Evening star., 1901-05-06
WITNESSED THE BIG FIRE
COL. BARNES RECENT EXPERIENCE
IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Story of the Awful ConnasratiOn
Which Swept Over the
Southern City.

Col. w. D. Barnes of New York who has
spent the past winter at Jacksonville Fla.
and who witnessed the great confiasration
in that city last week. arrived here this
morning and stopped at the Riggs House.
where he has made his home during several
previous winters. Col. Barnes is quite we'll
known here. For a number Of years he has
been the travelling representative of the
Hotel Gazette of New York, and last win
ter he went to Florida to write series of
articles on the development and resources
of that state.
Col. Barnes was in the midst of the awful
fire which destroyed three-fourths of Jack
soNile. Last December, while in Florida,
he was stricken with paralysis and then
went to jacksonville, where he made his
home al the Windsor Hotel. His improve
ment was very gradual and he had finally
resorted to electrical treatment, which he
has been taking daily for some time. Last
Friday he went a short distance from his
hotel to undergo treatment, after which he
started on the return to his room. Two
squares off there a fire in a cordage
factory, but it not of sufficient inn
portance to cause more than a passing in
quiry Reaching the hotel he sat down to
his lunch and with others watched the
cloud of smoke rolling UP a couple of
squares away. The wind was blowing furi-
ously, but every thought the blaze
would soon be put out by the fire depart
ment.
"Only a few minutes later said Col.
Barnes, when relating his experience to a
Star reporter. some came running
into the hotel saying the annex was ablaze
and we ought to get out. My room was
on the third floor, and l went to it for my
trunk. 1t contained many things of value.
among others package of money.
amounting to several hundred dollars. in
spite of my condition 1 succeeded in rolling
the trunk to the elevator, where boy
helped me to take it down. We got il into
the park in front of the hotel
Trees Burn Like Tinder.
The heat there was intense, and a few
minutes later the palmetto trees were
burned down like tinder A lady standing
next to me had her hat set on fire, and
number of people were each kept busy
putting out the blaze that caught in their
clothing. The heat was such that it
Scorched faces. / got a man with q
wagon to take my trunk down to the
United States Hotel, twelve squares away,
which l thought was far beyond the dan
ger line The proprietor of the United
States Hotel told me he would see that
my trunk was kept safe. The fire
now spreading and fairly sweeping over
the city. Great bodies of people We're
hurrying along the street away from it.
Women driven from their homes is many
cases We're in wrappers, and children We're
crying from fear.
squares ahead of the body of the fire and
starting up fresh blazes. so that it looked
like a race for life to get away. l saw one
colored woman rush from her little home
and. apparently half crazed. cry out, 'Ev-
erythng I have in the world is burned up
Then she rushed into her house and was
burned with it.
1T was only an hour after I had placed
my trunk far beyond what / thought was
the possibility of danger that the wave of
flame at the United States Hotel. The
proprietor true to his promise, took the
baggage to the wharf. but it was burned
there.
1T took the fire only about six hours to
spread over more than fifteen squares.
While it was spreading people rushed to
the depot and many were taken out of the
city free of charge
The Saving of q Library.
The story of thoughtful act that re-
suited in saving a valuable medical library
was related by Col Barnes. Dr. Stout.
who has a splendid library was in front
of his residence, about leaving his home
with his family. A florist he knew drove
up and offered assistance. The doctor said
there was one thing he regretted losing
more than anything else in his house. and
that his library. which was too large
to be moved. The florist suggested burying
it. and the idea acted on at once The
yard was of a sandy soil. and soon a trench
We're brought out and dumped in it, There
were several thousand rare volumes. but
they We're all laid away there beneath
blankets and then covered with earth.
Col. Barnes is satisfied that there will be
tremendous amount of suffering in Jack
sonville unless relief is sent there quickly
He left the city yesterday morning and
said that up to that time food was being
distributed freely to those who needed it.
Fortunately the local packing house escap-
ed the flames, and Col. Barnes said there
was no increase in the price of the meat
there. The berry season, he said, is at its
height, SO that great quantities of small
fruit are daily brought in and sold at about
the usual price. But of the many thou
sands of people who were burned out few
had any clothing except what they had on
at the time of the confagration.
The fire insurance rates, Col. Barnes said
have lately been increased in jacksonville
to such an extent that nearly every one
carried risks of only a third of the value
of property. and he thought the small
amount of insurance would materially af-
feet the rapid rebuilding Of the city.