Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-11-17
100 Acres Of Houses Destroyed,
and 1000 Families Homeless.

Jile inmates barely esCaPluS WIN
their lives.
AT This moment the Fire Department
got two streams going, but they were
of no avail. The heat became so in
tense that the firemen had to abandon
their positions and the wind rose and
carried myriads of sparks to premises
east of Avenue A. A general alarm
was sounded. In half an hour two
blocks were burning fiercely, and by
3 O'Clock every one saw that great
contlagration was upon the city.
People for squares around on either
side Of the burning blocks became
panic stricken, and the piercing cries
of frightened women could be heard
above the hoarse din of the fire and
the mournful wind. At 80 the fire
had leaped three blocks distant from
its starting point, but in perfectly
straight line, being confined to the
blocks bounded by Sixteenth and
Seventeenth streets.
About 4 o'clock the fire began to
spread TO the east and TO the west Of
Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
The wind rose TO gale and a pam
demonium reignod. For a time it
seemed as though the entire eastern
half of the city was doomed. The
fire spread rapidly to the southward,
licking up the blocks of elegant resi-
dences, hastily abandoned by their
inmates. By o'clock it had reached
Broadway, which treads the center
of the island running east and west.
AT Z o'clock the wind gave signs of
dying away, and shortly it began to
shift, then to decrease, until by s
O'Clock only fair breeze was blowing,
but by this time the fire had eaten
its way TO Avenue 0, where at 8
O'Clock it seemed to exhaust itself,
and the men coming up checked its
further ravages at this point in two
blocks of the gulf. ct.
The burned district covers fifty
two blocks, seven of which are not
swept entirely clean. 1t is sixteen
blocks in depth, and averages a
width of three blocks. From the
housetop the smoking burned districts
resembles huge black, half-opened
fan, lying across the island from the
bay nearly to the gulf. The island is
nineteen blocks, or ono mile and
qharter wide. Sixteenth street is nine
blocks west of the extreme inhab-
table end of the island, the first resi-
dent street being Sixth. From avenue
A to avenue ID the fire was confined
TO the strip bounded on the east by
Sixteenth street, and on the west by
Seventeenth street. The business of
the city begins at Twentieth street
and runs west ten blocks. This out
line locates the fire which began to
spread rapidly after it had passed
avenue d. By the time 1T reached
avenue j or Broadway, it was sweep
ing nearly three blocks in width from
the west side of Seventeenth street 10
the east side ofFourteenth street.
AS nearly as can be estimated the
loss to the insurance companies will
reach $l,700,000, and the total loss,
100000. All That remains Of the
once beautiful and happy homes are
few standing chimneys and num-
bers of half-burned ornamental trees
and shrubs. AS the flames swept
uncontrollably along before the gale.
policemen ran from house to house
in advance and aroused the sleeping
residents, giving them barely time to
save themselves and what clothing
they could hastily throw on. People
thusaroused several blocks in advance
of the flames could not be made to
realize that they were in imminent
danger and would not attempt to
move their effects to place of safety.
Many lost their household effects
after removing them to what they
considered safe places. In great
number of instances the flames came
upon the people before they could
release their horses and dogs. None
of the business portion of the city is
burned, and no Government, city or
county buildings. A number of
valuable churches and schools have
suffered greatly.
The relief committees appointed at
the citizens meeting this noon are
actively engaged, but there will be
great suffering on account of the
norther blowing. The City Council
has appropriated $4,000 from the
general fund for relief. AS soon as
people had recovered from excite
ment, meeting was held at the
Cotton Exchange, at which relief
committee of twenty-four was APP
pointed to distribute supplies among
the destitute; $4,000 was subscribed
OIL the spot.
Capt. j. b. Eads has sent $1,000
and Jay Gould $4,000, making total
of $37, 800 already on hand. A
"Alikado" benefit tonight swelled
this to $4,000. aq
There are many rumors of casual
ties and of persons being burned up,
but none have been verified. Two
men were found on the streets insen-
sible from pynosure hiit recnverad Of