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Page: of 238
169 SEPTEMBER 19, 1877 GRASS VALLEY UNION
of Chinatown were open and the first flash of the blaze was noticed. There could have been no
incendiary there who could have made an escape. This is the opinion of the officers here as well as of
the more intelligent of the Chinamen.
When the alarm was given the Firemen turned out promptly and soon there were several
streams of water pouring on the flames. The Firemen worked well and with judgment. But
Chinatown was doomed. It was built of pine lumber and the houses were jammed together. Each
house was cut up into small rooms, after the Chinese style, and therefore each house was filled with
the best burning lumber in the country. This made the fire intensely hot, and the water poured on
would almost evaporate, and go off in the shape of steam, before it would reach the wood that was
actually burning. The compactly built part of Grass Valley, known as Chinatown, was soon in ashes,
and all the efforts made to save it was without avail.
It was with great difficulty that the fire was prevented from spreading up toward Auburn street.
The residences of Meyer Cohn and Dr. Jones were particularly in danger. The green trees at the rear
of these building made a splendid protection, and did more to prevent the spread of the fire than any
other one thing. That fact again furnishes an argument in favor of planting trees along all our streets.
Meyer Cohn sustained considerable loss in the way of furniture being damaged by water and by
efforts to remove it. Dr. Jones sustained a small loss from the same cause.
There is no way of estimating the damage done by the fire. The Chinese population of Grass
Valley numbers about three hundred, and they were pretty much crowded together in the one place.
But little of their household goods or gods were saved. Some of the merchants had fire-proof cellars
and in these were saved a good amount of provisions. But for such cellars the Chinamen of Grass
Valley would have yesterday been sufferers for the want of food. A UNION reporter undertook to
get the amount of the losses and his figures, taken from the statements given by Chinese themselves
show as follows:
Dr. Wah Kee, medicines $3,000
Joss House and property thereof 4,500
Long Hong & Co. merchandise 1,000
Shong Kee, merchandise 800
Ah King, merchandise 800
Quong On Hong, merchandise 1,000
Yin Kee, merchandise 500
Po King Tong, medicines 800
Besides the above there were numerous small losses of individuals in clothing, jewelry, etc.,
which brings up the total to $16,000 or $17,000.
There were thirty houses in Chinatown, belonging to Stone, Barger and Terrill. These were
assessed at #3,000, and paid pretty good interest on $5,000. There was no insurance on these
houses, and the loss on their account can fairly be called between $3,000 and $5,000.
As to the rebuilding of Chinatown nothing has yet been determined. The site of the ruins is the
most pleasant in Grass Valley; capable of being made into gardens that would delight all residents
and all who may visit this place. We think the owners of the ground there will find it profitable to
turn the land into building lots, of good size, for American residents. What a splendid park it would
make! At all events if Chinatown is located in the same place the plan of the building thereof will be
greatly changed from what it was before, thus securing better protection to the whole town in the
event of fire.
FOUND IT.—Yesterday morning Fi Kee, a Celestial, might have been seen raking in the ashes
for something. He wore an anxious cast of countenance at first, but pretty soon a broad grin spread
itself over his leather colored features. He found it. Down in a hole in the ground Fi Kee found $1,500
in gold coin, and as he drew it forth he remarked: “Plety dam good; Mellican man no burn allee.” Fi