate insurance. That part of the factory destroyed contained most of the large machinery and tanks. This was the section used for the manufacture of cathedral art glass. It was said to be the second factory of its kind in the United States and the third of its kind in the world: the third factory being located in Europe. The new factory section built within recent years is used for the manufacture of rolled plate glass of various types and was not damaged by the fire. About 150 men were employed when the factory ran
at full capacity. This was the largest and most disastrous that ever occurred in Paden City.

Slightly Injured
W.H. Rawley, one of the firemen and an employee of the factory, while at the nozzle of one of the hoses, was slightly injured when a large crate fell upon him, pinning him down. Chief of Police J.E. Smith of Paden City and others went to his assistance and he was extracted from the fallen debris. Webster Postlewaite, another employee of the factory, had two fingers of one hand severely lacerated by falling glass. Alvin Jacobs was severely cut on the hand in several places.