Columbia weekly news., 1859-08-25
The Fire at Murphy's-Loss
100000.

Our nelghborlng town of Murphy
was almost entirely destroyed by fire on
last Sunday afternoon. We ere indebt,
ed to the San Joaquin RepuDIseaw for
for the following account of it.
| The entire business part of the town,
with the exception of two or three build
ings, was, on Sunday afternoon, burned
to the ground in the space Of few
hours, involving a very heavy and almost
ruinous loss to the people Of that place.
The fire was caused BY fend in the
shape Of an incendiary.
| We have, by the politaness Of Mr..
Delding, of Freeman & Co.'S Express,
been allowed to peruse the following g
letter from bis brother, who is engaged
in the soda manufacture at Murphy IS.
1t is thought thai the loss will amount
4 to 500, ,000, and there is no doubt that
the fire was caused by an incendiary.
We U derstand that Wells, Fargo & Co
lost all their books and papers. The
letter of Mr. Belden reads:
"Most of Murphy's is 10 ashes. A
Gre started in the Magnolia, between
two and three o'clock to-day, which
Espread SO rapidly that it vas Impossible
to stop it until the heart Of the town
was burned down.
Travers' store is the only buildinr
saved on the Main street, between the
old Sinclair stand and Masonic Hall, at
the lower end OF the town, and the
stage stable at this end.
-6xssrg & Perry are burned out: thag
! saved nothine, thIusing their house ire~
proof 4 considerable property belong
ing TO others was stored in it for safely.
sperry says there is about So, ,0Q9
in the safe, which is still IN the ruins.
Sperry s Perry lose at least $25, 900
Our loss is about Sl0o.
G. Paiaehe has saved everything be-
longing to Freeman & Co., excepting
9 O. D His Office is now in cur shop.
Mr.. Morris, the driver OF the stage
between this city and Murphy's, has
furnished US with some other particulars
in regard 70 the catastrophe. 4. The
! wind was blowing almost a gale al the
time of the FIRE, and tire burning
shingles, and other pieces of light wood,
were carried TO great distance. The
stage stables we're set on fire By them
several times, bnt by great ezert;ons
! they were saved There was no FIRE ap-
paratus il town except some hooks and
ladders, and those were of no great
value, and we believe there vas no fire
I company. An attempt had been made
with the hooks to draw cut .Sperry &
| Perry's safe, but it had not been aceom-
plished when our informant left. The
grass was set on FIRE at q distance Of
twenty RODS.
The Hotel of Nessrs. Sperry s.
Perry was very large. strongly built
stone structure, and was supposed 10 be
fire proof, but we are Informed that
some of the windows and doors were
not properly secured against fire. It
was probably the finest Hotel in the
mines. Nessrs. Sperry s. Perry are
the enterprising proprietors OF the
Mammoth Tree Grove Hotel. They
will meet with great sympathy in their
heavy misfortune. The main street of
Murphy's runs nearly east and west.
The fire commenced on this side, and
burned easterly. The building in
which it originated, the Magnolia, was
formerly hotel, and was, at the time of
the fire, used as drinking house.
| Among the property lost, was the fol,
lowing: On the south side of Main
street, Magnolia hotel, Lane's fruit store,
tbeater bull ding and saloon, owned by
Mr Putney, post Office and saloon, owned
by Mr.. Stephens, butcher shop, owned
! ty tWo Germans, q vegetable and frui.
store, building used to store carriages,
(vehicles all saved,) Sperry & Perry's
fire proof hotel, now unoccupied, owned
BY Sperry s. Perry, an Italian grocery,
building owned BY T. Matteson, and
formerly used by him as a livery stable.
On the north side, east end, French
store aud saloon, :insmith's shop, Myers
large store, Crispin's, and two or three
other saloons. Davis clothing store,
fruit store, two barber shops. 1'raver's
ftoy:hoase (adioing his fre-proof store,