The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-04

section where block after block of frame
buildings, mostly occupied by negroes, had
| been erected. Here is where the fire de-
half a dozen places. of them six
blocks from the main fire. roofs were seen
| 10 burst out in flames. The wind rising
! higher and higher set on fire whole rows of
buildings and attracted at first crowd of
| curious sghtseers, who seemed to be fas-
| cinated by the sight until they learned that
their residences, too, were in danger of de-
struction.
ALL DONE IN A FEW HOURS
| 1t took just four hours for the resistless
sea of flames to consume every building in
its wake for space of six to eight blocks
wide from Davis street, near where it
started, to the Hogan creek viaduct a dis
tance of more than one and half miles.
then, not satisfied with eating the heart of
| the residential portion of the city out, it
| doubled on itself and came roaring up the
principal thoroughfare of trade. destroying
everything in what was the original incor-
| poration of Jacksonville.
| From the humble homes of the poor TO
the elegant mansions of the wel-to-do was
but short journey for the flames. After
| passing Bridge street the first house to sue
cumb to the flames was the mansion of
former Councilman Stansell Then it
seemed that wherever there happened to be
shingle roof the flying embers found lodg-
| ment. Blocks away from the main fire
other fires would break out. Right into the
heart of the town the flames swept The
! Windsor Hotel. the St. James, both fine
winter hotels, were burned in an incredibly
short time. The opera house followed and
then row upon row of elegant residences
went up.
AS the viaduct leading over the marshes
| of HoSan's creek TO East Jacksonville was
| reached it was plain that the limit of the
progress of the flames westward had come.
The hope of the people grew strong that
the worst was over. but 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 roar
ing sea of flames southward toward the
river. Then it was beginning to dawn
the minds of the unfortunates who had
taken shelter on the river side that they
were in danger of being cut off and suffo-
Gated. A rush made for the South
Jacksonville ferry and hundreds sought
refuge on the other shore
IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT.
Then came the most thrilling scene of
the entire day. The names caught the
freight warehouses of the Atlantic. Val
dosta & Western Railroad and began from
there on its backward march in the teeth
OF the wind. Slowly but surely it ate
its way against the wind. taking either
side of Bay street until ii reached Jones's
boat yard. The wholesale grocery store
of F. and IT, Dowling Company, Muller &
co. and dozens of smaller concerns were
slowly wiped up While the flames failed
10 cross the open space known as Jones's
boat yard. a new danger threatened. The
flames swept down in the rear of the
United States Hotel and that with the
Law Exchange doomed. Meanwhile
the county courthouse caught fire and
another splendid ediice was soon a total
wreck.
From the United States Hotel the flames
again jumped across the street and the
line of march taken up again only
To be checked when the last building near
Mccoy and Hogans's creek had been de-
stroyed.
Among the houses that had succumbed
TO the flames at o'clock on Bay street
were the Mohawk block. the Gardner
building. Furchgotts mammoth dry goods
store. Benedict & Pollak's wholesale dry
goods Christie Drug Company. McAllis-
ter. wholesale liquors; Cohen Brothers,
dry goods; r. ID. Horsen. dry goods: Ise-
man & Skinner, wholesale grocers. l. T.
Baird paints: w. 4. Beaurs. hay and
grain; Clausson, wholesale grocer: Florida
Hardware Company. T.. +. Clark's furni-
ture house. Henry Clark. carpets: ID. L..
Cooper. furniture; Fettig & Richard, fur
niture Harkesheimer, grocer; estate OF
McNeery wholesale grocers Coleman.
tailor: dozen drug. retail. grocery millin-
cry and other stores; Sumner wholesale
butter and cheese store. The hotels de-