The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-07

N - S-A AAS "
started in Jacksonville, Fla, this af-
ternoon at the corner Of Lee and Mon
roe streets is still raging and is beyond
control. The St. James hoted has been
completely destroyed. The Windsor
hotel, n Of the largest in the city, is
burning and canno be saved. The
Catholic church in the immediate vi
entity is also on fire. The fire covers
an area Of over twenty-five block. Ten
blocks in what is known as the tur-
pentine district is completely devastat-
ed. This is the district along the St.
Johns river.
Jacksonville, Fla, May 3.-The ST.
James and Windsor hotels have been
destroyed. Sparks have fired houses
at distances of a quarter of a mile.
n course of the fire is generally
easterly, but it is cnlv two blocks from
Bay street, the business section. A
DOCK or perhaps twenty acres of res
licences is already swept clean, the
residences being chiefly of wood, shin
gle roofs, worth an average of S., 900
each. Dynamite is being used by the
hre department, they not being able to
cope with the confiagration. The Du-
val and government buildings are
threatened. 1t is impossible to esti-
mate the extent of the loss. Some of
the handsomest residences in the city
are burned including those of Senator
Taliaferro and 7. V. Porter.
Atlanta, Ga, May 3.-The officials of
ny were advised tonight that almost
the entire business section of Jackson
vile and a large portion of the resi-
dences section had been destroyed by
fire which broke out shortly after noon
today in the factory of the Cleveland
Fibre Company. At $50 tonight the
fire is still burning, and, although aid
is being hurried to the Florida city
from many adjoining places, it is fear
ed it will not arrive before the fire has
burned itself out.
1t is impossible to give a reasonable
estimate of the loss. 1t is said that
five negroes were burned to death. No
other casualties have been reported.
The fire is supposed, from advices
' received here, to have practically
wiped out twenty block. A gale which
blew all day put the flames from the
start entirely beyond the power of the
fire department and the city was left
at the mercy of the flames.
The ST. James and the Windsor
hotels were destroyed. The ST. James
was the principal hotel of the city. 1t
| was a brick structure five stories high,
! modern in all it's appointments. 1t
; faced the st. James park and was just
across the street from the Windsor.
1t was the highest priced hotel in Jack
%sonville n was the winter home of
many m~illiOnaireS.
The Windsor is a block nearer Bay
street, three block from the center Of
the town. 1t is a modern frame build
ing four stories high and covering one
of the largest blocks in the city.
The Times Union and Citizen which
is regarded as the geographical center
of Jacksonville, is one block from the
federal building. The Western Union
building is n black down Bay street
from the Times Union building.
The telegraph company is sending
all it's business on a train which left
Atlanta at 10:45 o'clock tonight. This
train also carried a corps of linemen
and operators and a car load of wire
and other telegraph supplies.
New York, and other eastern cities
are sending all their kilograms to Sa-
vannah, and a train which leaves Sa-
vannah at 8 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing will carry the messages to Jack
sonville.
Washington, May Sat 1850 o'clock
p. m. the operators in the Western
onion office at Jacksonville were COM
PEELED to bando the Office.
Savannah, May 3.-Two fire engines,
VIA crews, left this city at 6 O'Clock
p. m. on a special train for Jacksonville
in response to urgent kilograms for
help.
Brunswick, Ga, May 3.-Mayor EN-
manuel received a telegram this after
noon from Jacksonville, stating that
the city was burning up and asking
for help. One thousand feet of hose
and three firemen were promptly sent
by a special train which left this city,
running at SIXTY miles an hour for
Jacksonville
Savannah, Ga, May 3.-The Jackson
vile fire was gotten under control at
1918 o'clock p. m. Three hotels, the
theatre and about six block were burn
ed. The Western Union has just
gotten one wire into Jacksonville. The
long distance telephone wires are all
burned.
Jacksonville, Fla, May 4.-Jackson-
willie today experienced the most dis
astrous fire of her existence.
| The entire length Of Beaver street
from Davis street to the creek on
Liberty street has been totally de-
stroyed. This is fourteen solid blocks
Of residences. For the same distance
Ashley n Church streets have both
been completely blotted out. When
the fire reached Bridge street or it's
eastward course it enveloped in flames
three b~locks+Duval, Monroe and the
north side of Adams, burning up that
ent1re section or the city and running
fourteen blocks to the Duval street
brodge.
How much further in that direction
the city is burned, it is impossible to
learn the street being impossible. but
it is feared that st. Luke's hospital
was burned, a report reaching the city
that the Presbyterian church in East
! Jacksonville is ablaZe-
II this is correct the fire must have
extended five blocks further east. The
conf1agragtion a. burned over as far
as is definitely known a distance Of
two and a half miles long, by a half
mile wide.
When the fire reached Julia street,
it was a roaring furnace without any
prospect Of being put under control.
The local military companies were
called out to keep back the crowds and
the fire department began to use dyna-
mite to blow up the hoases a block
, from the fire and thus prevent the fire