The Portland daily press., 1875-10-27
FIRES.
Disastrous C0nflagratiOn in Vir-
ginia City.
TON DESTROYED.
10000 PEOPLE HOMELESS.
A LOSS OF MILLIONS.

A LOSS OF MILLIONS.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct GA great fire is now
raging in Virginia City. Nevada. 1t broke out
early this morning. Six or seven blocks, in-
Guiding the telegraph office and railroad depot
are already burned.
SECOND DESPATCH
10 A. MA later despatch from Virginia
City just received at the Office of the consoli
dated Virginia Mining Company here, says,
"Virginia City, north Of Taylor street, is ali
burned Our mills and works are all gone.
The fire is still raging. Fire engines are use
less there being no water"
THIRD DESPATCH.
II A. MA later despatch from Virginia
City! says the California mill is destroyed and
the fire is still spreading. The Catholic church
and other buildings will be blown up for the
works and the Bank Of California buildings are
burned. The whole business portion of the
town is destroyed and the Catholic church is
now burning.
FOURTH DESPATCH.
11.5O A. M.-The Virginia City fire is now
under control. The fire has apparently burned
destroyed. The burned section includes the
principal business part of the place.
FIFTH DESPATCH.
P. Moving to the destruction of the tele-
graph office and the press of private dispatches
over the lines it has been difficult to obtain any
connected information concerning the Virginia
City fire. The following, however, is undoubt-
out at daylight in dwelling on street near
Taylor street, on the southwestern limit of the
business and thickly settled portion of the city.
1t spread rapidly, extending eastward towards
the ravine in which are situated the works and
mills and several prominent mines and reach
ing as far as f street northward. The flames
crossed Union and Sutton streets, covering a
space of ten blocks, comprising in the words of
one despatch, "almost every decent building in
the town.. As the fire worked up street the
offices of the Territorial Enterprise and Chron-
icle were destroyed Piper's opera house was
next in flames, and it became evident that the
railroad depot and the hosting works of the
consolidated Virginia were in danger. The
water supply was Inadequate and the engines of
little use, SO recourse was had TO blowing up
buildings. 1t was too late, however, and IN a
few minutes the depot and the hosting works
were in flames. The latter were recently COM
pleted at an expense of several hundred thou
sand dollars, and were the finest on the Com
stock lode. Continuing to the north and east
the partially completed mill of the California
mine and the consolidated Virginia mine were
soon in flames, which spread still further north
to the Ophir hosting works, destroying them
also, which is about the limit Of the destruc-
ton in that direction, the fire dying out for
want of fuel.
From Taylor street, near which the fire orig
mated, it spread southwark against the winds,
destroying the branch Office of the Bank of
California. Wells Fargo & Co.'S express Office
and everything else in Its line. At this point
the Gould & Curry works were in imminent
danger, but fortunately were saved In short,
nearly the entire business portion is in ashes.
The hotels, churches county buildings, news
paper, telegraph and express offices are all
swept away. Over 10000 persons were made
homeless. The wind is piercing, and much
suffering is experienced before temporary shell.
ter can be provided.
1t is impossible at present to conjecture the
amount of the loss. The destruction of the
mills and hoisting works above referred to will
probably entail a loss Of a million dollars with
in radius of few hundred feet. Fortunate
~ the shaft of both the Ophir and consolidated
Virginia were bulkhead, and the fire was kept
out of the mines.
The other man says that possibly their loss
may be less than at first supposed. The build
ing was of light frame and may have burned
without destroying the machinery. Loss on
the buildings and merchandise in the city must
be very heavy, although covered to great ex-
tent by insurance. 1t is not known to what ex-
tent the mills and hosting works were insured
except in the case of the Ophir, where the loss
is placed from $4,000 to 100000, with an in
surance of 100000.
element, owing to the contradictory nature of
the private dispatches received. California
street was full of the widest rumors aud the
tel graph and newspaper offices were besieged
by people anxiOusy seeking intelligence. AS
might have been expected stocks at once felt
the effect of the disaster
A large portion of the insurance is in foreign
companies who are we'll able to bear the losses
The local companies claim that none of them
will go UNDER and now the general impression
is that while the confagration is unquestiona
bly, serious disaster its effect on the final n
terestS of the coast of California will be but
limi tied and temporary. On the street after
ward the stock rallied and the feeling in bust
ness crclee was greatly improved.
The agent of Wells, Fargo & Co. at Virginia
homeless and destitute by the conflagration.
A circular has been telegraphed by Wells,
Fargo & Co. of this city to their agents in the
principal towns on the coast, directing them to
send contributions of clothing and other neces-
saries to the Virginia agent free of charge. The
agent here has telegraphei $1,000 to Virginia on
account of Wells, Fargo & Co. The San
Francisco board of brokers subscribed $6OOO
The fire has now burnt out All danger is
ended
The Business Portion Of Austin, Miss,
Destroyed by Fire.
MEMPHIS, Oct. 26-Private kilograms from
Helena state that the greater portion of the
business part of Austin, Miss, was burned to-
day. No particulars.
Flour Willis Burned.
AURORA, ILL.,, Oct. 26.-The Black Hawk
mills were burned this morning Loss $35, 900.
Insurance unknown. Jameson & Hoard, les
sees, lose about $4,000 in fixtures, flour, etc.
Insurance $4,000.