Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-04
SM0LDERING RUINS
Best Part of Residence Section of
jacksonville in Ashes.
One ESTIMATE OF Loss s15,O00,
Thousands Of People Homeless
and Several Lives Lost.
AN APPEAL FOR AID

JACKSONVILLE Fla, May A devas-
tated city. ruins everywhere, greeted the
smOke-enshrcuded sun today. The fire
which broke out at noon yesterday and was
aided in its work by southwest gale spent
Its force by . o'clock last night. The dam
age is enormous.
One hundred and forty-eight blocks were
swept by the flames and as far known
seven persons lost their lives.
y report was in circulation this morning
that party of twenty persons. driven to
the docks along the ST Johns river. were
forced into the water. all attempts at res
cue by boats being futile. The river Is
being searched.
All the local companies of the state mi
litia have been on duty since midnight. and
on order of Governor Jennings the military
companies from four cities are speeding to
-Jacksonvill by special trains. Many extra
police have been sworn in and every able
bodied man not doing duty in some capaci-
ty in the fire-swept district has been
pressed into service. The negroes are hud-
died in groups in different parts of the city
and the fear of attempt at lawlessness
by them. although not openly expressed by
the whites. Is the reason for the large mill
tary force ordered here.
Firemen Worked All Night.
The fire companies from Savannah, Fer
nandina. OCala and other cities worked
the entire night on the fire. but a soaking
rain will be necessary to effectually quench
the flames. The losses by the fire will not
be known for a week. The path of the
flames was thirteen blocks wide and nearly
two miles long.
Practically all old Jacksonville was de-
strOyed nothing having been left but few
suburbs and Riverside. the most fashion,
able part of the city 1t Is believed the fire
Is the largest record in proportion to the
size of the city
y feature of the confia grafton was the
loss by many families OF libraries pianos
and household goods after they had been
moved to a supposed place of safety.
The street car service has been at COM
piete stanjstill since yesterday afternoon.
All last night the city was in darkness
The electric light circuits We're interrupted
and the gas plant destroyed.
y conservative estimate places the num-
Der OF homeless persons in the city at
10000 Most of these spent the night in
the parks, on the docks and on barees
while some slept beside the few belongings
they had managed to save from the general
wreck The board of trade and other COM
merctal bodies held meetings at 1870 this
morning.
Will Appeal for Aid
1t is expected an appeal to the peon1e
of the United States calling for aid will
be issued during the day
Leading business men and Insurance
agents estimate the total loss of propertv
at from ten to fifteen million dollars.
The St James Hotel which was DESTROY
ed. has been closed since April 10 Tho
loss on this building is Sl75pu Amonp
the buildings destroyed are:
The Emery auditorium, board of trade
St James Hotel, Windsor Hotel, the Semi
noie CIub, the Daily Metropolis the CITY
hall and market. the Gardiner huildfne
the largest Office building in the city, and
the Hubbard building
Mayor Bowden said tn the asSoci,.,
representative
Say to the world, please that the Ioss
10 JachsonVlIle is greater than ever before
1nIlcted mn by hre upon city of the south
but her best wealth survives in her nen,
S15Oo0oo - property at
There is not a hint of lawlessness; our
people OF every race and condition have
shown the most helpful spirit to each other
and l cannot find words of commendation
strong enough to express my admiration of
the work done.
The progress Of the fire was SO ranid
ana the heat SO fierce that it was only the
he!pfulness and obedience shown that pre-
vented a terrible loss of life | have no
doubt the relief meeting called by the mI-
nicipaI authorities and board of trade will
De largely attended and steps will be taken
to deal with the situation In the most
effective way"
Guarding the Fire-Svept District.
AT l am a Gordon composed of militia
men, deputy sherifs and policemen was
thrown around the entire fire-swept dis
trict- The fire was still burning fierceIv in
many sections of the ruins but the ex-
hausted hremen, giving up the fight for
the time being, sought rest leaving the
fire to burn itself out.
Heat from the fire is intense and tho TOW,
perature Is 80
The most important retail business Dor
ton OF the city and the buildings the on
.,re length OF Beaver street from Davis to
the creek and over Liberty street have
been burned. This covers fourteen blocks
For the same distance Ashley and Church
streets have both been completely blotted
out.
When the fire reached Bridge street in
,tS eastward course ii enVeloped in flames
snree blocks, Duval. Monroe and the north
sue OF ADAMS, burning up the north side
. of Adams. destroy ing that entire section of
the city and running fourteen blocks to
tn Duval street bridge.
St. Lukes Hospital was saved
Local military companies were called out
to Keep back the crowds, and the fire de-
Eartment began % use dynamite to blow
up the houses block from the fire and
thus prevent it from spreading.
perfect gale sprang up, and millions Of
sparks and flying burning shingles spread
over nNe or six blocks. setting the roofs of
the houses on fire in advance of the main
hre Soon Senator Taliaferro's residence
theh the adjoining houses on that block
Were abIaZe, and in spite of all efforts to
save the Windsor and St James Hotels
10th hostelries Were quickly enveIoped in
flames For about an hour the guests i'm
trunks, and the vans went away IoadaJ
with trunks and grips. some. unfortunar.Jy
to the United States Hotel, but MANY 10
Riverside. ~
Progress of the Flames
DIR. L.aell's house. opposite the Windsor
caught fire, and then the Methodist nor
sonage- In a few moments Trinity NJ f.
Church was a mass of flames The opera
house block followed, and the Richards ard
Livingston boarding houses desperate
but unsuccessful effort made to cave
the Baldwin mansion. which was recently
purchased by the Elks for $4,000 Paint
shops with barrels of oil were plentiful in
this district and caught fire in rapid sue
ceSsion, causing the flames to rise hundreds
of feet high. Buildings across the street
were soon ablaze. Ten minutes later the