Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-11
MACON BEATS COLUMBUS.
THE BLAZE AT KEY WEST.
Interesting Details of the Recent Great
Confiagration.


Interesting Details of the Recent Great
COnfisgratiOn.
From the Ee1o York World.
KEY WEST, FLA, April 3.-The recent
cOnfagration here was the most appalling
ever seen in this city. At $50 on the
morning OF March 30, fire broke out on
Duval street in a Cuban cook shop,
adjoining the San Carlos hall. The hall
was a f. anne building, and in less than
two minutes it WAS enveloped in flames,
the reflection from which Illuminated the
entire city. The Volunteer fire depart
ment responded promptly to the
call, but the only fire en-
CINE possessed by the city was
away for repairs, and the efforts of the
! men TO control the flames by means
Of buckets passed from one to another
proved futile. In an incredibly short
space of time the flames licked up the adj
joining building, Mrs. Babcock's millin-
cry establishment, the inmates escaping
in their night dresses. The flames leaped
| across the street. and in nYe minutes
| dozen houses were in blaze. The flames
shot up hundred feet in the air, and
| what might have been checked by an
! efficient fire department now assumed the
/ appearance OF a terrible cOntiagratiOn.
| Four hundred and fifty sailors, under the
! commander of the United States steamer
! Brooklyn, came to the rescue and worked
with a Will, but in spite of their heroic
efforts the fire made irightiul progress.
The residence OF John Sawyer, one of
| our merchant princes, situated on the
corner of Duval and Fleming streets,
was reduced to ashes, but not until the
| flames had extended across the street
and communicated to the residences of
Mrs Hurtell and ex-GoV. Bethel. Sparks
had set fire to the houses on the east side
of Mr.. Sawyer's house, and every house
in the block was in a blaze to the corner
| OF w bltehead and Fleming streets. On
the southwest corner is situated the
county jail, whose inmates feeling the hot
/ breath Of the ftre-tiend, and terrified at the
! prospect OF a horrible death, made frantic
efforts to escape, calling loudly for help.
But the Sheriff, who is always at his post,
was prepared to take care of his charge
when the proper time came. The sailors
were to be seen everywhere, on the tops
Of the houses wetting the roofs with what
| water could he procured. The cisterns
were dry, as 1T had not rained for some
time, and consequently little or no water
could be had. Seeing this the Mayor and
commanding officer Of the Brooklyn took
| steps to blow up several houses.
Gov. BethePs was the first house that
was blown up, but the explosion was pre-
mature, and two prominent gentlemen,
/ John MCkiliip, merchant, and W. G. NJ a
! lony, lawyer, were seriously injured. In
spite of the reckless daring and magniti-
cent courage displayed by the sailors, the
flames, propelled by a gale of wind, went
kissing and cracking through the remain
/ der of the block as far as Eaton street,
when they turned suddenly to the right
on Eaton street, and the Episcopal church
was soon in a blaze. In a few minutes
the belfry fell, and as 1t did the bell toled
its own sad requiem. The sparks filled
the air like myriads Of stars. and,
falling on the housetops, set fire
/ to the entire block on both sides
Of Eaton street as far as SimOuton
street. Every house, including the Bap-
/ fist church, was reduced to ashes. On
the southeast corner of Eaton and Simon
ton streets stands the Methodist church,
a stone structure, which escaped. A de-
taehment of sailors was LETT to fight the
! flames at the corner of Fleming and
! Whitehead streets, while the main body
was dispatched to the corner OF Simonton
and Eaton streets. The volunteer tiremen
| had given up the fight and we're doing
! good work in carving out furniture, etc,
but the sailors kept up the work OF
lighting the flames. The Cuban fremen
were worse than useless.
At l0:30 a. m, the fire had consumed
every building from the corner of Eaton
and SimontOn streets as far as Front
street, including Hayman's dTy-gOOds
/ store, the Masonic Hall, Seideuberg a
/ Co.'s immense cigar factory, City Hall,
City Market, l.. w. Pierce's large cloth
ing store, aud every building, public aud
private, on both sides of the street.
Wherever the flames went they made a
clean sweep. No attempt was now made
10 put out the fire. Everybody knew
that il must burn itself out. The eX-
hausted sailors stuck maniully TO their
work and pulled down or blew up all
/ buildings that were endangering others.
The streets were clicked uD with terrified
/ Cubans and predatory Bahaman negroes.
The former were flying hither and tbther
AFFECT terror,and the latter were pursuing
their familiar ayocation Of stealing all
/ they could place their hands on. The
| Banana negro is the most indOent OF be-
ings and a born thief, hence the
intense satisfaction with which
he viewed the devastating ire.
/ The city has a miserable police force,
and hundreds of negro men and women
passed under the noses Of some OF the Of
fcers with their arms fun OF household
articles, from rocking chairs 10 frying
pans. The streets were strewn with ci-
| CARS, and numbers Of people carried of
barrels OF them.
When the flames reached Front street,
| mile iron its starting point, IL turned To
the right and consumed every building to
the waters edge, including William Cur
| ry's immense warehouse and store. From
the corner Of SimOntOn and Front streets,
| II turned again 20 the left and burnt every
| thing right through TO Duval street. DR..
/ OttO's new drug store, "A very tine build
ing, Maslin's bakery, the Russell house
and every building on Duval street, be-
tween Caroline and Front streets burnt to
ashes. excepting Warren's drug store and
Marcus Oiyier's billiard saloon. On
Front street, between SimontOu ana Du-
val streets. every building is in ashes, ia
GLIDING the post office, express Office,
Greau's iewelry store aud Homes i'm
mense dry goods house. All the newspa-
per Offices In the city were destroyed.
Martins large cigar factory aud every
building between Front street and the
water and between Simonton street and
! Duyal has been consumed.