Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-05-10
CITY LIES IN ASHES.
Terrific Conflagration Ragged
In Jacksonville, Fla.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS.
Six Lives Reported Lost-Property
Loss Roughly Estimated at 3d.
100000 The Flames. Famed
by n Gale. Were Irrcsistible.

n
JACKSONVILLE. Fla, May A.
Jacksonville has experienced the most
disastrous fire of her existence. The
buildings on the entire length of Beaver
street from Davis street to the creek on
Liberty street nave been totally de-
stroyed. This is II solid blocks of resi-
dences. For the same distance Ashley
and Church streets have both been COM
pletely blotted out. When the fire reach
ed Bridge street in its eastward course,
1t enveloped in flames three blocks, Du-
val. Monroe and the Forth side of Ad-
ans, burning up that entire section Of
the city and running II blocks to the
Duval street bridge.
When the fire reached Julia street, it
was roaring furnace without any pros
pect of being put under control.
The local military companies were call
ed out to keep back the crowds. and the
fire department began to use dynamite
TO blow up the houses block from the
fire and thus prevent the fire from
spreading. So fierce was the blaze, how
ever, and 50 strong had become the wind
that millions of sparks and flying burn
ing shingles spread over five or six
blocks. setting the roofs of the houses on
Soon Senator Taliafcrro's residence and
then the adjoining houses on that block
were ahlazc. Desperate efforts were
made to save the WEdsor and the St
James hotels, but both houses were quick
~ enveloped in flames. For about an
hour the guests in the Windsor had been
busily packing their trunks and went
away loaded with trunks and grips, some
unfortunately to the United States hotel
but most of them to Riverside
Leaping madly across the street from
the Windsor, the flames set fire to the
Sells House and then the Methods
parsonage \ few moments later the
Trinity NJ. L. church was Il mass Of
flames. The Opera House block followed
and then the richards and Livingstone
boarding houses \ desperate effort was
made to save the Baldwin mansion.
which was recently purchased 10y the
Elks for $4,000 No earthly power
could save this building and that entire
block and the one west of it were quickly
n mass of flames. Once the fire got
started on Main street the closely ad-
joining buildings went one after the 9TH
er. Paint shops, with barrels of oil in
stock, were plentiful in this district, and
as they caught on fire one after the 9TH
er the blaze rose hundreds of feet high
and quickly set the other buildings across
the street on fire.
Then the Hubbard hardware store
caught, and the people scattered when
they saw what had happened Hun
dreds of pounds of powder and n great
deal of dynamite were stored in this
building. Ten minutes passed, when
suddenly there was roar. and the build
ing collapsed like an cggshell. The dy-
Mantle and powder had exploded. The
firemen at this time were working in
great danger. Cartridges began to eX-
plode, and bullets began to fly around,
so the effort to fight the fire at this point
for time had to be abandoned. This
was only the start of the most intense
part of the fire The new Furchgott
building was soon ablaze. and soon the
Gardiner building was also il mass of
flames. Down the street the fire spread
with rapidity. and in Il short time the
entire section of Bay street from Mar
ket to Main street and extending for
five blocks back was burning all at once.
The city building went. the fire de-
partncnt building. the armory. the coun-
~ courthouse, tine clerks office with the
county records, the criminal courthouse.
the city Jail and the graded schools and
the Catholic church and orphanagc. ST.
Johns Episcopal church and the convent.
Almost the entire city of magnificent
buildings was burned mp in les than
four hours. The scene was one that
beggar> description.
AT $50 p. M the fire was checked ut
the intersection of Laurel and Bay
streets, where the Commercial bank is
located, which went up in flames. the
Western Union building being just across
the street and not being damaged.
Among the prominent hotels burned
were the st. James. the United States.
the Placde and the Windsor.
Six lives are reported lost in the con.
Migration.
The mayor has called a meeting of the
city council to consider ways and means
for relieving the sufferers.
The plans of the city as prepared hN
the city surveyors show that $50 block.
were burned and part Of another block.
The estimate of residences to the block
in the residential district is ten. and in
the business section the blocks were
solid.
Mayor Bowdcn says the property loss
will exceed Sl5,0OO,OO Ten thousand
TO fifteen thousand people are homeless