The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-05-07

nearly 10 hours. In that time prop
: erty damage estimated from about
$10.000.000 to about $15,000,000 was
caused.
According to the city map, 1870
blocks were burned, many of them in
the heart OF the business and resi-
dence section. The estimate of
houses to the block Is 10. hence, 1t
was estimated, about 1900 of them
went UP In smoke. Many of the finest
public and private buildings were de-
stroyed, including hotels, theater,
churches and residences.
At Least Several Casualties.
The casualties could not be ac-
curately estimated last night. That
there were several seems to be well
authenticated. Among them was that
to the fire chief, who sustained bad
fall.
The mayor ordered all Of the sa.
looms closed, and impressed help to
clear the wreckage.
The mayor stated that he estimated
the loss at about. SIS, 100000 and that
about 10000 to about $4,000 people
were homeless.
Jacksonville, Fla, May A dis
astrous fire occurred along the entire
length of Beaver street. from Davis
street to The creek on Liberty street.
This Is IA solid blocks of residences.
For the same distance Ashley and
Church streets have both been com.
pletely hlotteN out. When the fire
reached Bridge street In its eastward
course It enveloped In flames three
blocks Duval, Monroe and the north
tvIov
section Of the city and running IA
blocks to the Duval street bridge.
How much further In that direction
the city is burned it is impossible to
learn, the street being impossible.
but 1t Ia feared that st. Luke's hos.
Dital was burned, and q report saws
the Presbyterian church in East Jack
6onville Is ablaze. II this is correct
the fire must have extended about
tfve block further east. The confla.
grafton has covered, as far as Is
definitely known, distance OF about
Two and a half miles by about half a
wile wide.
When the fire reached Julia street
1t was roaring furnace, without any
prospect cf being put under control.
The local military companies were
called out to keep back the crowds
and the fiIe department began to use
dynamite to blow up the houses a
block from the fire and thus prevent
the fire from spreading. So fierce
was the blaze, however, and so strong
had become the wind that millions
OF sparks and flying burnig shingles
spread over five or six blocks, setting
the roofs OF the houses on fire in ad.
vance OF the department. Soon Sen.
ator Tal'aterrO's residence then the
adjacent houses on that block were
ablaze, and in spite Of the efforts to
save the Windsor and the st. James
notelS, both hOstelries were quickly
enveloped In flames. For about an
hour the guests in the Windsor had
been buslly packing their trunks and
went away loaded with trunks and
grips, some unfortunately to the
United States hotel but most of them
to Riverside.
Flames Leaped Across the Street.
Leaping across the street from the
windsor, the flames attacked the
Zills houso and then the Methodist
parsonage. and In q few moments the
Trinity Methodist church was a mass
Of flames. The opera house block fol.
lowed and the Richards and Living.
stone boarding houses A desperate
effort was made to save the Bald
win mansion. which was recently
purchased by the Elks. No earthly
power could save this building. and
that entire block and the one east
was quickly mass of flames. Once
the fire got started on Main street.
the closely adjoining buildings went
one after the other. Paint shops,
with barrels of oil. were plentiful In
this district, and as they caught Are
one after the other the blaze. rising
hundreds Of feet high, quickly set the
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 great
deal of dynamite were stored in this
building. In about 10 minutes there
was roar and the building collapsed
ike an cggshell. The dynamite and
the powder had exploded. Here again
there was much danger for the fire.
men. Cartridges began to explode
and bullets began to fly around. and
the effort to fight the flames at this
point had for time to be abandoned.
This was only the start OF the most
intense part OF the fire.
Fire Spread With Rapidity.
Tho new Furchgott building was
soon ablnze and then quickly the
Gardner building was also mass of
flames. Down the street the FIRE
spread with rapidity and the entire
section Of Day street from Market To
Main street, and extending for about
five blocks back. was burning all at
once.
{, Tho city building went. the central
1rs department station. the armory,
tho county court house. the clerks
omce with the county records, the
criminal court house, the city jail and
TIE Catholic church and orphanage.
% Johns Hpiqcopal church and the
Catholic convent. All this destruc-
e2a Eae $500 = - - (e'f,