Washington telegraph., 1901-05-10
One Hundred and Forty Eight Blocks
Swept by the Flames,
Aided by Gale.
LOSS FROM TEN TO FIFTEEN MILLIONS.
Seven Lives known to Have Been
Lost, and There are Rumors Thai
Others Were Driven Into the Wa
ter and DrOwned-The Militia
Guarding the Burned City.

Jacksonville, Fla, May 5.-The hot
May son rose smolle~enshrounded over
the devastated city. The fire, which
broke out Friday at noon, and aided
III its work by southwest gale, spent
its force by nine o'clock Friday night.
The damage is enormous. One hun
dred and forty-eight blocks were
swept by the flames, and as far as
known, seven persons lost their lives.
A report is in circulation that a party
of 20 persons, driven to the docks
along the st. Johns river, were forced
into the water, all attempts at rescue
by boats being futile. The river is be-
ing searched.
Militia ON Duty.
All the local companies of the state
militia have been on duty since mid
night, and on order of Gov. Jennings,
the military companies from four
cities are speeding to Jacksonville by
special trains. Many extra police have
been sworn in, and every able-bodied
man not doing duty in some capacity
in the fire-swept district is impressed
into the service. The negroes are
huddled in groups in different parts OF
the city, and the fear of an attempt
at lawlessness by them, although not
openly expressed by the whites, was
the reason for the large military
force ordered here.
The Path of the Flames.
The fire companies from Savannah,
fernandina, 0cala and other cities
worked the entire night on the fire,
but soaking rain will be necessary
to effeetually quench the flames The
path of the flames was 10 blocks wide
and nearly two miles long. Practical
ly all old Jacksonville has been de-
stroyed, nothing being left but a few
suburbs and Riverside, the most fash
ionable part of the city.
1t was Il Great Condneration.
1t is believed the fire was the largest
in proportion to the size of the place
that has ever visited any city. Many
families lost libraries, pianos and
household goods after they had been
moved to supposed places of safety.
The street car service has been at a
complete standstill since Friday after
noon. The electric light circuits were
interrupted, and the gas plant de-
stroyed, and at night the city is in
darkness. A conservative estimate
places the number of homeless people
in the city at 10000. Most of these
spent the night in the parks, on the
docks, on barges, and some slept on
what few belongings they managed to
save from the general wreck.
Appeal for Aid May BE Issued.
The board of trade and other COM
mercial bodies held meetings to take
action looking to the alienation of
the suffering 1t is expected that an
appeal of the people of the United
States, calling for aid, will be issued
Leading business men and insurance
agents estimate the total loss of prop
erty at from ten to fifteen million
dollars.
Some of the Buildings Destroyed.
The st. James hotel, which was de-
stroyed, has been closed since April
10. The loss on this building is $175,-
600. Among the buildings destroyed
are: The Emery auditorium, Board of
Trade, st. James hotel, Windsor ho-
tel, the Seminole club, the Daily Me-
tropolis, the city hall and market, the
Gardiner building the largest office
building in the city,, the Hubbard
building.
Death and Madness
Mr.. w. w. Cleveland in whose
premises the fire oringinated, 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 in
stances had almost denuded them
selves when they were caught by
friends and led to places of safety
Horses hitohed to trucks could not be
cut loose quickly enough, and many
of them ran wild through the demor-
allied throng.
Firemen Used Dynamite.
At ! a. m. Saturday the fire was
still burning fiercelE in many sections
of the ruins, and the exhausted fire.
men, giving up the fight for the time
being, sought rest, leaving the fire TO
burn itself out. The heat from the
fire was inteuse. The fire department
used dynamite to blow up the houses
q block from the fire.