The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-09

""' wv warehouses; Wpfo HrcN tle
wind rosc from tho southeast, mud In n
snort timo quito II breeze was blowing
rom That direction. loft tho city Just
ABOUT annriBU on Monday morning by
mo river roal, or Plank road, going up
mo rivcr.' 1t will DO soon from this
how tho burning tobacco aud sparks
were carried over tho city and
set iiro to buildings ut many
dii!orcnt points. Tho city was sur.
rendered. to thu federal troops by
tho mayor, Joseph Mayo, members OF
tho council, aud several others who
wOro invited to net with him, about day.
break Monday morning, and tho flames
werO checked about ! o'clock that after.
noon, principally by n division Of the
United Statos army. under command OF
Gen. Woi,zcl. Cot. Benjamin s. Ewoll,
IN his evidence in tho suit above rotcr.
rod to, ssys: ITO the crodit OF Thu, off.
Ger 1t ought to DO known that whom his
command, consisting OF two divisions,
ono white. aud the other colorod troops,
tho latter being In front. approached tho
city, ho changed the order OF Li, march.
aud put tho white soldiers In front whom
ho saw the fire, rs being lcss likely to
commit oxcosse,, and bong nors skill.
cd and experienced in oxtinguishing
fires"
Tho fro consumed tho very hoart OF
the city. Commencing nt Shockoe
warehouse, Il radiated front and rear,
and on two wings, sweeping down to.
but not destroying, atoro No. Il, on the
south side vi Main street between Four.
teenth and Fifteenth, and running back
10 the river through Cary and all intor.
mediate streets. Westward, on tho
south side OF Main street, 1t was stayed
at Ninth, but burned back to tho river,
and through a section along and south
OF Canal. On tho north aide OF Main
street tho flames were checked to tho
east about half way between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets, aud to tho wost
they ravaged as far as Eighth street and
back to Bank. Those are only approx.
mato boundaries. however. Among tho
prominent building. destroyed wero
the banks and banking houses. tho
American and Columbian hotels. tho
Enquirer aud the Dispatch build
ings. tho Examiner Office. includ.
ing tho block on which 1t was situated,
aud which was bounded by Main, Frank
lin, Governor and Twolith streets the
state court house, on tho Capitol square;
tho United Presbyterian church. cor
nor Of Eighth and franklin the conted.
crate war department Told Mechauics'
ins;itute). the confederate arsenal. the
Gallcgo mills. tho state arnory and
C%orinthian hall. An account Of tho fro,
written in 1877. says: Next to the
river the destruction Of property was
feariully complete. The Danvillo and
Petersburg railroad depo,s and the
buildings aud sheddings attached all
went down. Tho territory for u distance
Of half a mile from the north side OF
Main street to the river and between
Eighth and Fifteenth streets. embrac.
ing upward Of 20 blocks. presented one
waste OF smoking ruins. blackeued
walls. and solitary chimnevs."
II Is estimated that between 700 aud
500 houses wero destroyed. Many who
returned after the surrender. and to
whom the streets OF Richmond had been
as familiar as the passages OF their own
houses. could hardly lind their way
through the debris OF their homes.
Tho only landmark left standing in
wha. was known as the burned district
was the custom house. which since the
war has been materially altered in ap-
pearance by additions both front and
renr. aud in architectural change In tho
facade.
Such was tho situation in tho spring
OF 1865. The business section OF the
/ r,t,, - n , IN oahaa fha MANILA tpapn tvIth-
out n medium OF exchange, tho men
who had como hack from the army
owned, in most cares, nothing but tho
ragged uniforms they had on their
backs, ouS railroad connections were
destroyed and tho banking interests
absolutely obliteratcd. Never was
there a gloomier or moro diaieartening
prospect
Wha: is the situation now?
The motto OF Richmond is "Sic ter al
aatrG." Snc could appropriately supple
ment it with, IL rise again triumphant"
a3 illustrating tho history OF tho last
three decades. Tho same fortitude and
perseverance. the same love for their
city. and the same municipal patriotism
that characterized the people OF Rich
mond during the four years OF tho strug-
gle for southern Independence, asserted
themselves after the war. They lost no
time in rcpining, but addressed them-
solves Immediately to the work OF 70.
building upon the ruins, and in their
success made n record TINT ia unpar-
ailelcd. Tho task before them was a
herculean one. but they accomplished
it in au incredibly short time.
In some respects tho fire was n bless
ing in disguise. All must admit this
who knew Richmond before tho war,
whose memories can summon n piano.
ramic view OF what tho burned district
wa, thon. With rare exceptions tho
houses now on the sites that wero
burned over are several hundred per
cent better and handsomor than wore
their predecessors.
In 1905. aitor the evacuation. the
population OF Richmond was at tho
highest estimate only about $1,000.
Now Il conservative estimate places it at
| 10000, while hor sister city, Manchester,
has n population OF 1900 or moro. and
tho suburbs OF tho two some 1000. In
passing it NAV DO remarked that those
figures arc well worthy Of consideration
in connection with tho annexation
proposition.
In April, 1865, Richmond's banking
capital. manufactures, jobbing trado.
and, rotail trade were nil. Tho Dis.
patches statistical exhibit for tho for
tho year lS9i-a year Of depression all
over tho country-showed banking CAPT.
tai, S~3.245,577; numbers Of manutac-
lures. S67; with sales OF S~3l,GS4,O50, aud
sales OF jobbing trade. SW,?l3,SSO. As