Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-19
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RED BLUFF. August 1Sth.-About 10
o'clock last night the fire bell rupg, the
cry of fire was heard on Main street. and the
people were fockiDg toward the scene with
the swiftuess that can be better imagined
than described. Upon reaching Main street
it was soon discovered that the fire bad
originated in the cellar of Colonel J. G..
Stocks cigar store, in the old Luna House
corral building, centrally located. The alarm
spread all over the city, and the streets were
alive with people.
THE BELLS RANG FURIoUsLY
And the whistle at the water works also
sounded the alarm. The firemen were on the
ground promptly, and both the hand engine
and the steamer were put to work TO try to
stop the devouripg element. By this time
flames had burst out through TIE roof of the
Luna House, and also through the roof of Ed.
wards saloon. Then the fruit store of Ed.
Walbridge. north of Edwards saloon, took fire,
when the flames soop leaped over Paul Stoll's
new brick harness shop. which he had moved
into this week, and set fire to McCarthy's
boot and shoe shop and George w. Vestals
meat market, still north of Mccarthy; but
by terrible effort on the part of the fremen
in charge Of the steamer the FIRE was stopped
without doing much damage to the two last
named buildingp. w. III. Bahney's drug
store, adjoining Stocks. was the next build.
ing to take fire, and then the wooden build.
ings in the rear of G. w. Fickert's furniture
store.
THE WIND
Up to and before this time had been cutie
calm; now it commenced to blow from the
north, and Fickett's furniture store was dis.
covered to be on fire, as also the building ad-
joining on the south, occupied by the Bank
of Tehama County, and Wells, Fargo Co.,
and Signal SergeaDt's Office upstairs. Then
the brick building of l.. Fl. d. LANCE caught
fire, the lower story of which was occupied
by Gertsenberger & Kuhn, jewellers, and
Charley Lange's barber shop and offices and
families upstairs. A. j. LOOMS two-story
frame building, on the corner of Main and
Oak, next caught fire, and with the adjoining
buildings on the west were soon
DEVELOPED IN FLAMES,
As was also the saloon of Fish & Weeks, NJ.
r. Hook & Simpsons real estate and insur.
ance Office, and Henry Weitfedt's blacksmith
shop. The whole half of the block east Of
the alley, north of Oak and south of Pine,
except the Luna corral stable, was one burn.
ing mass. The heat was now intense, and the
fremen and citizens turned their attention
to the Masonic Temple, to try to save it !;
but all exertions were futile for in less
than half an hour after the balcony took
fire the whole building was in flames.
About the same time that the Temple took
fire, Major John Braiy's elegant new wooden
livery stable, the finest in northern Califor-
mia, became enveloped in flames, and it soon
became a mass of ruins. Next came the Red
Bluff Hotel, adjoining the Masonic Temple
on the south, and the death-dealing and
monster flames started heavenward with de-
moniacal fury. TIE two-story frame house
of Mrs. Sally Smith, occupied by Misses Sallie
Marshal and Waters as dressmaking estab.
ishment, and Mrs. Sleeth's residence, took
fire and soon were burned to ashes.
THE HEAT
At this time became SO intense that the wood
work of the recently constructed Good Tenn.
plars' Hall, opposite the Red Bluff Hotel,
took fire, as did also Johnny Clements one.
story brick, north of the latter building, and
Olendorfs, occupied by Robinson as restau.
rant, and the Sentinel building, occupied
by the broom factory and Cady's tailor
shop, on the south. The wind now
was blowing a gale from the north,
which caused the flames to spread to James
Gooch's brick building, occupied by George
II. Mayhe general merchandise dealer, and
Charles Browns cigar mandatory. From
the Marysville Store the flames leaped to J.
G. Goochs and d. w. Gsbney's residences,
both of which soon succumbed 70 the devour-
ing element. Meanwhile the FIRE had CON-
pletely enveloped the Good Templars' build
ing and John Clements building on the
corner, in which was the Postoffice and store,
and Haberland & Winters 1. X. l.. Store,
and Judge G. A. Comstock's Justice of the
Peace Office. The heat was intense while sll
these
MANY BUILDINGS WERE BURNING,
Which set fire to the residence Of G. w.
LANCE, back of the alley, which was soon
burned to the ground. AS the fire spread
from block to block, the engines took up a
new position so as to stop the terrible de.
stroyer. While Esnge's building was burn.
ing the old Confidence tub made an
attachment to the fre.plug at the bridge
and got stream on the burning build
ings. DIR. Dodson's and Marshal McCom-
mons residences, south of Lapge's, were with
seeming superhuman efforts on the part of
both fire companies, aided by citizens, saved
from destruction. Meanwhile the steamer
had been doing good work, and succeeded in
checking the fire. after it had burned. DR..
Esterle's new residence back of Mrs. Sleeth's
residence, on Washington street.
ESTIMATE OF LOSSES.
At this writing Is a. II It is i'm.
possible to give anything like a correct
estimate of individual loss, but we will sim
ply give an estimate Of the heaviest losers :
Masonic Temple, SIS coo; insurance Sl5,-
coo; Red Bluff Hotel and furniture, $780,
900; John Clements, $4,000; Good Tenn
plars' Hall, unfinished, $1,000; insurance
$1,000; Sentinel building and office,
$1,000; j. C. Gooch,. $4,000; ID.
W. Gedney, building and furniture,
$1,000; John Brady, livery stable, etc..
Sc, 600; A. J. Loomis. building. etc.,
"a. eco; L. II. d. Lsnge, two buildings, furni-
ture, ETC.. $4,000; G. w. Fickert, furni-
ture, etc., SIS, 600; w. 81. Bahney, building,
drrgs atc 500 Ofr0. NJ Corrigan, Luna