The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-27
VIRGINIA CITY In ASHES.
THE ENTIRE BUsINESS PART OF
THE Town DESTROYED.
All the Churches, Hotels, Public Buildings.
Newspaper ard Express Omces Swept
Awsy-Over 10000 Persons Homeless.

Newspaper ard Express Omces Swept
Awsy-Over 10000 Persons Homeless.
SAN FRAsoIsco, Oct. 26-9i15 A. MA
great ars ls now raging In Virginia CITY, New.
II broke out early this morning. SIX or seven
blocks. including the ofioe OF the Western
Union Telegraph and the railroad depot, have
aleady been burned.
10 A. MA despatch just received at the Of
nee of the Consolidated Virginia Mining Com
pany, says; "virginia City, north OF Taylor
street, Is all burned. Our mills and works are
all gone. The IRE Is still raging. Fire engines
are useless, there being no water"
IL A. MA later despatch from Virginia City
says the California NH Is destroyed, and tho
FIRE Is still spreading. The Catholic church and
other buildings will be blown up for the pur-
pose of staying the flames. The Opnir Works
and the Bank OF California buildings are burned.
The whole business portion OF the town has
been destroyed. The Catholic church Is now
1850 A. M.-The virginia CITY are Ia now
under control. The Ore has apparently burnt
Itself out: An the city north Of Smith street is
destroyed. The burnt section includes the
principal business part Of the place.
sTARTINo AND sPREADINo.
The ire broke out about daylight In dwelling
on A street, near Taylor, a point 10 the south
tied portion OF the city. II spread RAPIDLY, ex-
tending eastward toward the rayine, In which
nent mines, and reaching as far as T street
northward, the flames crossed Union and SUIT
ton ,5rss1s c1vsnS ,RaSs OF about ten Slosss,
most every decent building In the town" As
the Gre worked up @ street, the Offices OF the
TefTttOrfdl Enterprise and Chronicle were de-
stroyed. P,per's Opera House was the next In
| flames. and 1t became evident that the railroad
depot and the hosting works Of the Consoldst-
| ed Virginia were IN danger. The water supply
was inadequate ana the engines OF little use, so
recourse was had TO blowing up buildings. II
| too late. however. and In few minutes the
| depot aud the hotstinR works were In flames.
The later ~ were rsSsnsl completed 4. an nd sa;
were the finest on the Comstock Lode.
Continuing TO the north and east: the partially
Consolida ated Virginia Mil were soon In flames,
which spread still further north to the ophir
was about the limit OF tho destruction in that
direction, the Ore dying out for want Of fuel.
mated, It spread south ward against the wind.
destroying the branch onces OF the Bank OF Cal.
mo, nn; mes, s1rsoS Eo enprsIs res once ana
Gould Curry Works were IN i'm minent danger,
but were fortunately saved.
oREAT DESTRUCTION.
In short, nearly the entire business portion OF
the town Is IN ashes-hotels, churches, county
buildings, newspaper telegraph, and express
offices all swept away. over 1000 persons are
made homeless. The wind Is pierciuc, and
much suffering Is anticipated before temporary
shelter can be prepared.
II is impossible at present TO conjecture the
amount OF loss. The destruction OF the mills
and noisting works above referred TO will prob
ably entail a loss OF a million dollars within
radius Of few hundred feet. Fortunately the
shafts Of both Ophir and Consolidated Virginia
we're bulkheAdsd, and the are was kept out OF
sioly their loss may be less than at nrst
supposed. as the building was OF light frame
machinery. The loss on ths building and mer.
chandise 10 the city must be very great, al
though covered to a large extent By insurance.
III not known to what extent the mills and
hosting works were Insured, except In the case
si5O,OoO 70 $4,000, with an insurance OF fso.oC0
In this city the news created the greatest OK.
the private dispatches received. Caiifornia
street was full Of Wild rumors, aud tho telegraph
Dcss SsseRsd MIN Peopis %
been exoected stocks at once felt the effect OF
the disaster. When the board opened by the
stock selling as low as 3sh. Consolidated Viz
gins dropped to 2lo, but subsequently rallied.
At first 1t was supposed that the disaster would
entail n necessary stoDpaRo of all work on the
bonanza mlnes, and that the recently reported
aud general panic and depression ensuo.
THE GOULD AND cURB NoRKs SAVED.
This, however, soon gave way to bet
ter feeling. 1t was soon ascertained that
also the works OF tho Savage. This was con
sidored the key to the position far the
stock market was concerned, as the Bonnuza
can aud will be worked through the Gould &
Garry shaft, while tho works Of the CONSOLIDATED
virginia are being rebuilt, and the Savage aud
mines from water. IL was also ascertained that
the new hoisting works on the Consolidated vir-
Rins and California mines known IA the G. 4 q.
works were unharmed. Inquiry also eciIed
the fact that the insurance companies, though
many OF them suffer heavily will come up m an
fully and pay all demands. A large portion OF
the Insurance Is 10 foreign companies, who are
well able 10 bear the losses. The local COM
panies claim that none OF them will 60 under.
1t is given out to those known TO be insiders
that the Consolidated Virginia would pay n div
idend as usual, although at reduced ngures,
probably. These considerations soon, had the
effect to turn the tide OF feeling, and now the
general lon preston Is, that while the con1a1ra-
tion Is unquestion bly, serious disaster, its
effects on The financial interests OF California
will be but limited and temporary. On tho
street afterward stocks rallied and the feeling