Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-03
THE FIERY ELEMENT.
Further Particulars Of the Vir
ginis City Confiagration.
Ten Blocks Laid in Ashes. lnrlud
ing Extensive Quartz Mills.
Ten Thousand Homeless Per
sons Subjected to the Pierre
ing Mountain Blasts.
THE TOWN OF AUSTIN, MfsSIsSIP.
Pi, BADLY SCORCnED.

the destruction of the telegraph of
flee il has been difficult TO obtain con
nected information concerning til,
Virginia City fire, which broke on
about daylight. in Il dwelling in tll,
southwest portion of the business ant
thickly settled part of the city. /
spread quickly. extending eastward
towards Il ravinc in which are @ituat
ed the works and mills of severa
prominent mines. The flames cover
ed space OF about ten blocks. com
prising the best buildings in the city
The offices of the Chronicle and tho
Territorial Enterprise were burned
Piper's Opera House was next in
flames. The water supply was mad,
equate and the engines were of little
use, and blowing up buildings wa:
resorted to save the depot and hoist.
ing works, but ii was too late. and
the works were soon on fire. They
were the finest on the Comstock lode
and cost several hundred Thousand
dollars. The California mine an6
consolidated Virginia mill, office. and
hosting works were all DESTROYED
winch was the limit of the fire in thai
direction. The fire extended south
ward from TAYLOR street. which i.
near the plrce where it first origin.
ated.
The branch of the Bank of Califor.
mia, the Wells. Fargo Il Co. express
office, and everything else i'm its line
were consumed. Nearly the entire
business portion of the city is in ash
es. Hotels, churches, county build
ings. newspaper, telegraph and ex.
express Offices were all swept away.
Over 10000 persons are homeless.
The wind is piercing. and much suf-
fering is anticipated before tempor-
airy shelter can be prepared. 1t is
impossible at present to conjecture
the loss.
The destruction of mills and hoist
ing works above referred To. will
probably entail a loss of one million
of dollars within radius of a few
feet. Fortunately the shafts
of both the Ophir and the Consoli-
dated Virginia were bulkheaded. and
the fire was kept out of the mines.
The Ophir men say that possibly their
loss may he less than nj first suppos-
ed. as the building was a light frame,
and might burn without destroying
tho ,S,sVctSsv.,r.y rCls< 4<.sE &c NS>,tIXiu..s
aud merchandise in the city must be
very great. although covered to a
great extent by insurance.
Ii is not known 10 what extent the
mills and hosting works were in
snrcd. In the case of the Ophir works
the loss Is placed at 100000 10 800.
90: insured for $4,000 in this city.
The news created great excitement.
contradictory rumors and kilograms
were spread. and newspaper offices
were beseiged with anxious people.
Stocks fell III the excitement. and
0phir sold rs low ~ 3d.. Cnnsoli-
dated Virginia dropped 10 , 10. Talk
on the streets WAS gloomy 1T first. but
subsequently The tone OF the markets
and feeling in business circles rccov-
cred their buoyancy. Inquiry dcvel-
epcs the fact that though many inSur-
ancc companies lose heavily. they will
come mp manfully and pay all de-
man1s.
\ large portion Of the Insurance is
with foreign companies we'll able to
bear il. and other companies also
claim that none will 20 TO the wall.
II was given out by those known to
be insiders that the Consolidated Vir-
ginia would pay dividend a usual.
though probably al reduced figures.
All these considerations had the cf-
feet TO turn the tide of feeling. and
now the general impression j.. that
while the comtlagl1tion i~a serious
disaster. its effects on The financial
Interests of California will be but
limited and temporary.
Wells, Fargo Il Cos. agent in this
city has instructed all agents on the
coast that contributions will be sent
free to Virginia City.
The Board of Brokers have sub
>cribcd 5000 for the relief of the suf-
tercrs.
The amount of insurance in the
burnt district j. not ascertained. but
il is supposed that it will reach on,
million of dollars. No reports OF
losses have vet been received from
agents, and ii is impossible 10 state
the proportion of losses to risks. A
rough estimate places the total loss al
S2,OW00O. No loss of life yet report
ed
The number of people reported
turned ont of doors by the fire in eS.
limated at ten thousand. This i ac.
counted for by the peculiar mode OF
life led by the large population en-.
gagged in the mines. who work III,
shafts day aud night. In many in.
stances the same lodgings are oecu
pied nj different hours by numerous
tenants, and at no time are the house
hold accommodations equal 10 thu
demand of the population. Nearl,
all the lodging houses and dwelling,
occupied by miners were in the tracL
of the fire. its northeriy course be
ing the immediate ncighborhood oI
the mining works. The fire has now
burned ont OF danger.
SAN Francisco, Oct. 27.-Addition
al dispatches from Virginia City say
at present it is impossible to state tn,
loss of life. Two men were killed OF
the street by falling walls. There ar
numberless rumors of other casualties
Hundreds of families are homeless ant
hungry. The school houses, the only
public buildings left, are thrown oper
to them, but ifimmediste relief is mo-
extended great suffering will ensue
Utter Decentralization reigns in the
city. Men, women and children wan
der about the deserted streets, seeking
shelter. The surrounding hills arr
dotted with camp fires. A few salooni
remain, and The streets arc alive with
drunken mobs. Military are patrol
ing the city tor the protection OF prop
erty.
Latest authentic information from
Virginia City il, that the Ophir Shat
has suffered no material injury. n,
definite advices are yet received as L
the extent of damage to the severa
mining properties. The total loss b,
fire is now estimated al from $4,000. 0Ol
TO Si,O00,o0O.
SAN Francisco. oct. 2T.-Despatchei
received to-day give further details O
the Virginia conilsgration, and con
firm previous reports a. to the extern
of the calamity. The scene during III,
progress of the fire is beyond descrip
ton. The wind blew gale, drivinI
n n