The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-05
4 PICTURE OF HORROR
mr. SUPERINTENDENT MAGUTRE,s
Story OF JACKSONVILLE.
city A FIELD OF BLACK BUN.
rsTIrUTE PEOPLE BEGGING FOR
FOOD AND WATER.

PoraIyzed, supt. Mcguire Says,and
strong Heads and Hands Needed.
minister's, Business Men and
working People Side by side in
The smoking Ruins-NO Place for
visitors in the Stricken City.
When Superintendent Mcguire and the
savannah firemen left Jacksonville yes
.or5av afternoon, the city was under mar
+i.l law and state troops were arriving
on every train. No one is permitted to
.nter the burned district without a pass,
ord the police and military have strict
orders to shoot anyone found robblng
Amidst all of the suffering there is a
water famine, said Superintendent Ma
gure and people were begging for drop
nj water TO quench their thirst. SuDerin-
,sndent Mcguire paid 81 for enough water
n wash his face. The firemen them
II solves we're unable to get water to drink.
The pipes We're broken throughout the
H riiv. aud the supply had to be shut off
4 until the pipes can be repaired.
Savannahs fire chief says that the peo-
e
dtion and that food is not obtainable.
People with money beg in vain for some
thing to eat. The Savannah men had a
raw ham sandwich and some black coffee
each during their twenty-four hours stay
n in the burned city.
The work of clearing away the debris
has already begun and no male person
is permitted to remain in the city unless
n he is working. Much of the work is done
at the point of the bayonet. Ministers and
Il business men, rich and poor are work
ing side by side in the smoking ruins.
The streets are crowded with homeless
people and the suffering is frightful. The
Aragon Hotel is one of the few buildings
E standing and, although closed for the sea-
son. it had to be reopened. The Savan-
nah fremen slept on the top floor of the
Il hotel and hundreds of unfortunates were
n housed elsewhere in the building. Hall
ways and stores that had ben saved were
crowded with people Friday night, while
Il hundreds slept in the streets.
Superintendent Mcguire and the f1remen
say that the negroes are behaving in an
outrageous manner and the arrival of the
military forces is all that will hold them
II in check. Friday night they ran the
whites from places of shelter and were
e insulting on every side. Their actions
impressed the Savannah men. The po-
Il lice were unable to do anything and are
81 completely worn out. The negro women
n appeared to be the worst, stole everything
upon which they could lay their hands
& and acted in a most insolent and unbear-
able manner.
Scene Beyond Description.
There ere more totally burned build
ings by far than there are damaged ones"
81 said Supt Mcguire. 1.-THE sight was fear
full and I could talk for three weeks
without properly picturing the awful
scene of affection. do not think shall
overstep the mark when 1 tell you that
II eOO houses were burned.
ITO those who have never been to
Jacksonville I will endeavor to describe
& Just how much property was, destroyed.
81 It would be about like sweeping away
B that part of this city between the river
and Forty-second street and east to the
Meadows, with Bull street as the west
ern limit, and then straight across from
the Meadows to the Ogeechee road.
The city is a network of fallen wires
and traffic is most difficult. When the
work Of rebuilding begins, l was told, the
wires will be put underground.
q I'VE reached abe city while the fire was
raging, but no preparation had been made
Tor us We remained inactive for an
hour and a half and were finally moved
70 a place where we could unload. We
had just begun to remove the apparatus
when the assistant chief sent word that
the fire was under control and that ne
would not require our engines. told my
men to go into the city and render any
assistance in their power. We were not
needed, however, and did none of the fire
"a Ugltl0E We left inst - nOSSlDke
and have had but little rest.
was told that quite number of
persons had been drowned in the river,
put no bodies have yet been recovered.
Inc nre caught many on the wharves and
they were penned in like so many rats
on burning ship. My Informant stated
mat he saw several persons jump into the
wafer before boats could reach them ana
shat they were unquestionably drowned.
The railroad officials asked me TO tell
the publoc for Gods sake not to go to
jacksonville at this time. There is not
enough food to keep those already in the
city alive and the presence of strangers
VIII only add to the suffering. Money Is
worthless and food cannot be obtained at
any price. l saw a woman with three
children Just before we left and her APP
peas for food and water were pathetic in
'he extreme. 1t was useless to offer SUCH
people money. Gold could not buy what
Aey want. I have seen many sights in
my life. but never before have ever seen
such Wholesale suffering.
The city is practically wiped away
mere Is not leaf on tree and smoking
Dualngs are on every side. The place
uuch resembles a large collection OF
smoking chimueys.
tTe Chief Haney worked heroically
quo Is an i'll man. He was injured ana
S,ucome by the heat several. times, and
Ns condition is now regarded as serious.
w HVing man could have done more
IAN ne did. The water supply was In
.equate' and gale was blowing at the
In The atmospheric conditions were
80 1or a terrible confagration, and no
ea.iau oelng could have stopped the
Ne IN their wild work of destruction.
.ssHporlng towns hurried apparatus to
sr. scene and one OF the st. Augustine
sas ueS was burned In the streets. The
,.,, city lost 700 feet OF hose in the fire.
~ He prisons were also burned and at
49,. uhle the city was threatened with a
Fl IN. horror. II was feared that the Grim
mn would have TO be released. The
p, mn acted bravedy and the county and
Kn,.t pal convicts were sent to st. Au-
& H. % on special train for safekeep-
The Need for Relief.
4 n. NO one can imagine just how the peo-
~ Jacksonville are suffering and the
IA ls yet to come unless something
4 corr az once to relieve the distressing
4 b.t.IIoh Of affairs. The people are pan
4 Tb,t1'Ken' ana know not what to do.