The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-11-04
Terrible Holocaust.
The BUsiNEss poRTIoN oFv1RGINIA
CITY IN AoiaES.s

THE BUS1NE1S PORTION OFVIRGINIl
CITY IN AsHEs!s
Mining Csmpaniss Among tho Sufferers
Ten Thousan1 People Homsless-Pani
ii San francisco.
= Virginia City, New, was-visited b,
a terribly destructive fire. Tuesday
the 26th ult. The fire broke out abou
Daylight in dwelling in a street nea
Taylor, point about the Southwestern
limit of business; and thickly set
tied portion of the city 1t 'sprea'
rapidly, extending eastward toward
the-ravinc in which are situated tn
works and mills Of several prominen
mines. Reaching as far as + stree
northward, the flames crossed Uniol
and Fulton streets, covering
,sPACE OF ABOUT TEN BLOCKS,
comprising almest every decent build
ing in the town. AS the fire worked
up G street, the Office of the I'erritori
al Enterprise and the Chronicle wer,
destroyed. Piper's opera house. wa
next in flames, and it became eviden
that the railway depot and the hoist
ing works of the Consolidated Virgin
ia were in danger. The water suppl,
was inadequate, ard the engines o
little use. Recourse was had to blew
ing up buildings.' IT was too late
however. In few moments the de
pot and hosting works were on fire
The latter were recently completed a
an expense Of 100000, and were tht
finest in the Cemstock lode. Contin
uiug to the north and east, the partly
completed mill Of the California min,
and the Consolidated Virginia mil
were soon in fames, which spread
still further north to the Ophir hoist
ing works, destroying them also
which is about the limit of the destruc
ton .inihat direction; the fire dying
out for want of fuel. From Taylor
street, near which the the fire origin
ated, it spread southward against the
wind, destroying the branch Bank O.
California, Wells & Fargo's expires:
and everyt thing in it at the
time. z At this point the Gould, 81 Cur
ry works were in imminent danger
but were fortunately saved, In short
nearly the entire business portion O
fhe to wn is in ashes. Hotels, churches
county buildings s,newspaper,te telegraph
and express offices, are all SWEEP
away. uft.s - taN -ltss,i i'tt- d.
TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS
No loss OF life is reported. The
great number of people burned out oi
doors by the fire is accounted for by
the fact of the peculiar mode of life led
byc the large population engaged in
the mines who work by shift, day and
night. Ia many instances some lodg-
ings are occupied at different hours by
numerous tenants, and at no time are
the household accommodations equal
to the demand of the population.
Nearly allilodging houses and dwell.
ling houses occupied by miners were
In reach. OF the cOnflagration i'll its
course, being in the imme-
date neighborhood of the mining
work. l'''
f''iDsA A SCENE OF WILD CONFUSION. 5I3
O. During the progress of the fire the
town presented the widest confusion
and panic, the streets being blocked
with goods aud household furniture.
A recent scsurge of typhoid fever
caused tile presence of many helpless
nvalids whe were being carried to a
place OF safety by friends. Extortion-
ate demands were made by owners of
vehicles, aud in one case at least caus-
I'd murder. A man iii B street in
to engage teamster, and
being unable to comply with his de-
alands, in desperation, drew pistol
md shet the driver. dead. fou ,s-7f
.-f .a5q THE LOSSES.
Rough estimates place the total loss
Is at two million dollars: Approx
nate figures from the insurance COM
,anfes give the losses sustained by
hem in the neighborhood of twelve
lundred thousand dollars. Among
he heaviest losers are theEtna, I'm
,erial, Queen and Commercial Union,
bout 100000 each: North British and
100000; London Assur-
nee and Underwriters Agency, $780,
100 each Hartford, Phoenix, ETC., some
,45 600 each. The eastern and foreign
for smaller amounts.
THE CAUSE.
The destruction is attributed to the
,ad management of the engineer of
he fire Department.. The beginning
# the confiagration was in the under
aking establishment on B street,
preading to the adjoining livery sta
lie. Streams were turned upon the
table, allowing the flames to cOmpu-
licate to the county building adjoin-
ng. The wind blowing briskly from
he west carried the namestoward the
own. The water supply gave out,
he engines and hose were burned in
he street, panic seized the citizens,
nd the fire swept on uninnpeded to
he mills and hoisting works of the
Virginia, California aud
)phir, destroying everything in its
, --,..,s.,, MINING Losses.
Fortunately the shafts of both the
)phir and the Consolidated Virginia
7ere bulkheaded, and the fire was
ept out of the mines. The Ophir
Ten say that possibly their loss may
e less than at first supposed, as the
uilding was Of light frame, and
light burn without destroying the
The loss of sniltlings and
ierchandise-in the city must be very
reat, although covered to a great eX-
ent by INSURANCE, 1t is not known to
that extent the mills and hosting
forks were insured, except in the case
the Ophir, whose loss is placed at
10000 to 100000, and insured for
in San Francisco. -l ~
FEELING In San FRANClSCO. .lrr--
Owing to the contradictory nature
f private dispatches received, Cali
,rnia street was tull of wild rumors,
nd the telegraph and newspaper Of
ces besieged with people anxiously
,eking intelligence. AS might have
cen expected, stocks at once fell as
,e effect of the disaster. When the
oard opened by the call of Ophir,
lere was a tremendous rush, the
ock selling as low as 80 9. Con-
Virginia dropped to 2.lo,
ut subsequently, rallied. The talk on
lc street was very gloomy. AT first
}. was supposed that the disaster
ouid entail the necessary stoppage
all work in Bonanzs, and that the
reported breeding of water |
ould flood the mines, and general
anic and depression ensue. This,
owever,' soon gave way to a better |
eiing.- 1t was soon aseertained that |
le Gould T. Curry works were all |
ght, as were also the Savage. This |
as considered the KEY to the position |