The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-07
SCENES At JACKSON WILLIE
The Great COnflagration Described
by an Eyewitness.
Flames Driven So Fnst by the High
Wind That Escape Was Difficult
People Forced to Jump Into the
River to Avoid Being Burned Alive

Refugees from the great JacksonNlle
fire are just beginning to make their way
northward Several arrived in Washing
ton yesterday. among them Col w D.
Barnes. of New York City. Colonel
Barnes is newspaper man, dramatic
critic, and an eN-army officer. He Is at
present connected with the New YORK
Hotel Gazette" and was in Florida in
vessiEating the condition of the hotels
there. His escape from death was mirac-
ulous, and he came north with only L
cents in his pocket, his trunk, containing
all his clothes and his money, nearly $500,
having been burned
He makes a frank confession that any
attempt to describe the fire would be
futile, and says the imagination of even
the most yellow journalist could not
picture scene or a situation more terri
BILE Yet he thinks there is Il bright side
to il ALL as the burned district included
large number of bad shanties owned by
negroes, and the city would have been
only too glad to have had them torn
down except for the expense. The fire
wiped them all away. and upon their
ruins will rise fine brick dwellings or
nothing at all. as Jacksonville will be
built up with regard to all the rules for
safety from fire and under such restric-
tions that none but brick buildings can
be put up within the fire limits.
Colonel Barnes is not willing to make
even a guess at the number of the dead.
The fire loss he places much higher
than the estimates made in the press
dispatches. for he thinks that it can be
not a dollar less than S200O0.OO0. Not
more than one-third of the city remains
standing, and $1,000 people are homeless.
They will not suffer much. Colonel Barnes
thinks, because of the prompt assistance
which IS being given by the neighboring
cities. and by the Government.
The tents which are arriving will af
ford housing accommodation for the null
titude that has been wandering. and the
provisions that are coming in by the car
load will undoubtedly suffice. If there is
prompt payment by the insurance COM
panies, Colonel Barnes says he is con-
fident that the business men will imme-
diately begin to build up, and the busi-
ness of the city will be but little inter
fered with
Il was living at the Windsor Hotel" he
said at the Riggs House, where he arrived
yesterday afternoon. land the Windsor is
now mass of ruins. as is every other
hotel in the city, with the exception of the
Duval. The fire made clean sweep of
all of them. As you know, it originated
in the works of a mattress and fibre COM
pany. The company was making pairhst-
TO shreds used in the manufacture of mat
tresses to substitute for hair and for
packing purposes. 4 lazy negro threw n
cigarette stump into the refuse and that
began the fire. The fibre factory stands
some distance to the east of the river
and the wind very high at the time. was
blowing due east.
THE fire broke out at 12:l5 and no one
had any idea that it would assrn such
proportions. To this 1 attribute the loss
OF life. The people imagined that they
Were safe when they had gone fifteen or
more blocks from the fire, but they had
only gotten themselves into trap. as
the outcome shows. L myself went ff-
teen blocks, taking my trunks frcm the
Windsor Hotel to TIE United States Ho-
tel. but the flames followed ne almost as
fast as 1 could drive. They seemed to
race alons from house to house like an
express train, and it was impossible to
get ahead of them.
The fire department of the city was in
adequate, consisting OF only three en-
gines. There We're companies sent from
savannah, st. Augustine, Palatka, and
other towns near around, but they were,
Ia ai:tn all together, worth nothing against
DynamIting buildings in the path of the |
fire did no good.
THE flames went practically due east, !
cutting a swath about six blocks wide and |
about twenty-five blocks long. The path |
OF the flames was so arranged in relation |
to the river that il enclosed section and ]
burnt il all out down to the very wharves |
at the rivers edge. Naturally the people
who thought they would find safety at
the edge of the water were finally driven |
to the ends of the wharves, and those
fn mats
forced eventually to chose between death
by drowning and broiling. Many jumped
in the river, and the list Of these will not
he known until the stream gives UP its
dead They will form the greatest item
in the casualty list. The cries of these
poor unfortunates who found themselves
between the fire and the water were ap-
palling. There were a few boats to help
these people to places OF safety. but they
could not make even an impression on the
crowd that clamored to be taken away
of these people who crowded upon the
wharf We're white people. not negroes.
Il was within few blocks of the fire
when II broke out. happening to lie Up
town on business. l got away as soon
as possible, and in less than twenty rim
utes after l had left the door OF the
house where l had been consulting NV
doctor, the entire building had been
swept away. ] hastened to the Windsor
Hotel to get my trunk, and had by the
aid of boys got it across the street into
d park
Il stood by a young lazy. under the |
palmetto trees. The cinders and sparks |
set her dress and hat afire and soon the |
palmettos were cracking and blazing
by chance managed to get "A dra s-rrlan
TO take my trunk, and 1 started to the /
United States Hotel fifteen blocks away.
The nre was there almost as soon as l
was. and my trunk. which was dunlDed on /
the wharf, was blistered with the heat
A business friend, going in bis carriage |
10 the station CHANGED to sseeine and he /
took NE in his carriage. which. of course
saved my life, for fortunately the FIRE |
burnt itself out before il reached the 1
depot.
The scene was enough to drive aI,yone |
mad. Negroes who saw their houses !
burning. though themselves In a
place of safety, would rush back and |
perish in the flames. The attempts of !
people to save their household goods were
ludicrous. More pots and pans and kct- |
ties were deposited IN places of security |
than you can imagine. and lots OF people |
saved books and pictures, when valuable |
papers, money. and jewelry were gcine
up In the flames. There was some az
tempt at robbery, but the militia stopped ]
all that Other kinds OF vandalism ere
rare, even among the negroes. II is r rob /
ably now an orderly town Mayor Pow
den gave me my pass 10 come North. and /
he supplied similar passes to many hum |
dresis more
The Oregon Homewnrd Bound.