, 1865-07-07
Bolse Corrsspondonce-


/ was mailed on the very afternoon preceding the
disastrous fire on the evening Of that dav. and
the statement furnishing statistical enumera-
tion of bdsiness houses Of various kinds, there
in given serves as a sort of standing memento-
rial milestone to show pretty accurately what
Idaho City was just on the eve of that deplora-
BILE calamity, which for the time being almost
annihilated the tcwn The Editor of the Idaho
World, on the FIRST issue of that paper immodi-
ately following the fire, gave a very graphic and
correct description of the occurrence, which
was published entire as an extract in the States
MN, so that all your readers are tolerably ia
miliar with the outlines and prominent events,
connected with the fire. Still, the following
may not be devoid of interest from your CORES
pondent in relation to it,
The day had been oppressiyely warm. The
evening was still clear, warm, and one of the
most pleasant of the season. More than usual
silence had prevailed the early part of the eve
/ ming. The hour of ten o'clock had arrived, and
many had retired and were preparing to retire
for the night. Suddenly, and startliugly as a
clap of thunder in a clear sky at MONDAY, arose
the shrill, loud, and rapidly repeated alarm of
fire freH frell A look outside revealed the
flames bursting serpent-tongued through the
roof of large building, in one of the most cen
tral parts of town. All the County offices we're
in the immediate vicinity. 1t became apparent
at a glance that the entire square of buildings
fronting on Montgomery, Wall and Main streets
would go,-perhaps more. Almostsuperhuman
exertions were made to carry out furniture, IL
braries, merchandise, clothing and valuables,
from the more exposed buildings Within if-
teen minutes, at least fifty buildings were
wrapped in envelope of roaring fame, roofs
and timbers tumbling down with a crash then
for the first the wind began to breeze up smart
| y, and turn the immense volume of smoke, fly
ing cinders, and careering fame to the south
ward, sweeping everything before it, soon feer-
ing to the east and again to the north and with
in half an hour from the first alarm Idaho City
was one vast billowy sea of devouring flames,
smoke, and flying cinders. 1t reminded one of
the great conAogrations of other and larger cit
les Napoleon, viewing the blazing ruins of
Moscow, amid the rigors of Russian winter,
felt not more disheartened for the moment even
amid the grandeur of the scene, than did many
spectator of the burning of this town, men
who had lost their all after years of patient in
dustry and successful business operations. At
one time, the cry of powder powder in the
stores, and fre-proofs, created such panic that
hundreds rushed pell-mell far from imagined
danger and the watching of the few effects they
had saved. Then commenced the plunderng
pilfering, stealing by the wholesale, such can
only be compared to the predatory deeds of un-
restrained, unprincipled hordes Of camp-follow-
ers, entering conquered town in the rear of a
victorious army. The stealing almost exceeds
belief. Large cast-iron stoves, mirrors, BEDS
everything portable and some that are not usu
ally considered portable. Within an hour apd
a.quarter the entire business part of the town
was nothing but an area of smoking ruins, for
half mile in length by one-fourth of mile in
width, much of which had been compacty COW
cred with buildings. Not few we're glad to
escape in their night-qlQthes, AT tie Theatre.
where "ROmeo and Juliet was being performed
Romeo &c. B. Waldron) made an escapade
bounding in full costume, plumes waving in the
wind, up east hill to place of safety. Juliet
(Alrs. Julia Dean Hayne) also in theatrical cos
tune, found resting place SONS distance from
tha confagraton upon the levee of water
ditch near Elk creek, where she was discovered
by friend sitting with locks dishe7eled, as dis
consulate a Niobe, By twelve o'clock, the
sky was overcast with clouds, the wind blew
strong and cold, and a thunder shower came,
chilling many to the very bones. Nearly every
rayine, cut, gulch and place in the vicinity that
could afford shelter, was "chartered special"
that night for resting place. The light of the
next morning dawned upon a scene Of utter des-
oation and ruin. But in every direction prop
erty holders might be seen going resolutely TO
work, measuring and adjusting boundary lines,
clearing away rubbish, and within week over
fifty buildings and as many tents covered some
of the burnt district at least. Not six weeks
have yet elapsed, and Main street has through
oct its whole extent began 10 assume somewhat
Of its former appearance, and more than its for
mer business activity. Several of the new build
ings are much larger than any of the old ones.
The Poujade House newly built is some eighty
feet in length BY thirty in width and three sto-
ries in height. The City Hotel is also some
eighty feet in length and twenty-five in width,
two stories and one-half in height,-re built by
L. H. Barber Co. The Bank Exchange and
Peyton's billiard saloons, rebuilt since the fire,
are, the former sixty and the latter eighty feet
nlength, by thirty feet in width. Many small
er but good structures have been newly put up
and are already occupied. The first named Ho-
tel was opened for guests within four weeks
from the night of the fire. Some fre-proof
bricks are also going up, and will soon be COM
peted. This gives evidence Of the confidence
of business men in the permanence of the coun-
try, and Idaho City may be classed among the
most Ph9nix-like cities on the Coast, indestruc-
tible as asbestos, and not to be arrested in is
growth and prosperity byany such trivial occur
rences as the destruction of million dollars
worth of buildings and other property
New discoveries of quartz lodges continue to
be made, the most noticeable among which, re-
Gently, are in the vicinity of Centreyille, and
Silver City. The C@ur D'Alene excitement has