Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-05-10
.(|TI LAID N A5H[5'
Hundreds of Buildings at Jack
sonviIle. Fla., Burned.
10000 PEOPLE ARE RENDERED HOMELESS
The Loss Is Estimated at Fifteen Million Dol
lars-Several Lives Reported Lost
Finest Hotels Destroyed.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, May 4.-Fltteen
million dollars worth of property
gone up in smoke and 10000 people
made homeless is the result of bit
of wire accidentally getting into a
shredding machine of the American
Fibre Company yesterday at the cor
ner of Davis and Union streets. The
fire started between the hours of 12
and l O'Clock in the afternoon and
owing to this fact the loss of life will
be comparatively small. The fibre
factory was wooden shell, full of in
fiammable material.
The wind, which was already blow
ing strong from the southwest,
seemed to be possessed with sudden
fury and soon was carrying destruc-
tive embers all through the city, the
fairest portion of which lay right in
the course of the wind. Some delay
was experienced in sounding an alarm
and the engine at the water works
suffered mishap and nothing more
than ordinary pressure could be OBJ
tanned. By this time the flames had
swept to the Boston, a huge furni-
ture factory. 1t leaped across Davis
street and took a course right through
q section on which block after block
of frame buildings had been erected.
Here is where the fire department
lost control, as simultaneously in half
a dozen places, some of them six
blocks from the main fire, roofs we're
seen to burst out in flames. The
wind, rising higher and higher, set
on fire whole rows of buildings and
attracted at first crowd of curious
sightseers who seemed to be fasci-
mated by the sight until they learned
that their residences too We're in dam
ger of total destruction. 1t took just
four hours for that resistless mass of
flames to consume every building in
its wake for a space of six to eight
blocks wide from Davis street, near
where it started, to the Hogan street
viaduct, distance of over one and
half miles, and then, not satisfied
with eating out the heart of the resi-
dental portion of the city, it doubled
back and came roaring up the princi-
pal thoroughfare of trade, destroying
everything in what was the original
incorporation of Jacksonville.
From the humble homes of the Door
to the elegant residences of the we'll
to do was but a short journey for the
flames. 1t seemed that wherever
there happened to be a shingle roof
the flying embers found lodgment.
Blocks away from the main fire other
fires would break out. Right into
the heart of the town the flames
swept. AS the viaduct leading over
the marshes of Hogan's creek to East
Jacksonville was reached, it was plain
that the limit of the progress of the
flames westward had come. As far as
the money value of the damage was
concerned the worst was yet to come.
Just as the material for the flames
was apparently consumed, a shift in
the wind sent a roaring sea of flames
southwark toward the river. Then it
was beginning to dawn on the minds
of the unfortunates who had sought
refuge at the river side, that they
were in danger of being cut off and
being suffocated. A rush was made
for the South Jacksonville ferry and
hundreds were carried over to the
other side.
Then came the most thrilling scene
of the entire day. The flames caught
the freight warehouses on the Allan
tic, Valdosta & Western Railroad and
began from there on their march
backward in the teeth of the wind.
Slowly but surely the fire ate its way
against the wind, taking either side
Of Bay street until it reached Jones
ooatyard. While the flames failed
TO cross the open space known as
Jones' boat yard, new danger threat
sned. The flames swept down in the
rear of the United States hotel and
'hat, with the Law Exchange, was
doomed. Meantime the county court
house caught fire and another splen-
lid edifice was soon a total wreck.
From the United States hotel the
lanes jumped across the street and
;he work of destruction continued, |
,nly to be checked when the last
near Mccoy and Hogan s
'reek had been destroy ed.
Storm in Utah.