, 1880-12-12
Nine Tenths Of the Business Por-
ton OF Pensacola Laid in
Ruins Yesterday.
All the Public Buildings, Hotels,
and Newspaper Offices
Destroyed.
The Loss Estimated at Between
S5oo,ooo and S., 100000.
Five Firemen Lose Their Lives Dur.
ing Fire in Cincinnati.
Narrow Escape Of Women from Burning
Building in St. Louis.
AT PENSACOLA. FLA.

| AT PENSACOLA, FLA.
| PENSACOLA, Fla, Dec. 11.-The Custom
HoVse and records burned last night. In ad-
dluon, nlne-fenths Of the business portion of
| the city was destroyed Loss about half q
| million. All the buildings from Romano street
south to Taragossa street, excepting Byrne's
buildings, are burned,-in all comprising
1onr olocks. The loss to merchants is very
heaVy, as they have Just received their fall
Stocks The origin of the fire is unknown.
1t started in the building occupied By 8.
Damlani as confectionery store, the In
mates OF which barely escaped with their
lives, TWO beng severely burned, and saving
nothing. The flames might have been
checked sooner, but the steam engine being
out Of repair was in the machine shop.
Ihe Gazette and Adva1ace Offices are total
ly destroyed.
The fire lasted for eight hours. Five blocks
In the heart Of the city burned. Polafox
street, from Wittich's corner to the middle of
the block opposit the Plaza, is swept clean
The fire stopped on Government street at
the City Hotel east, and one square and back
OF the Custom-House west
Over 100 establishments are gone, embrac-
Ing the main business buildings, and turning
0ut'about fifty families from their houses
The Custom-House, Post-Of1ice, Merchants,
Hotel, Brents bank, both telegraph offices,
both newspapers, ,Dunn's Exchange, Wrlght's
dry-goods house, and the County Clerks
Office, are among the wel[known
buildings burned County-C1erk Larue, for
the fifth time in his term, saved the records,
but while doing this his own residence
burned, and he is hunting for his family.
The railroad depot and adjacent mills
seemed certain, and locomotives stood all
night fired up ready to pull the Company's
equipments and other property ont Of town.
Much suffering must ensue.
The fire originated in the confectionery
store of Da1niana. His family resided above
the store, and several Of them were burned.
Mrs. Damiana will die.
The insurance held by those burned out
amounts to about quarter of million.
The Post-Oftice and United States Court
Clerk saved the mail and papers.
Pensacola to-day presents a picture OF
des0lation, many merchants, in consequence
of the small insurance and heavy holiday
stocks, the who, Yesterday, were in we1lto-
do circumstances, finding themselves. almost
completely ruined.
AGAVAk kA1o CotaO1loluAcISto 05SkIOJ6U a1E
the Gazette and Aduance printing offices, |
thereby leaving us without journal to tell
the tale Of ruin.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Special Dtspateh to The Chicago Tttbun&
CISc1SyATl, O., Dec 11--Dispatches from |
Pensacola give details OF most disastrous
fire which has almost swept that city out of
existence. The fire broke out early this |
morning in business house near the centre
of the city, and, is the only fre-engine in the |
town was In the repair shop, little could be |
done to stay the flames. The wind was |
blowing brlskly, and the FIRE swept across the |
portion OF the town where the best buildings
md heaviest stocks are located. Pensacola
Is SO far distant from any city |
Of considerable size that to. get |
assistance was almost impossible, and
the place seemed for time entirely at theel
mercy OF the ire. The panic-stricken citl-
zens: however. finally formed themselves
INTO bucketrbrlgades, and after several hours
IT fighting the fire was got under control.
Several persons were seriously injured by
:alling walls.
a dispatch received here giving details OF
he fire and losses says that nlne-tenths OF
he business portion Of the city is destroyed.
The losses cannot be got In detail tonight,
tut will amouht probably to over million
iollars.
This is sad blow to Pensacola, for, with
is excellent railroad and harbor. faciti-
les, Its enterprising citizens were looking
Onward to very bright future for the city.