The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-20
THOUSANDS IN SMOKE.
Large jacksonville Business
Blocks Succurab to Flames.

JACKSONVILLE, May 19.-TSpeciall-
The fire which started in the Mohawk
block last night and completely de-
stroyed that building was one Of the
most destructive which has ever visited
Jacksonville. and the losses foot up
nearly 100000. The losers are among
the Oldest, most enterprising and pub
Tic spirited firms in the city.
AT 1890 a. m. tho Mohawk block was
on fire in every portion and walls were
tumbling one after another. Fifteen
minutes later the wind, which had been
tanned up from the river by the action
OF the flames, increased into n fresh
gale from the southeast and swept the
fire to brick block west of tho Mo-
hawk building. This was ablaze in a
remarkably shor. time and nothing in
1T was saved, 1t was three stories high
and had been leased to Charles j
). Britt for many years, and was used
In the basement for the storage of
liquors and as a restaurant
one upper floor was occupied by the
family of Britt, all of whom were alb
sent in Now York at the time. The
next building west of the Britt building
was an elegant three-story brick and
iron structure owned by John Clark
and occupied by him on the two upper
hoors as store rooms for liquors, wines
and groceries and on the lower floor
by the United States Government as a
bonded warehouse. chiefly for tho storage
OF imported tobacco. While the tircmen
were saving tho Charleston Hotel this
block caught and by 2:30 it was a roar
ing mass of flames. SO completely did
1T catch that no attempt could be made
TO remove the goods and they were all
burned. The west wall Of this block
is heavy fire wall and it stopped fur
Their progress of the fire, although the
extreme heat once or twice generated
flames in the upper floor of the next
building.
But tho fremen now had the fire
under control and this building was
saved
The losses and insurance are as fol-
lows: Mohawk block, loss Sl2O, 600, in
surance $4,000; George L. Drew Hard
ware Company, loss 100000, nearly COW
cred by Insurance.; James Douglass,
books, etc, loss $4,000, insurance
$1,000; Church, Anderson l. Co., com.
mission house, loss S45, 900, insurance
81, 200; Nix, fruit dealer, loss S., 900; A.
w. Cockrcll II Sons, lawyers, loss
IS, 600, insurance $4,000. Hamilton
Disston, of Philadelphia, had saws
stored in tho Mohawk block valued at
81, 900. on which there was an insurance
OF Sl,2OS. The loss to Masonic lodges,
q. a. II. camps and other organizations
is about $4,000; insurance, So, 900. The
owner OF The building occupied by Britt
Il kurtz IS James IL. Santers. His loss
is So, 600; insurance, S., 900.
John Clark's building was valued at
S33,000 and carried an insurance of only
$1,000. The stock had an estimated
value of $4,000, insurance about Sl3,-
600. On the tirsr floor of this building
was the United States bonded ware
house, which contained between three
hundred and five hundred bales Of to-
blcco belonging to the FL Modelo and
Ell Tobo Cigar Manufacturing Com
panies. The loss is difficult to estimate,
and is probably Sl25,O0O to Sl6O, 900
The insurance is unknown, as the own.
crs are not all in the city. Policies
written by companies on all property in
any way involved in the fire amount to
$4,000 on which about rs per cent. is
total loss.
The city postollice is temporarily
lifted up In the city market building
and mails are being handled in good
shape. Nothing at present can be
learned about plans for rebuilding.