The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-10-27
GREAT FIRE At VIRGINIA CITY
Loss Estimated at $40, 900,
900.

a later ulSpalCn rcCclNed ~ the VluSt
of the Consolidated Virginia Mining
Company, says that Virginia, north OF
Taylor street, is all burnt. Our mills and
works all gone; fire still rag
ing; engines useless; and no water
The Catholic church and other building:
will be blown up. The Ophir works
and tie Bank of California building have
been burned, and theIwhole business por'
ton Of the town is destroyed. The Cath
olic church is now burning.
LArER-The Virginia City fire is now
under control, and has apparently burn
ed itself out All OF the city north of
Smith street is destroyed, including the
principal business portion Of town. Tele-
graph offices are being provided, and we
will soon have full particulars.
Further Details Of the Fire.
SAN Francisco, Tctobcr 26.-Owng
to the destruction oi the telegraph office
and the press of private dispatches over
tho lines, it has been hard to obtain any
connected information concerning the
Virginia City fire. The following is un-
doubtcdly correct, as tar rs it goes: The
fire broke out about daylight, in dwell
ing on street near Taylor, point at
about the southwestern limit OF the bu5i-
ness and thickly settled portion of the
city. 1t spread rapidly, extending east
ward toward the rsVlne IN which are
situated the works and mills of several
prominent mines, extending as far as
f street northward The flames crossed
! Union and Sutton streets, covering a
space of about ten blocks and comprising,
in the words of one dispatch, almost
every decent building n the town" As
the fire worked up G street the offices Of
the Territorial Enterprise and Chrom-
cic were destroyed; Pipers Opera House
was next in flames, and it became evil
dent that the railroad depot and the
! hosting works of the Consolidated Nir.
rinia mine were in danger. As the
water supply was inadequate and the
/ engines of little use, recourse was
/ had to the blowing up OF buildings,
it was too late, however, and in Il few
/ minutes the depot and hosting works
were on fire, The latter were recently
completed Mt an expense of several hun
! drcd thousand dollars and were the finest
on the Comstock lode. Continuing to
! the north and easta partially completed
mill ofthe California Mine and C-nsoli-
/ dated Virginia were soon IN iamcs
4 which spread still further north to the
/ Hosting Works, destroying them also,
which is about tho limit OF the dcstruc-
/ ton in that direction, the fire dying out
! from want offuel. From Taylor street near
! Church, where the fire originated, it
! ,prcad southwark against the wind, de.
| stroving the Bank of California, Wells,
/ Fargo ~ Cos express office and every
thing else in its line. At this point,
. Gold & Curry's works were IN imminent
/ danger. but were fortunately saved. In
| short, nearly the entire business portion
Of the town is in ashes. Hotels churches
county buildings; newspaper, telegraph
and express offices, were all swept away.
| Over 10000 persons arc homeless. The
wind is piercing and much suffering is
anticipated before temporary shelter
can be provided. It is impossible al
| present to conjecture the amount of loss
| from the destruction of mills and hosting
works. The above referred to will pro-
! badly entail loss of million of dollars,
within radius of few hundred feet
! Fortunately the shafts of both the Ophir
| and Consolidated Virginia were bulk
headed and the fire was kept out OF the
mines. Ophir men say that possibly
their loss may be less than at first sup
posed, as the building was of light frame
| and might burn without DESTROYING the
machinery. Loss of buildings and mer-
chandise in the city must be very great,
although covered to a great extent
by Insurance. 1t is not known
to what extent the mills
and hosting works were insured except
in the case of the Ophir, where the loss
is placed at Sl5O0O0 to 100000. The
news created the greatest excitement,
owing to the contradictory nature of
private dispatches received. California
street was full of wild rumors, and the
telegraph and newspaper offices were be-
sieged with people anxlously seeking IN
telligcnce As might have been expected
stocks at once fell, and when the board
opened with the call Of Ophir, there was
tremendous rush, stock selling as low
as 3Sl; Consolidated Virginia dropped to
2lO but subsequently rallied. Talk on
the street was very gloomy. 1t fist 1t
wa supposed the disaster would entail the
necessary stoppage oiwork at the BONANZA
mines, ant that tho recently reported
breaking OF the water would flood the
nine, and general panic and dcpres-
sion cnsuei. This, however, soon gave
way to better feeling, 1t wa, soon rs.
certanud that the Gould e Curry works
were all right, n were also the Savage.
This was considered key TO the position
as far H. the stock market wa concerned,
a the Bonanza can and will be worked
through the Gould Il Curry shutt while
the works of the Virginia are being re-
built, and the Savage and Goulc X Curry
pumps are available 10 free tha mines
from water. 1t also transpircd that the
hosting works of the Consolidated Nlr-
ginia ana California mine, known a the
&c. ~ c." works, were unharmed, and
inquiry also give out the fact that the in
surance companies, though many OF thorS
suffer heavily will come up mantully,
paying all damanls. \ large portion ot
Reinsurance IS with foreign companies,
who will be ableto bear 1t. and the local
companies also claim that none viii - to
the wall. 1t was gwen out by those
known to bc insiders that
Consolidated Virginia would pay Is
dividend AS usual, though probaby Y at
reduced figures. All these consid"ra
ations soon had the effect to turn the tide
Of feeling. and now the general impress
sion is TINT while the contlaeration Is
unQucstionahly serious disaster. IT, ct-
fects on the financial interests Of Cali
fornia will be but limited and temporary.
On the street stocks rallied and the feel
in business circles Is greatly improved.
Appeals for Aid.
san Francisco, October @G.-Ths
agent of Wells, Fargo X Go. NJ Virginia
City has teegraphed for aid ior the peo-
pie rendered homeless and destitute by
the contlagration. \ circular has been
telesraphed by Wells, Fargo X Go. from