The San Francisco call., 1898-08-13
WHEATLAND IS
 SWEPT BY FIRE Nearly Every Business House in Ashes. ESTIMATED LOSS S180,000 PRINCIPAL SUFFERERS AND IN-
 SURANCE.
ESTIMATED LOSS s1so,Ooo
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 WHEATLAND, Aug. 12. - A fire started shortly before 1 o'clock to-day in barn back of Neimeyer's store. h. stantly the blaze jumped, as if follow ing an oil trail, to the warehouses on either side, and before the fire alarm was rung the Sperry Company's large grain warehouse and Neimeyer's ware house were a burning mass, sending flames and smoke high in the air.
 The fire bell brought the hop pickers from the fields adjoining town, and in less than ten minutes fully 2000 people were on the main streets. They lent willing hands to check the spread of the flames, but their work was useless. The fire spread rapidly north, east and west. It looked at one time as if the whole residence portion of the town would go, and there were few houses out of which valuable goods were not removed.
 AS soon as it was seen that the prin- cipal business block, which is of brick, was doomed, the uninsured stores were thrown open and the public invited to save the goods Here the hop pickers lent a ready hand, and tonight, out of the Stagner Brothers grocery and hardware store, there is not enough saved goods under guard to supply our military company with weeks rations and hatchets and pincers for Cuban detail
 Not until the fire had been checked did the people realize what was going on about them. The rapacious greed of the lower element among the hop pick CTS was stimulated by the absence of law officers, and it was not uncommon to find men filling barley sacks with plunder.
 AS soon as possible Marshal Waddell deputized two dozen men and armed them with shotguns. When the first guards came out a crowd of fully 500 roughs were fighting. The special offi- cerS were almost powerless to make ar rests, but eight of the leaders were ta- ken and locked in box cars. After an hours work the town was cleared and what goods were left were put under guard.
 Tonight two attempts were made to fire other portions of the town. These facts tend to confirm the theory that the fire was incendiary. The casualties were one Chinaman dead and one horse burned. A number of persons were overcome by the heat.
 Following is the loss by fire and the insurance: Farmers Bank, $7000; in- surance, $400o; L. Melton, $10,0o0, dwell ing, insurance $6000; D. $. Little, $150O, blacksmith-sh insurance $500; Mrs. Wesscher, $10G0, dwelling, insurance $650; J. M. c. Jasper, $lO,OOO. 6u1ld1ngs' insurance $5250; P. Nj. Bray, $9OO0, hotel, insurance 5000; A. c. Stagner $S0OO, hardware, no insurance; R. P. Stagner, S40O0, groceries, no insurance; J. M Rich. $3O00, groceries, no insurance; Odd Fellows Building Association, $12,- 900, insurance $8000; Town Hall, $500 insurance 5000; L. w. McCurry $10,- a nd ance $300O; P. Blackford, $3000, wool, in sl1rance $2SS0; J. B. Harris, $4000, dry goods. insurance $2000; Sutter Lodge, l. O. 0. F, $350 insurance $200; E. Pin GUS & Go, $13,000. general merchandise, insurance $S000; John Steinman, S6OO0, buildings, insurance $3000; J. F. Baum. $3O00 blacksmith-shop, no insurance; Four Corners printing office, $30OO, no insurance; Melton & Grant, 5000, no insurance; Purcell & Riechert, 5000, butcher-shop. no insurance; w. H. Me meyer, $10,000, merchandise and build ings. insured; Sperry Flour Company, $25, 900, mill and warehouses, insurance unknown; c. K. Dam, s13,OoO, grain, in- surance $11,000; c. K. Dam, $2000 on other stock, insured; Samuel Muster, S32O0, grain, insurance $3000; Fred Kus- ter. $3000, grain, insurance $2400; P. l.. Hutchinson, $2400, grain, insurance S1750; J. M. c. Jasper. S2000, grain, in IN grain, no insurance A. Gallagher, $1200, grain, no insurance; Mrs. A. w. Oak ley, $670, grain, no insurance; James Farris, $670, grain, no insurance; M. J. Curtis, $675, grain, insured. Other grain in warehouses makes the total loss on grain $40, 900. w. B. Atkinson, dwelling and barn, $200 insured; Mrs Fraser, 5000. dwelling, insurance $500; F. T. Burdick, household goods, $500, no in- surance
 George Dalbey, blaming mill, $3000, no in- surance; J. A. Stewart, wagon shop, $1400, no insurance John Steinman. Chinatown, s1500 no insurance; D. E. Roddan. lumber yard and dwelling. $10.000 insured; South ern Pacific Company, two loaded cars, two empties, stockyards and sfdetracks, $7000
 It is estimated that the total loss will reach $1S0 900. The whole business part of the town is in ashes. There is but one small grocery store left In town. and we have a hop population of about 5000 to once to provide for this trade.