The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-04
JACKSONVILLE FIRE SWEPT.
Continued from First Page)

JACKSONVILLE FIRE SWEPT.
Continued from First Page)
and the st. James Hotel, both houses
were quickly enveloped in flames. For
about an hour the guests in the Windsor
had been bslsily packing their trunks and
went away loaded with trunks and grips.
some to the United States Hotel, hut most
to Riverside
Leapiug across the street from the
Windsor. the Sells House caught fire
and then the Methodist parsonage, and
in a few minutes the Trinity Methodist
Episcopal 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 build
ing. and that entire block and the one
west was quickly a mass of flames. once
the fre got started on Main street the
closely adjoining buildings went one after
the other. Paint shops with barrels OF
oil were plentiful in this dis
trict, and as they caught fire, one
after the other. the blaze arose
hundreds of feet high and quickly
SET the other buildings across the street
on fire.
Business Buildings Burn.
Then the Hubbard hardware store
caught and the people scattered when
they saw what had happened. Hundreds
of pounds of powder and great deal of
dynamite were stored in this building.
Ten minutes passed. when suddenly there
was roar and the building collapsed like
an egg shell. The dynamite and powder
had exploded Here again there was
much danger for the firemen. Cartridges
began to explode and bullets commenced
to fly around, and the efforts to fight the
fire at this point had for a time to be
abandon ed. This was only the start of
the most intense part of the fire. The
new Furchgott building was also a mass
of flames Down the street the fire
spread with rapidity and the entire sec
zion of Bay street. from Market to Main
streets. and attending for five blocks
back, was burning all at once.
The Pub lie Buildings Go.
The city. buildi ng went. the fire depart
ment building. 1.-THE armory, the county
Court House, the clerks Office, with the
county records. the criminal court house.
the city jail and the graded schools and
the Catholic Church and Orphanage, st.
Johns Episcopal Church and the convent
The entire city of magnificent buildings
all burned up in less than four hours.
The scene was one that beggars descrip-
ton.
AT $50 o'clock the fire was checked at
the intersection of Laura and
Bay streets, where the CONNER
ciaI Bank is located, which went
up in flames The Western Union
Telegraph office just across the street,
was not damaged.
Among the prominent hotels burned
were the St. James. the United States,
the Placide and the Windsor.
It is impossible at this hour to ascer-
tain the losses, but it is said by insur-
ance agents that it will be between S.
100000 and 100000
Six lives are reported lost In the confia-
grafton.
The Mayor has called meeting of the
City Council for tomorrow to consider
the ways and means of relieving the suf-
ferers.
One Hundred and Thirty Blocks
burned.
1905 a m.-The plans of the city as
prepared by the city surveyors show
that 1870 blocks were burned. and part
Of r-azf
dences TO the block in the residential dis
trict is ten and in the business section,
the blocks were solid.
The chief of police ordered all saloons
closed until further notified.
Mayor Bowden this morning says the
property loss will exceed sl5OOOOO0. Ten
to fifteen thousand people are homeless.
Loss $4,000. 900 Says the Mayor.
Jacksonville. Fla, May Alt ! a. m.
the situation is one approaching desola-
ton in large section of the city. The
burned district reaches from Burbridge
street on the North to the ST. Johns river
on the south. a distance of quite two
miles. The width of the desolated area
is thirteen blocks. Within this space
practically everything is blackened ruins
On Bay street. the principal mart OF
trade, the Western Union Telegraph Com
panys building is the first goinS west
The City Council to Meet.
Meetings of the City Council, the com
nercial bodies and the charitable institu
tions will be called Saturday morning t
devise ways and means for meeting tn
situation. 1t is not known yet il an ep
peal for help will be issued, though
is thought likely that the eXigencies OF
the occasion will demand such action. /
is hoped that an appeal can be avoided.
Brunswick Responds to Call.
Brunswick. Ca May 3.-Mayor Emanue
received telegram this afternoon from
Jacksonville. stating that city was burn
ing up. and asking for help. One thou
sand feet of hose and three firemen wer
promptly sent by special train. which lef
this city running at sixty miles an hou