The record-union., 1896-12-18
The Losses Estimated at Fifty Thou
sand Dollars.
A Los Angeles Citizen Arrested on
Charges of Attempting to Poison
His MOther-in-LaW = Miraculous
Escape From Death of Boy Who
Was Thrown Under a Moving
Locomotive at Santa Rosa.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 17.-James-
town, more popularity called "Jimtown.
in Tuolumne County, one of the best
known mining towns in the State, was
nearly wiped out by fire this morning
Thirty buildings were burned, with a
loss of $4,000; insurance half that
amount.
The fire broke out about $50 this
morning in a bakery. 1t is supposed to
have started from the oven. 1t had
been famed by a strong breeze that
was blowing at the time, but was
quickly beyond the control of the little
fire apparatus that the town possessed.
From the building in which it orig
mated, and which it quickly destroyed,
it spread to the neighboring structures,
and threatened to destroy the whole
central part of the town.
The citizens soon realized that they
were wholly unable to cope with the
fire and sent word to Sonora, asking
for help.
At that time the fire had destroyed
Pedros store, Blacks butcher shop
Docca's saloon, Whites hotel, in which
the Postoffice was located, Shaws hotel
and several buildings.
Nearly every building except the
quarters occupied by the demi monde
was wiped out.
The town has population of between
500 and 1000. AS with most of such
towns, the buildings are nearly all of
wood and in most cases but one story
in hight The loss on the buildings
themselves, while not very heavy, com
ing just at this season of the year will
be hard on the people living there.
jamestown is one of the old mining
towns of that part of the State. There
are no important mines located in it's
immediate vicinity, but it is the dis
tributing center for a large mining ter
ritory. The most important mine in the
neighborhood is the famous Rawhide
mine, owned by Colonel w. A. Nevills.
THE TOWN A MASS OF RUINS.
STOCKTON, Dec. 17.-At 3:30 this
afternoon a telephone message was re-
ceived from jamestown stating that the
town was mass of smoking ruins, only
three or four shanties removed from the
town proper and one or two stores hav-
ing escaped destruction. The fire was
still burning, but the conf1agration had
ceased for lack Of new material.
D. B. Oliver of this city, who repre-
sents the insurance companies in which
about ST., 900 worth of jamestown prop
erty was insured, and who left that
place only last evening, says that among
the structures burned there were some
twenty-five stores ranging in value from
$1,000 up to $1,000 or $4,000
The principal losers are Howard
Preston and J. G. Pedro. The last
named owned two brick buildings, both
of which were entirely destroyed. He
is known to have about S4 900 insur-
ance on them. The total loss to the town
cannot be less than $4,000 to the build
ings alone.
There is but one principal street in
and the flames literally
swept down the buildings on both sides
of the main thoroughfare.
AS result Of the confiagration, there
are many homeless and houseless peo-
pie tonight in the once prosperous
mining camp. Aid is being sent from
Sonora and Chinese Camp to those
whose roofs We're to-day burned from
over their heads.