Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-06
coNFaAG CATIONS.

| III asHeS 1 lie engines nave all cedSeu
work and the best one is burned up.
The firemen are now blowing up
buildings, hoping to save some part OF
the city.
OSHKOSH, April 25th, 9 P. MA
terrible fire has been raging all the
afternoon. All the newspaper offices,
banks, telegraph offices, the Harding
opera house, post Office, Universalist
church, all the hotels but one, and
nearly all of the business portion of the
city is gone. 1t is utterly impossible
to estimate the loss. Two men have
been killed by falling walls. The city
is in the widest state of frenzy. The
burnt district is nearly mile square.
The fire at Oshkosh broke oat at
Morgan Bros on the north bank Of
the river. A high wind prevailed at
the time and the flames swept onward
with irresistible force. Engines were
called IN from Fon du Lac and Ripon-
1t is rumored a powder magazine has
blown up and that five or six men
persisted. The total loss is estimated
at $75O,o0O.
The fire broke cut in Morgan &
Brothers saw mill, burning that and u
dozen other saw and single mills on
( Sawdust avenue, and millions of lumber
a hundred houses, all the printing
Offices, Hardings Opera House, and
Beckwith & Adams Hotel. The burnt
district is one and a half miles long
and half mile wide. Three lives, are
reported to be lost, and hundreds of
persons are homeless. Nearly all of
the business houses are burned, includ-
ing all the banks anu on the North side
! and there is not dry goods store
standing. 1t is impossible to give the
losses, The city is in the hands of a
mob, and extra police are on duty
Telegraph Offices here were burnt
ont early in the fire. Temporary
Offices since established
One Insurance Company, the North
western Of Milwaukee, lost $4,000,
by the fire.
CHICAGO, April 80 A special dis
patch to the Inter-O Ocean from Oshkosh
says: There is no possible way of
arriving at the loss to insurance com
panies by the Oshkosh fire, since all
agencies but one have been burned out
and the books are in confusion, while
the books of one agency are burned.
The insurance with this last-named
agency, Garry & Harmons, is estimated
at 100000. The total loss by fire is
thought to be greater than was at first
I reported, and IL now put at 50, 500,0 900.
1t is estimated in general terms that
the insurance is fifty per cent. of the
loss.
About three hundred families are
burned out and relief is much
needed. The city council has ap
propriated $4,000 for their immedi-
| ate wants There is no discourage
m ent among business men the feel
ing is strong that rebuilding must
commence at once. Several hours
rain to day failed to extinguish the
fire, which is still burning among the
debris.
A dispatch from Fond du Lac to the
Times says A deep pail hangs over
the city. Five times since its founda
ton has contlagration visited it, but
the present calamity is crushing to all.
This is third time within year that
| fire has desolated it. This fire has ia
ken most of the fine residences and
| homes. Citizens seem utterly hopeless,
and walk the streets with sad faces
The ruins are still smouldering, and
| when former owners are asked what
they will do, they reply that they cans
| not tell at present.
The Offices of the telegraph compa~
MES are burned, and facilities for work
ing lines are very poor. This, added
to the general confusion and inability of
even those who are losers to give par,
ticulars, precludes the possibility of an
extended report. Oshkosh lies on
flat piece of ground, and there is almost
a continuous southwest wind, which on
this occasion was blowing with great
violence. 1t has been the custom in
Oshkosh latterly when a heavy wes~
terly wind was blowing for the mills,
which are situated in the western part
of the city, to stop work to prevent
fire. A number of mills shut down on
Wednesday noon, but Spauldlng &
Peck refused to stop work, and when
Mr.. Morgan asked Mr.. Peck to do so,
he was answered abruptly that he in
I tended to rim his own business. Short
ly after this Morgan & Bros mill was
observed to be on fire, and in few min
utes the whole building was in flames.
| The fire companies and thousands of
| citizens were promptly on hand, but the
| gale was so fierce and the material of
I the mills so combustible that the fire
could not be stopped, and 1t speedily
drove them from the place, advancing to
the heart of the city. J. N. Davis, a
clerk in the employ of Morgan & Bros.
attempted to save some books from the
the mill, but becoming bewildered was
nearly roasted to death before he could
find his way out, and expired SOON af-
ter reaching open air.
The air was filled with shingles and
cinders, which bore destruction to the
houses great distance from the actual
fire, and as the flames advanced rapid
ly toward the principal thoroughfares,
even the most sanguine gave up all hope
of checking them, and the city was de-
vastatod as already described.
/ The following insurance companies
are known to have lost by the Oshkosh
fire in addition to those already sent
Mercantile. Chicago. $1,000; Alliance,
of Pittsburg, $4,000; Glenn's Falls
$4,000; Black River $4,000; Atlas,
i Hartford $1,000: NIAGARA. of New