The New York herald., 1875-10-28
VIRGINIA CITY.
Lower Estimate Of the Aggregate
Loss by Fire.
GREAT HUMAN SUFFERING.
An ExtOrtiOnate Drayman Murdered by a
FrenZied Citizen.

SAN Francesca, Oct 81, 1875
Tho loss OF life by the fire must have been consider
abe but full details have not yet been cleaned either
by the authorities or the press, Wild Of the
terrible fate Of large numbers Of victims have been re-
peated from lip to lip but they be relied for
accuracy or even approximate truth II is only def
ntely known that two men killed on street by
the falling Of a wall Their have not been dis
covered.
SCHOOL HOUSES SPARED.
A singular fact is the omission of the flames TO de-
stroy the public school houses They welcome
refuge for hundreds Of families who are homeless food
less and destitute OF raiment The other public
buildings all less injured and Of them
destroyed. There Is
COMPLETE pEMoR ALIzAToN
throughout the town. Delicate women, leading little
children by the hand, and helpless fathers unable
fend the trouble from their ones wandering in
the Streets seeking the shelter that they very seldom
find and huugering for sustenance. Many families have
bvouacked out upon the hills about the CITY, which
dotted with camp fires tonight. Although few of the
drinking saloons spared by the flames drunken
and almost frenzed continually met in the
Streets and gradually with the rough and vicious
members Of the city population, concentrating in
rioous crowd Soldiers have been stationed senries
in tho Streets and patrol them vgilanty prevent
pllage.
FIRE.
The destruction of Virginia City is attributed to the
bad management of the engineer of the Fire Depart
ment at the beginning of the confagraton. despatch
says that II began in undertaking establishment
street. spreading to adjoining livery stables Streams
of water were turned upon the stables, allowing the
flames to communicate to the county buildings The
wind blowing briskly from the west, carried them
through the town The water supply gave out and the
engines and hose burned in the Streets A panic
seized the citizens and the fire swept unimpeded
the mills and hosting works OF the Consolidated vir
gnia, California and ophir mines, destroying every
thing in its course.
GOOD FORTUNE.
BY good fortune the wind shifted and the south end
OF the town was saved But the fire still swept on
northwardly and the town presented scene OF the
widest confusion and panic the streets being blocked
with goods and household furniture. The recent
scourge Of typhoid fever caused the presence of many
HELPLESS NvALIDs,
who being carried to places Of safety by their
friends. The extoronate demands of owners Of vehi
cles in one case, at least, caused
A MURDER.
man on street was endcavoring to engage
teamster and unable to comply with his demands in
desperation drew pistol and shot him dead.
PROMISED
A despatch from Los Angeles promises liberal sub
scriptons of money and supplies
LOSSES
Excitement in business circles the destruction
of Virginia City, New, by fire. stiT continues. On
the street in the early part of the day. however, stocks
had resumed some of their former tone and sold as
follows:- =.
Consolidated Virginia. which yesterday was at 900,
commanded $50; ophr, yesterday at 80, was at 43;
California 54h Gould and Curry, 20 Best and Belcher
40; Hale and Norcross "a; Savage SIS.
EXTENT THE CALAMITY.
The total losses by the confagraton are now es-
timacd TO aggregate about $4 600, 900, instead OF
S. 000, 900. The injury to the mining interests in.
voved has not been as yet definitely ascerained In
this city, however, there is more confident
feeling among business than yesterday after
the first news of the then unmeasured
calamity had been realized There has been a rumor
to-day magnifyng the extent of the disaster, and a
great many persons consequently deeply detected
1t is believed by them that the damage caused by the
re the 0phr shaft has been deprecated and that the
loss will be much heavier than II has been reported TO
be. Reliable information has been received here, how
ever, that the shaft escaped serious injury
The enterprlsing managers OF the Consolidated vir
gnia Nine 1t is stated have made arrangements for
the removal OF the hosting works intended for the
Lady Washington Mine to their own shaft They arc
Of the power and construction as those
destroyed by the nre ana nave not yet
been placed in position at the Lady Washington Nine
that they viii be easily available Approximate
figures from insurance companies place the losses
tanned by them in the nelghborhood Of 81, 100000.
Among the heaviest losers the Etna Imperial and
Queen and Commercial Union, about 100000 each;
North British and Mercantile, $50 600; London Assur-
ance and Underwriters Agency, $4,000 EACH Hart
ford and Phoenix about $S5 900 EACH and other East
and foreign companies for smaller amounts.
Among the local companies the Commercial loses
800 900; Home Mutual, 1000 more, and Fire.
mans Fund, $50, 000 None Of the companies admit
that they are at all embarrassed by their losses.