The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-05-09
A FEARFUL FIRE
The City of Jacksonville Almost Ub'
liberated
OVER $50 CITY BLOCKS BURNED
Seven Fine Hotels, Many Residences
and rost OF the Business Houses
Destroyed.

Yu!ee, Fla, Special-Fifteen million
dollars worth vi property went up a
smoke and I00J0 people were mace
homeless as the result OF fire in Jack
sUuv!!le Friday. The entire business
section Of the city is in ashes, numer-
Gus lives have been lost, and the eEd
is not yet, as the fiie is still burning
uriOusly, defying the assaults or
water, dynamite and the supreme ef-
forts Of the entire population, aided Uy
the fire departments CT numerous Sis
ter cities. Such is the sad story OF de-
st.w.tica caused by the displacement
Q bit Of innocent looking wlle,
which accidentally sat into the shred
ding machine Of the American Fibre
Company. at the corner OF Davis and
Union streEs. The fire Sarted be-
tween the hours Of l. ana l o'clock p.
H., and owing 10 this fact, the loss or
life Wiil be comparatively small.
The city building went, the fire de-
patinent building. the armoTy, the
couaty court house, the clerks Office,
win The county records, the Criminal
Court house, the city jail and the
graded schools and the Catholic church
and oTphanage. 81. Johns Episcopal
church ard the convent. The entire
city oE magnificent buildings all burn
ed up In les, than four hours. The
scene was one that geh5ars deSc.ip-
ti2H. At $50 the fire was checked at
the intersection Of Laura and Bay
streets, VI -, the Commercial Bank,
which want UP in flames, was located,
the Western Union Telegraph Office be-
Ing Just across the street and not DAM
aged.
Anong the prominent hotels burned
were the st. Jmaes, the United States,
the Placide and the Windsor. 1t is i'm
possible at this hour to ascertain the
losses, but it is said by insurance
agents that 1t will be between $4,000
90 and $9,0C0,OOO. Six lives are repo:-
ted lost in the confagration. The
Mayor has called meeting of the city
council for tomorrow to consider ways
and means for relieving the sufferers.
Mr. Wv Cleveland, in whose prem
ises the fire originated and who was
one Of the heaviest losers, dropped
dead from excitement. A stalwart
negro bringing a trunk on his head
from a burning building went crazy
from the horror of the situation. He
ran around in a circle with the trunk
on his head until he sank exhausted
and died. Women ran through the
streets tearing their hair and clothes,
and in several instances had almost
denunded themselves when they were
caught by friends and led to places Of
safety. Horses hitched to trunks
could not be cut loose quickly enough
and many Of them ran wild through
the deCroralized throng. At night the
military was ordered out to guard the
household goods piled high in vacant
lots.
The fire began Friday shortly after
noon in small factory, from a defec-
tive wire according to the best belief
1t burned for nearly ten hours. In
that time a property damIyc estimated
from $1O.OC0.0lO 10 Sl5.OGO.02O was ef
fected According to the city map. f30
blocks were burned. many Of them in
the heart of the business and residence
section. The estimate OF houses to
block Is ten, therefore 1900 of them
went up in smoke. Many Of the finest
public and private, were burned. The
casualties were several, among them
was that of the fire chief, who sustain
ed bad fall. The mayor ordered all
of the saloons closed, and has impress.
ed help to clear the wreckage