The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-05
THE STRICKEN CITY
,,r1xsoNvILLE,s LOSSES Ahr TIRE
MENDOUS.
BlJT HER PEOPLE ARE BRAVE.
OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE FROM
MANY QUARTERS.

cor Jennings Sends Committee to
spepd S2O,OOO-War Department
Permit Use of st. Francis Bar
xocLs-City and County viii Prob
.bIv Issue Bonds to Rebuild Pub
lie BuiIdimgs-Citizens Raise Re-
lief Fund of $15,OOO-Ten ThOus-
and People Are Homeless and
Many Are PenniIess-NO Dividing
Iiuc Now Between Rich and Poor.
Not n Church Left Standing and
Services VIII BE Held in the Open
Air To-day-Many Lives Were Lost
nj Foot of Market Street-EXcur-
sion Trains Are Prohibited.
Jacksonville, Fla, May 4.-Jacksonville's s
great fire. which began yesterday, has
burned itself out. One hundred and forty
eight blocks of beautiful city have been
laid waste The loss will not be known
even approximately for a week. but it
;s believed it wiz amount to about $1O,-
10000.
There are many rumors afloat of loss
of Nfe. but as every undertaken in the
citv was burned out, ID is impossible to
ohtain an official report. One story which
is persstently reiterated is to the effect
that party of men and women, driven
10 the docks by the fire, were compelled
10 lump into the water and that several
of them were drowned.
negro woman named Hogan was
burned in her house, and her charred re-
mains were buried by friends this after
noon. The burned district is thirteen
blocks wide and two miles long, and ex-
tends from the st. Johns river, where it
burned ten docks, to the waters edge, to
Catherine street on the east. Orange on
the north and Davis to the west,-this i'm
mense area was swept as clear as floor
The city is under martial law and all
of the available state militia is on duty
In the streets. Some order is being
brought out of the confusion. Jackson
VILE is facing the emergency calmly
and has organized for relief work.
Many Leaving the City.
Ten thousand people are homeless and
many Of them left on afternoon and night
trains for St. Augustine and other coast
cities and nearby towns, while numer-
u on the ST. Johns river. Supply stations
81 have been established in various parts of
n the city, and all day they have been
n thronsed by the hungry The prompt ac
ton of Secretary of War Root in tender
ing the use of the barracks at Fort Mar
ion, near st. Augustine, was received
3 with gratitude on every side The East
& Coast train, leaving here at o'clock this
afternoon. carried over 1000 people to st.
a Augustine, who hope to receive tempo
rary shelter from the government.
committee was appointed at a meet
y ing Of citizens this afternoon to wire
the Governors of various states to send
all tents they can spare to Jacksonville.
81 1t will be weeks before anything like per-
manent shelter can be provided for the
homeless thousapds, and Jacksonville for
some time to come will be city of tents
Il The relief fund raised by the citizens of
jacksonville at a meeting this afternoon
amounts to $4,000. This was augmented
Tonight by telegram from the Armour
Company at Chicago instructing Mayor
boWden to draw for $1,000. Other sub
scrpuons are being received from many
places. The city of Jacksonville has not
YET made an official appeal for aid. There
Seems TO be some objection to this, but
1t Is based mainly on the assertion by
many leading citizens that Jacksonville
and Florida can meet the emergency and
care for its own.
Gov. Jennings Prompt Action.
The following telegram was received
from the Governor:
Tallahassee, Fla, May 4.-MacWill-
Ams, Adjutant General. Your call for
GAINESVILLE, Orlando and Stark companies
approved. Have appointed L'Engle,
broward end Rogers special relief DOM
mittee, placing $40, 600 at their disposal.
wv. S. Jennings, Governor
AT o'clock this morning Gov. Jennings
declared the city under martial law.
Col Lowell of the First Regiment is in
command of the troops
Inc following troops, in addition to To-
companies, arrived during the Day
nra are on duty: Governors Guards, Tai
nndSsee; Columbia Rifles, Lake City; Su-
"aUHee Rifles, Live Oak, and the Gem
ny Guards of Palatlka.
Mal' Bradshaw. under Col. Lowell is
- immediate command of the troops. The
V is patrolled and the entrances to
'o,ned districts guarded by sentinels.
%litary headquarters have ben estab-
osled on the vacant lot behind the post
"Ve building. Passes are necessary to
1c.r the lines in any part of the city.
ne suburbs of Jacksonville stood out
Y'4dl Ike oases in the desert of desola-
,Yu from Bridge street to Laura a thin
lug three blocks deep stands uninjur-
along the river front. but TO the east
alu northward and westward of Hem
"s Park, an unbroken bed Of ashes
80 Inc eye. In which gaunt chimneys
80. themselves like monuments in a for
gotten city.
'nmped on Vacant Lots.
WI every vacant lot in the territory
Vunoing the burned district families
az cdmped. Some had piled furniture
vGiut them, spreading over this blanket
60 made a tent. In many cases this
Sing was only enough for the baby.
os le mad brought a frying pan, some a
pe pot, some had money to get bread
aI were shared in turn. over the gath
o,"7 occasionally shrilled the mourning
ne8ress whose child was missing
M to,a followed by sobs In every key that
30 ot the habit OF repression in the eau
81 Af-,.u ahd the savage franlSness OF the