Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-05-09
JACKSONVILLE Burns
Greatest Conf!agration in
City's History.
Destruction Between Twelve
and Fifteen Millions
Six Lives Lost, rlany Public
Buildings Gone.

Jacksonville, Fla, May jackson
vile yesterday experienced the most
disastrous fire OF the city's existence.
Along the entire length of Beaver
street, from Davis street to the creek
on Liberty street, all buildings were
totally destroyed. This is fourteen
solid blocks of residences. For the
same distance Ashley and Church
streets have both been completely
blotted out. When the fire reached
Bridge street in it's eastward course il
enveloped in flames three blocks. bur =
ing up that entire section of the cts
and running fourteen blocks to Duv9l
street bridge. The conflagration COW
cred as far as known distance Of tw1
and half miles by half mile wide.
When the fire reached Julia street,
it was a roaring furnace without
prospect of being put under control
Local military companies were called
out to keep back the crowds, and tn j.,
fire department began to use dynamite
to blow up houses a block from the
fire. So fierce was the blaze, however,
and so strong had become the wind
that millions of sparks and flying,
burning shingles set the roofs of
houses on fire in advance of the de-
partment. Soon Senator Taliaferro's
residence and then the adjoining
houses in that block were ablaze, and
in spite of all efforts to save the Wind
sor and st. James hotel, both hostel
ries were quickly enveloped in flames
Leaping across the street from We
Windsor, the flames attacked the Sells
House and then the Methodist parson-
age and church was a mass of fiames.
The opera house block followed and
the Richards & Livingstone boarding
houses, and the Baldwin mansion re-
Gently purchased by the Elks for $lS,'
900 was destroyed next. When the
fire started on Main street, the closely
adjoining buildings went one after
another Then the Hubbard hard.
ware store caught and people scat
tered because they knew hundreds of
pounds of powder and much dynamite
were stored in the building. In ten
minutes there was an explosion and
the building collapsed like an egg
shell
This was the start of the most in
tense part of the fire. Down the street
it spread with rapdity, md the entire
section of Bay street from Market to
Main street, extending for five blocks,
was burning at once The city build
ing, fire department building armory,
county court house, clerks office viii
the county records, criminal court
house, city Jail, graded schools, Cath
Ollie church and orphanage, st. Johns
Episcopal church and the convent were
quickly consumed All this destruc-
zion was wrought in less than four
hours. At $3.50 the fire was checked
at the intersection of Laura and Bay
streets where the Commercial bank is
located and which went up in flames
The Western Union Telegraph office
just across the street was not dam
aged. Among the prominent hotels
burned were the st. James, United
States. Placide and Windsor.
1t is impossible at this hour TO as
certain the losses but ii Is estimated
by insurance agents Il viii be between
Sl2.000.000 and Sl5,000,000, Six lives
are reported lost in the conf1agration.
The mayor has called meeting Of the
city council to consider ways and
means OF relieving the sufferers.