The Empire County argus., 1856-07-12
Destruction of Placerville-F,ur Particulars of
the Fire

Inv "iiS "ooounI vi tne origin, progress, al
result of the fire. furnished the Sacramento
by Mr.. January, of the Mountain Democrat and "a
no doubt correct:
=, Inc hre which originated in the Union Hotel on
MAN street. is believed to have been purely acc;don
tai. The flames spread with such rapidity that Il
was was found impossible to the hooks and ladders
wtn any erect and as it so happened, the large rts
erVoif Oh the hill was either empty or the bvdrants
were so much out of order that thew could not be
aSeo' rendering the efforts of the fremen unayailino
ne naihes swept IN every direction like tornado
ana IL was only with great difficulty that apvtbino
could be saved The only person known nositivelS
TO nave lost MS me was Mr. Benhan, proprietor of
toll road on the Hangtown hill an old raan t VI
remains were identified by plate of %nose hS
having been burnt to crisp near the Auer,co,
by his side was the body of dog. The renor. @ IN
regard to the death of the daughter of WaItor n
Burwell is untrue One other person. it is 20
may have perished in the French hospital bnt 3b;,
fact is not clearly ascerained. No other lives uoro
lost. 'eS were
The printing material of the Placerville Amer;eon
was not burned as at first reported. Nearly the en
tire office was removed and saved. That of tho
Mountain Democrat was almost wholly consumed
The last form of the paper and few founts of lob
| type were all that could be saved Several cases of
type were taken out and placed in what was supposed
to be safe place, but were there consumed
On Monday several buildings were Temporarily
erected, and business was resumed by D. Newbauer
and one or two keepers of saloons. MIR. Fountain.
entirely burned out, was again manufacturing and
selling soda on Monday evening
The progress of the fire and losses sustained can
DC best understood from the following recapitulation
OF property destroyed, commencing at the Union
HOTEL on the south side of Main street, where the
fire originated
B. r. Nickerson, proprietor of the Union Hotel.
entire loss House kept by D. w. Levan, who lost
all the furniture and everything in it. Mr.. Levan
was burnt out at the Orleans Hotel in April last
His wife barely escaped with her life. The clothing
of the dodgers was all burnt. In the same block Of
buildings were S. W. Hof, barber and bathing sa-
loon; Mrs Thompson ice cream saloon; Geo Lo-
ney drinking saloon; Jacob Hartman, Washington
Baths; MIR. Timmons, grocer and baker, Mr. Clark,
shoemaker; j. M. Douglass, grocer Mr.. Bell,
Boomerang Saloon; Robert White druggist bar
ber shop and bathing saloon occupied by some color.
ed men, where the fire was stopped on that side of
the street, by Hookers freproof store Commenc.
ing on the opposite sidt of the street. it consumed
blacksmith shop built since the last fire; next,
Stephens fine new stable and granary-loss very
heavy several small buildings used as shops, and
house used as hospital in which it is reported one
man was burned Hogles furniture store, large as
sortment ON hand Harvey Lees law Office and libra
ry, In brick building at the corner of Main and
Coloma streets, walls only standing
On Coloma street it burned the buildings of A.
Krahner, lager beer saloon Mr. Peters, paint shop
Mr. Hookers stable; three valuable buildings be-
longing to e. S. Cardwell, one of which was the
Mountain Democrat office; Capt. Smiths stable
MIR. Dodd's residence Conrads Exchange, and the
handsome residence of ID. Newbauer.
In the block on the north side of Main street. and
running up the street, the fire swept off the building
containing the Placer Theater in the upper story
lower story occupied by Geo. f. Jones, grocer
heavy loss-and the Grey Hound Saloon, in which
the billiard tables were saved; Ohio Hotel kept by
Francis Null nearly total loss ; A. Bnswanger,
fruit dealer next to this was S. Lion & Co.'S fire.
proof clothing store in which every thing was saved
The fire, however, passed on, taking DR.. P. Cham
berlains residence, up stairs, and shoe store in first
story A. Arvdson, jeweler, heavy loss next, the
hre-prOof block of A. g. L. Seligman which was
saved The fire passed on burning the cigar, tobac-
co and liquor store of d. Newbauer, a portion of
the stock saved in brick vault. Next to this was
the fire-proof store of Lee, Harmon & Co., which
was saved. Passing this, it burned the cigar store
Of A. Wildstadter, on first floor, and Drs Harvey,
Clark d keenes office, on the second the City Hall
Office and Station House several small clothing
stores, fruit stores, and the Arcade Bakery. A.
Hass' fireproof store escaped Beyond this were
burned the clothing store of Bamberger & Kline,
who saved some goods in brick vault ; Fassett &
Whites grocery store, Pacific Express Company's
Office Some of the groceries in this store, and the
safe of the Express Company, having escaped
Starting from the Union Hotel, on the opposite
side of the street, and running up the creek the fire
consumed the Crystal Baths of +. A. Bell, new
frame house belonging to George Condee, and occu-
pied by Kinney q Jones as billiard and drinking
saloon shaving saloon of August Lecan harness
establishment of Mr.. Van Voorhes drug store of
Dr. Jervey, contents partially saved house occupied
as fruit store the property of Mr. Keisbee cloth
ing store of A Kohn & Co., some goods saved tin
and stove store of Davis & Nash heavy loss Keis-
bees restaurant livery and sales stable of George
Condee, principal loss in carriages and harness the
/" Round Tent clothing store Of L. Tannewald H.
G. Murgotten, fruit store DR.. Worthen, drug store,
some saved; restaurant of Carthage & johnson
drug store of Charles B. Petit, some goods saved,
s. Whitworths house, used as dwelling and bakery;
the Old Empire" belonging to ODonnell & Rus
sell large building of DIR. Runker next to this the
brick store of G. Hart, somewhat injured CONNER
cia Hotel of A. Gridey entirely consumed also,
jewelers. store and dwelling of +. FennO; Loeb's
store frame house of H. Robinson boot and shoe
store of MIR. Francis; clothing store of Mark Levi
son dwelling of E. M. Gage; several unoccupied
houses dwelling house of Dr. G. H. Ober several
small houses; blacksmith shop extensive wagon
shop of Hines & Co.; several more small houses;
the dwelling house of Mr.. Vance livery stable;
ale and syrnp factory of j. McPearson Old Foun-
tain Hotel, occupied as a grocery and blacksmith
shop on Cedar ravine, where the fire stopped within
one hundred and fifty yards of the eastern boundary
of the city, and near the Methodist Church.
Commencing at the Plaza, and running up the
Al. AT Tho HrnN