The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-05-09
CITY LIES IN ASHES.
Terrific Conhagration Ragged
In Jacksonville, Fla.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS.
six Lives Reported Lost-Property
Loss Roughly Estimated at S1o,-
100000 - The Flames. Famed
by Gale, We're Irresistible.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. May A.
Jacksonville has experienced the most
disastrous fire uf her existence. The
buildings on the entire length of Beaver
trcet from Davis street to the creek on
liberty street have been totally de-
troyed. This is II solid blocks of resi-
ences. For the same distance Ashley
nd Church streets have both been com
letely blotted out. When the fire reach
d Bridge street in its eastward course,
enveloped i'm flames three blocks, Du-
val, Monroe and the north side of Ad-
ans. burning up that entire section of
the city and running II blocks to the
Duval street bridge.
When the fire reached Julia street. it
was roaring furnace without any pros
pect Of being put under control.
The local military companies were call
ed out to keep back the crowds, and the
FIRE department began to use dynamite
to blow up the houses Il block from the
fire and thus prevent the hre from
spreading. So fierce was the blaze, how
ever. and so strong had become the wind
that millions of sparks and flying burn
ing shingles spread over five or six
blocks setting the roofs of the houses on
fire in advance of the fire department..
Soon Senator Taiaferro's residence and
then the adjoining houses on that block
were ablaze. Desperate efforts were
made to save the Windsor and the st.
James hotels. but both houses were quick
ly enveloped in flames.
Leaping madly across the street from
the Windsor, the flames set fire to the
Sells House and then the Methodist
parsonage. A few moments later the
Trinity NJ. Il. church was n mass Of
flames. The Opera House block followed,
and then the Richards and Livingstone
boarding houses. \ desperate effort was
made to save the Baldwin mansion,
which was recently purchased by the
Elks for $4,000. No earthly power
could save this building, and that entire
block and the one west Of it were quickly
mass Of flames. Once the fire got
started on Main street the closely ad-
joining buildings went one after the 9th
er. Paint shops, with barrels of oil in
stock, were plentiful in this district, and
as they caught on fire one after the 9th
er the blaze rose hundreds of feet high
and quickly set the other buildings across
the street on fire.
The city building went, the fire de-
partment building, the armory, the coun-
ty courthouse, the clerks office with the
county records, the criminal courthouse,
the city Jail and the graded schools and
the Catholic church and orphanage, St.
Johns Episcopal church and the convent.
Almost the entire city of magnificent
buildings was burned up in less than
four hours. The scene was one that
beggars description.
At $3.50 p. IN. the fire was checked at
the intersection of Laurel and Bay
streets, where the Commercial bank is
located which went up in flames, the
Western Union building being just across
the street and not being damaged.
Six lives are reported lost in the con-
hagration.
The plans of the city as prepared by
the city surveyors show that 130 blocks
were burned and part of another block
The estimate of residences to the block
in the residential district is ten. and in
the business section the blocks were
solid.
Mayor Bowden says the property loss
will exceed S15,0OO,000. Ten thousand
TO fifteen thousand people are homeless.