Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-04

The most disastrous FIRE IN She history
of this city began. yesterday shortly af
ter noon, in small factory. from n de-
fective wire, according to the best be
lief and burned for nearly 10 hours. In
that time a property damage estimated
from Sl0,0co, 900 To sl5,GG000o was
caused
According to the city my 80 blocks
were burned, many of them in the
heart Of the business and' rcsidenc.
section. Tie estimate of houses to the
block Is 10. hence 1900 Of them went NJ
in smoke. Many of the iins 81 public
and private buildings were destroyed
including hotels, theatres. churches
and residences.
The casualties cannot bo accurately
estimated. tonight. That there We're
several seems to be well authenticated
Among them was that of the fire chief
who sustained a bad fall The mayor
ordered ell Of the saloons closed and
has impressed help to clear the wreck
age.
Mayor Bowden, at o'clock. this
morning, says the property loss will
exceed $4,000. 800. From 10000 10 5000
are homeless. The situation is one
approaching desolation in a large see
ticn of the city. The width of the
desolated area is IL blocks. Within
this space. practically everything is
blackened ruins.
At lo.15 O'Clock, The fire was under
control. having practically burned
itself out. The suburban settlements
with the exception of La Villa are in
tact. La Villa was badly hurt. The
extent of the damage cannot be told
until tomorrow. Thousands of persons
are on the streets. tonight. homeless
with practically all of their worldly
possessions upon their backs. The de-
pots of the railroads. situated in the
southeastern section have been turned
into temporary lodging houses and
hospitals. Luckily the weather is fine
that score.
Meetings of the city council, the
commercial bodies and the charit able
institutions will be called. Saturday
morning. to devise ways and means for
meeting the situation. 1t is hoped
that an appeal can be avoided.
Jacksonville. Fla. May 3.-Jackson-
vile experienced. today. the most dis
astrOus fire in her existence. The build
ings on the entire length of Beaver
street from Davis street to the creek
on Liberty street have been totally de-
stroyed. This is IA solid blocks of resi-
dences. From the same distance Ash
ley and Church streets have been COM
pletely blotted out. When the fire
rca ched Bridge street in its eastward
course it enveloped in flames three
hlocks-Duval. Monroe and the north
side of Adams-burning up that entire
s. elton 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. but it is feared that st. Luke's
hos pital was burned. report reaching
the city that the Presbyterian church
in East Jacksonville was ablaze. If this
is correct the fire must have existed
five blocks further east. The contlag ra-
ton has burned over IS far as is def
n;tely known. Il distance of 2ha miles
long by half mile mde.
At Julia street the fire was n roar
ing furnace without any prospect of
being put under control.
The local military companies We're
called out to keep back the crowds.
The fire department began to use dyna-
mite to blow up the houses a block
from the fire and thus prevent tie fire
from spreading. So fierce WIS the blaze
however. and 50 strong had become the
wind. that millions Of sparks and flying
burning shingles spread over five or
six blocks. setting the roofs of the
houses on fire in advance of the de-
partment.
Soon Senator Teliaferro's residence
and then the adjoining houses on that
b,ock were ablaze. Desperate efforts
were made to save the Windsor and
the St. James hotels, but both were
uuickly enveloped in flames. For about
IN hour the guests in the Windsor had
been busily engaged in packing their
trunks and went away loaded with
trunks and grips. some unfortunately
n the United States Hotel, but most
Of them to Riverside.