The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-07
JACKSONVILLE IN ASHES.
CONTINUED from sixth Pare.o

tCOnIinued from sixth Page.)
and grips, some unfortunately to the
United States hotel, but most of them
to Riverside.
Leaping madly across the street from
the Windsor, the Settles house caught
fire n then the Methodist p-arsonage
and in a few minutes the Trinity NJ. E.
church was a mass of flames. The
opera house block followed and the
Richards and Livingstone boarding
houses. A desperate effort was made
to save the Baldwin mansion, which
was recently purchased by the Elks
for $4,000. No earthly power could
save this building and that entire
block and the one west Of it was quick
ly a mass Of flames.
Once n 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 IS they caught on fire
one after the other, the blaze arose
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 a great
deal Of dynamite was stored in this
building. Ten minutes passed when
suddenly there was a roar and the
building collapsed like ar g shell.
The dynamite and the powder had
exploded. Here again there was much
danger for the firemen. Cartridges
began to explode and bullets began to
fly around, n the effort to fight the
fire at this point had for a time to be
abandoned.
Down the street the fire spread with
rapidity and the entire section of Bay
street from Market to Main street and
extending for five blocks back was
burning all at once.
The city building went, the fire de-
partment building, the armory. the
county court house, the clerks office
with h county records the criminal
court house, the city Jail and the grad
ed schools and the Catholic church and
orphanage, st. Johns Episcopal church
and the convent. All these buildings
were destroyed in less than fou hours,
the fire having broker out at 12:45 p.
At $3.50 o'clock p. m, the fire was
checked at the intersection of Laurel
and Bay streets, where the CONNER
cial bank is located which went up In
flames, the Western Union being just
across the street, and not damaged.
<1IIlOllS lIC prominent OlCio ~ AiSN
were the ST. James, the United States
the Placide and the Windsor.
1t is impossible at this hour to as
certain the losses but is is said by in
surance agents that it will be between
| eight and hin millions. Six lives are
| reported lost in the conf1agration.
The fire started from a defective
| wire, according to the best belief, ant
burned for nearly ten hours. In tina
| time a property damage estimated
from $40, 900, 900 to SIS, O0O, 900 was eff
\ fected.
According to the city map 100 block:
were burned, many of them in thu
/ heart of the business and residence
section. The estimate Of houses to tn
block is ten, hence 1900 of them wen
up in smoke. Many Of h finest pub
lie and private buildings were destroy
ed, including hotels, theatre. churches
and residences.
The casualties cannot be accuratel.
estimated tonight. That there wer'
several seems to be well authenticated
Among them was that to the fire chief
who sustained a bad fall. The mayo
ordered all Of the saloons closed an
has impressed help to clear the wreck
age. The mayor, at q late hour stated
thai he estimated the loss at SIS, 000, 90
and that 10000 to 5000 people wer'
4 homeless.