Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-30
OCALA BURNED AT DA NN.
A FALLING LAMP DOOMs TWO
THIRDS OF THE TOWN.

THIRDS OF THE TOWN.
The Loss Between $500 900 and $780,
600 and the Insurance Less than
s1OO,O0O-AIl the Business Blocks and
rive Dwellings Destroyed-Several In
jured-BuIldings Blown Up.
JACKSONVILLE, Nov. 90, P. MA dis
astrous re,which occurred this morning.
destroyed the larger part of the town of
Ocala, including the new brick hotel, the
Office of the Banner and several stores and
residences. The loss is over 5000, 900. The
insurance is probably small.
OCALA, FLA, Nov. %, P. MA
terrible fire broke out here at 1850
O'Clock this morning. The entire business
portion of the town is destroyed. The
loss is estimated at from 100000 to $780,
600. The fire originated in Benjamin's
store by the upsetting of kerosene lamp.
The Ocala Hotel, just finished and costing
$l25,OOO, is in ashes. SnOwden's, Benia-
MINIS, Misses Barco's, MaxwelPs, Lewis,
the Ocala Banner, Richards stables, Miller
& Dunn's Merchant House, Robinson's
Ocala restaurant, and other buildings are
destroyed. Several buildings were blown
UP " aAIESb buG udiDBS. Inc insurance is
probably not over $4,000.
j. Hess, a commercial traveller for
Meinhard Bros. & Co., of Savannah, was
injured by the explosion, and Luther
Phipp was badly hurt.
There is no fire department in Ocala,
and water was scarce. This is one of the
most destructive fires that ever occurred
in Florida.
OCALA, FLA, Nov. 30, 8 P. M.-The fire
was discovered burning through the roof of
Benjamin's store. Two-thirds of the busi-
ness places in the town are tonight burn
ed to the ground. Benjamin & Co.'s loss
is $4,000, and the insurance $4,000. The
losses sustained by Brown & Frederick
and the owners of the Thayer brick hotel,
with its furniture, aggregate $72, 900, and
is insured for only So, ,0O0.- J. B. Belps
small wooden building is a total loss. On
the Zebutt building and w. II. Brady's
goods the insurance is fair in comparison
with the value. d. A. Miller's store was
occupied by r. r. Snowden, druggist.
The building and drugs are fully insured.
II. p. Robinson & Bro. probably saved
twO-thirds Of their goods, but in a dam
aged condition. The property was fully
insured. Miller & Dunn saved two-thirds
of their goods, but they were also in dam
aged condition. The firm is fully insured.
Israel Brown had no insurance and his
loss is $500. The building is owned by
5. W. Moody and is insured. f. Z. Har-
ris, who owned the Banner building and
his residence, loses $4,000 and is insured
for SR nm H.
is $4,000 and is insured for $1,SOO. CT.
MaXwelPs residence was insured for 500,
and he suffers only partial loss. On E. W.
Agnew g. Co.'s five stores, with the two
story hotel above, the loss is $40. 900 and
the insurance $4,000. #. A. Orr & Co.,
drugs, lose $500, but are fully insured.
Condor & NOlk, jewelers.. saved their
goods in a damaged condition, but they
are insured. 5. NJ. G. Gary's livery stable
and two stores are a total loss. The build
ings We're old and not OF much value. On
Whitfield's boarding house, owned by E.
w. Agnew & Co., the loss is $1,000. 1t
was insured. DR.. Thos. p. Gary's resi-
dence is total loss. The furniture was
saved, but is greatly damaged The
Magnolia Hotel was saved, and the post
office, fixtures, ETC., were also
saved. The Misses Barco's resi-
dence is an entire loss, aggregating
$1,500. The county records were saved.
Charles Schafer's restaurant and grocery
stock was saved, but were damaged. Par
ramore & TaylOr's grocery stock was
saved, but is damaged. Pat Devine, the
tailor, saved his goods. The effects of
Slusser, the barber, were saved. E. J.
Harris stables are a total loss. On
E. r. Van Pett's twO-story build
ing the loss is $500 and the in
surance is $1,000. A northeast wind did
the work. The cOlored people worked
with a will. Mr.. Thayer opens new
hotel at the depot tomorrow. Ocala will
rise from her ashes grander than ever.
All are sorry, but our flags still fly.
TwO-thirds of the business houses of
the town and i've residences were burned.
The fire swept around two sides of the
public square.
Ocala is pretty little town of 1,S00 in
habitants, which has of late years been
fast gaining popularity with Northern
tourists. Il is situated forty miles
south of Gainesville, and has ten
or twelve stores, two or three
schools, and five or six churches.
Everybody was asleep when the fire was
discovered, but the whole town was
quickly aroused, and rushed into the
streets. Lines were formed, and futile
efforts made to check the progress
of the flames with buckets
of water. The wind proved an
unconquerable adversary, however, and
to the resort to powder and battery rams
may be attributed the saving of the town.
Mr.. Hess injuries consist of burns about
the face and arms, sustained while aiding
tn the blowing up of one of the buildings
Luther Phipps, clerk for VIM. Robinson,
was badly injured by falling from a third
story window. out OF which he was lean