The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-05-11
g FREDERIGKSBURGER
At JACKSONVILLE.
The Scene of the Great
Fire Described.
INTERESTING INCIDENTS AND COMMENTS
Jacksonville. Fin. Nav 9th. 1901

Jacksonville, Fla, May 9th, 1901.
70 THE FREE LANCE:
Perhaps a few lines from the pen oi one
who has gone over this ilamc-swept city
NAV interest the readers OF 1'HF FREE
Lance.
Today Jacksonville il almost unrecog-
nizable m the beautiful winter resort OF
thepast. with its fine residences and mag
niicent hotels. Some Of you who have
visited here will remember the court
house the convent, ST Johns Episcopal
church. the Methodist church, ST. james,
Windsor and L. ;. hotels and other
buildings equally as pretentious, all ot
which today are in ruins, aud their high
walls stand above lesser ruins like gnunt
sentineIs over the bodies OF fallen COM
rades. Not a church stands in the old
part Of the city One hundred and thirty
blocks, covering about 40 acres, and
extending over n space about hall mile
wide and two miles long Reader,
imagine space Of this size in the heart
Of city with palatial residences, hand
some stores. office buildings hotels, etc.
and then picture Gi you cam the same
space swept by fire, with not one build
ing standing-all mass Of smoking
ruins No pen can portray, no imagina-
tion. however vivid. can picture such a
scene ~ il appears; it must be seen To
appreciate its horrible yastness. II you
will stop for a minute and count, say,
lust 3 blocks in the centre Of Fredcricks-
burg, and then multiply that number 10y
10. making 13O. you can then get some
idea Of the swarth this would make in
any city.
There are fully 1000 people homeless,
and half Of this number have nothing to
begin life with but the clothes they wear,
while few days ago they may have
lived in magnificence On all sides one
can see pathetic scenes and hear stories
that would move a heart Of stone. Com
pairing the population of Jacksonville
with that Of Chicago in '76, this fire sur
passes even that city's holocaust, and IN
point OF ground swept by the ilames
covers some - acres more.
The most remarkable feature OF thisiire
is the small loss Of life So far only seven
persons are known to have lost their
lives 4 report is current that a party
hemmed in near the water took refuge in
boat which capsized and drowned them
all. but this cannot be verified, and is
probably not true
Martial law PREVAILS. and the city to-
day is quiet and orderly. Every saloon
is closed. and Mt the door OF each stands
guard with fixed bayonet, and by his
side sits a barrel of ice water, free to any
who may thirst. The militia are doing
duty night and day, and the roll OF drums
and blast of bugles sound note OF warn
ing TO that element that so often, in times
like this. take advantage Of the helpless,
and rob and plunder Only n single in
stance of anything of the kind is the re-
markable record thus far.
Today as the writer wandered from
block to block viewing the debris OF once
beautiful residences, hotels, churches, etc,
n picture, mirrored on memory, arose OF
Jacksonville as he saw it midst the gay
| tourist seasonin January. Then the city
presented a picture of life in its most
brilliant hues; today it presents death
with its darkest shadows.
Standing in the centre OF st. James
square is the Confederate monument, sur
mounted by the figure of a private sol
dier standing at parade rest. Ashe stands
surveying the desolate waste, one could
almost imagine that the figure had
changed from that Of a private to some
grand general who alone OF that vast
army had survived the awful battle of
flames. At the base of the monument is
the inscription, God bless our country;"
to which might very appropriately be
added, "and the destitute OF Jackson
Vile"
Many guests of the Windsor hotel re-
moved their baggage TO the L. S. hotel,