Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-27
VIRGINIA CITY.
The Great Mining Center and Location
Of the Big Bonanza Almost Totally
Destroyed by Fire Fearful
Calamity.
Millions Worth Consumed and Ten Thoa.
sand Persons Rendered HOuselesS
and Homeless Panic in
'Frise0-EtC,

and Homeless Panic IN
'Frise0-Etc,
SAN FRANCISCO, October pa great
IRE is poT rsEinE in Virginia City. 1t broke
out esriy this morning. SIX or seven blocks
are already destroyed. The Office of the West.
ern Union telegraph company and the rail
road depot are burned.
SECOND DISPATCH.
A dispatch lust received az the Office Of Tine
Consolidated Virginia mining &C rn2any here
says; Virginia, north % Tay Tor street, is ali
burned. Our mills siid works are al gone,
The nTe Is still raging. The engines are use
THIRD DISPATCH.
The California mill IS gone. The fire is still
spreading. The Catholic church and other
buildings " i'll be blown up. The DphiT works
and the Bank of California buildings are
burned. The whole business pert OF the town
- destroy ed. The Catholic church is how
burning.
FOURTH DISPATCH.
he Virginia hre is now under control. 1t
north OF Smith street is destroyed, including
the principal business pert OF the town. Tel
egrapn ON ses are being provided, and we Will
soon nave full particulars.
SAN FRANCISCO, October 2g.-Owiug
10 the destruction OF the telegraph Office and
the press of private dispatches over the wires
IL has been difficult TO obtain any connected
Information concerning the Nirginia FIRE, the
ioliOW wing, however, Is undoubtedly correct
as far as II goes The FIRE broke out about
daylight in a dwelling house on street near
Taylor, point about the western limit 81
business and a thickly settled portion o. NE
city. II spread rapidly, extending east vva-I
toward the ravine in which are situated tine
works and mills Of several mines, Teaching as
far a. r street noTthwaTd. The fipines crossed
Union street. covering a spp ce of ahouf
ten BLOCKS, com pTlSlng-in IT, yr0rIS of on
dlspatch-almost every de"r snt building in t1o
UoWn. AS Ire hre w"rF ed up c stree: the
office Of the TeTTft0Tt0, Fgtern-fys ss,j (y5r1,f
cte was destroyed, Piper's operahouse was
ne, r .n manSs, '-nd 1t became evident that
tue Isilfosd Dc got and holstiug-works of the
consolidated Virginia were In dsTgeT The
go ~ y ,,ly wss inadequate and the engines
49,, 49, VI little use. Recourse was had TO bio ~
evsr : the building, but it was too late, how
~ and in a few minutes the depot and
OiIing-works we're on FIRE. The latter were
recent y completed at an expense OF several
hunOred Thousand dollars and were the
finest on the COmstOCk lode. COntinu-
log 70 the north and east the partially
completed mill of the California mine and
sonsolloated Virginia were soon in
flames, which spread still further north to the
OphiT hotsting-wOrks, destroying them also,
which is about the limit OF Jne destruction in
that direction, the fire dying out for want of
fuel. From Taylor street, near which the
IRE ORIGINATED, 1t spread southwark against
the wind, destroying the branch Bank OF
California, Wells & Fargo's express Office, and
everything else in Its line. AT this point the
Gould d Curry works were in imminent dan
ger, but were fortunately saved. In short,
nearly the entire business portion of the town
Is In ashes; the hotels, churches, county build.
lngs, newspaper, telegraph and express offices
are sll swept away.
OVER TEN THOUSAND PERSONS HOME
LESS,
The wind is piercing and much suffering is ar {.
uclpated before tenn pOrary shelter can be pre-
pared IL is impo ,sible to conjecture the loss
The destruction OF the mills and hosting
works above referred to VIII probably entail
q loss Of 81 600 QUO within the raoIus OF a few
hundred feet. Fortunately the shafts of DO, n
the Ophir and Consolidated Virginia were
buikhesded, and the fire was kept out of the
mines. he Ophir men say that possibly their
loss may be less than at first supposed, as the
building was light frame, and might burn
without destroying the machinery. The loss
OF buildings and merchandise in the city
must be very great, although covered 10 a
great extent by insurance. II is not known to
what extent the mills aud hoisting-works
were insured, except in the case of the Ophir,
where the loss is placed at SlJOOOO to $500 OO
insured for $4,000. Ia this city the news Gre
ated the greatest excitement, owing TO the
contradictory nature Of the private dispatches
received. California street was full Of
WILD RUMORS,
aud the telegraph and newspape offices were
besieged with people anxiously seeking in
telllgence. As m ght have been expected,
stock al once felt the effect Of the disaster, and
when the board opened by the call Of Ophlr
there was a tremendous rush, the stock sell
ing rs low as 3S15. Con olidated Virginia
dropped to 30, bat subsequently rallied.
The talk on the street was very gloomy. At
first il was supposed that the disaster would
entail the necessary stoppage of all work at
the BonarZa mines, and the recently report
ed breaking OF the water would flood the
mines, and general panic and depression
ensued. This, however, soon gave way 10 a
better feeling, as IL was soon ascertPined that
the Gould & Curry works were all right, as
were also the Savage. his was considered a
key to the position as far as the stock market
Vas concerned. AS to the BONANZA, 1t can
and viii be worked through the Gould Il Cur
~ shaft while the works of the former are be
ing rebuilt, and the Savage and Gould & Cur
~ pumps are available TO free the mines from
water. II also transpired that the new hoist.
ing-wOrks in the Consolidated Virginia, and
the California mine known az the c. and Z.
works, were unframed. Inquiry also gave out
the fact that the insurance companies though
mRnfuIly,
PAYING ALL DEMANDS.
A large portion of Insurance is with foreign
companies well able to bear it. The local
companies also claim that none will go
to the wall. 1t was given out by those
known 10 be inside that the Con-
idgnd as usual. though T probabIx at reduced e
figures. Ali these considerations soon had
the effect 10 turn the tide of feeling, and now
Tic general preston IuaJ WIlll6 Lle con-
Migration is uTquestionably seriously disas-
trous, its effects on the financial interests of
California will be but limited and temporary.
After stocks rallied, the feeling on the streets
and in business circles was greatly improved,
Latest.
San FRANCISCO. October 26 The
agent OF Wells Fargo & Co. at Virginia CITY
has telegraphed for aid for the people rem
dered homeless and destitute by the confia-
grafton. circular has been telegraphed by
Wells, Fargo 4 Co., from this city, to their
agents in the principal towns on the coast, di-
recting them to send contributions of food
clothing, and other necesSaries to Virginia
City free OF charge. The agent here has tel
egraphed one thousand dollars to Virginia
City on account of Wells, Fargo & 60. The
san Francisco board of brokers, at the close of
the afternoon session, held a business meet
ing and six Thousand dollars were subscribed
in q few minutes, which will be at once trans
ferred by telegraph. The Pacific stock ex-
change will act IN the matter tomorrow.
But few details have been received in addI-
ton to what has been previously reported.
1t was rumored this evening that the Ophir
shaft was on fire, but later advices report that
the fire only extended 4 short distance down
the shaft, being stopped by the bulkhead.
The amount OF insurance written in the
burnt district has not been aScertaiDed but
is supposed to aggregate in the peighborhOod
of million dollars. No reports of the cOmpa
ny have yet been received from the agents,
and il is impossible TO state the proportion Of
losses TO risks. Rough estimates place the
total loss at two millions No loss OF lie has
yet been reported. The great number of peO-
pie reported as turned out of doors by the fire,
stated at ten thousand, is accounted for by
the fact that, owing to the peculiar mode of
life. lead by the great population engaged in
the mines, who work by sniff day and night.
In many instances some lodgings are occu-
pied at different houfs by numerous tenants,
and at no time are the household accOmmO.
dations equal 20 the demand of the popula-
ton. Nearly al the lodging houses and
dwellings occupied by the miners were in the
track Of the confiag r. ton, at It's nOrtheastsr-
ly coast, being IN the immediate neighbor-
hood OF The mining works. The fire has now
burnt out. All danger at an end.
THE TEXAS CYCLONE.
History of the Storm az Compiled by