The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-05-11
IS A MASS OF RUINS.
Fire Almost Completely Destroys
City of Jacksonville, Fla.
About 1,3OO buildings burned with
Loss Estimated mt Tf5,O0O,OOO--
Flames Wipe Out business
Portion of Gridley, Ill.

Jacksonville, Fla, May 4.-The most
disastrous fire in the history of this
city began Friday shortly after noon
in small factory from defective
wire, according to the best belief, and
burned for nearly ten hours. In that
time property damage estimated at
$15,000,000 was caused and from TO-
900 to $4,000 people were made home
less. According to the city map 100
blocks were burned, many of them in
the heart of the business and resi-
dence section. The estimate Of
houses to the block is ten, hence
1900 of them went up in smoke.
Many of the finest public and private
buildings were destroyed, including
hotels, theaters, churches, and resi-
dences. The casualties cannot be ac-
curately estimated. That there were
several seems to be we'll authenticat-
ed. Six lives are reported lost.
Among them was that of the fire
chief, who sustained n bad fall. The
mayor Immediately ordered all sa-
looms closed, and has impressed help
to clear the wreckage.
Cause of the Fire.
The fire was the result of bit of in
nocent looking wire accidentally get
ting into the shredding machine of the
American Fiber company Friday at
the corner of Davis and Union streets.
The fire started between the hours of
IL and one o'clock in the afternoon,
and owing to this fact the loss of life
will be comparatively small The fiber
factory was wooden shell, full of in
flammable material, and in few mo-
ments was a mass of flames. The wind,
which was. already blowing strong
from the southwest, seemed to be pos
sessed with sudden fury and soon
was carrying destructive embers all
through the city, the fairest portion of
which lay right in the course of the
wind.
Some of the Losses.
A partial estimate of the losses
sustained are as follows:
Cleveland Manufacturing company s25.-
900; Commercial bank. $4,000: First ma
tional bank. $4,000; IIubbard's block. $50
COO; Industrial Savings and Trust COM
pany. 5000: Windsor hotel and annex.
s35. Oo0 St. James hotel. $4,000; Hotel
Placide. $4,000: Mohawk block, $4,000;
Gardner building, 1000: Kohn Furchgott
building, $4,000: Seminole club. $1,000:
Elks' club. $4,000: opera house. $4,000;
Herkimer block. $4,000; Palmetto block.
800, 900; IL. & w. b. Drew, $4,000: Hotel
Richelieu, $1,000: Ely block, SIS 900; Gilkes'
building, $4,000: Nedeman block. $50, 900:
United States hotel $4,000; Albemarle
house, 5000; Christie. Grower e. CO..
drugs. 100000: McMurray livery stable,
$50, 900; New York steam laundry. $4,000:
r. ID. Knight & Co.. $40 900; S. III, Kress 6
CO.. $4,000: A. b. Campbell Co.. SO. 900:
Heffiey Bros. drugs. $4,000: Gable Piano
company. 5000; Auditorium and skating
rink s3O00O c. C. Belts, drugs, SIS, 900:
Law exchange. si5,ooG; police station
(rented), 5000; Greenleaf & Crosby. $780,
Florida Hardware company, $1,000; East
Florida Printing company, $4,000; Ritz
woller Shoe company, $500: Belvedere
saloon, s25, 900: st. John hotel. $. 900; Smith
building. s2S, 200; Barton block, 5000 ST.
Mary's orphanage. $4,000; Church of the
Immaculate Conception, parsonage. and
St. Joseph's convent $4,000; Goodman
institute (colored schooD, $1,000; First
Baptist church, $1,000; st. John Episcopal
church, $4,000: McTyre Memorial church
(M. E.), $4,000: W. S. Wares residence
100000: Senator Taliaferro's home, $780,
600; j. r. PARROTS residence, s35 coo: Mr.
Pollock's residence. $4,000; Col. H. Bis
bees residence, $4,000; Judge w. b. owens
residence, $1,000.