Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-04
HE DROPPED DEAD.
The Man on Whose Premises
 Jacksonville Fire Started.
IS BLOCKS WERE BURNED.

the River-Many Families Lost
 Valuable Household Goods After
 They Had Once Been Removed to a
 Place of Safety.
 Jacksonville, Fla, May A de- 'astated city, ruins everywhere, greet ed the ke-enshrouded sun to-day. ne nre which broke out at noon yes terday and was aided in its work by southwest gale, spent its force by g o'clock last night. The damage was enormous.
 One hundred and forty-eight blocks were swept by the flames and as far lives.
 A report was in circulation this morning that a party of twenty per sons, driven to the docks aolng the St Johns river, were forced into the water all attempts at rescue by boats being futile. The river is being searched.
 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
 
 capacity in the fire-swept district has been pressed into the service The negroes are huddled in groups in diff ferent parts of the city and the fear of an attempt at lawlessneSs by them, although not openly expressed by the whites, is the reason for the large military force ordered here
 The fire companies from Savannah, Bernandina, Ocaia, and other cities, worked the entire night on the fire, but a soaking rain will be necessary to eff fectualIy quench the flames. The losses by the fire will not be known for week. The path of the flames was thirteen blocks wide and nearly two mile long.
 Practically all Old Jacksonville was destroyed. nothing having been left but few suburbs and Riverside. the most fashionable part of the city. It is believed the fire is the largest on record in proportion to the size of the city.
 A feature of the confagration was the loss by many families of libraries, pianos and household goods, after they mad been moved to supposed place of safety.
 The street ear service has been at a complete standstfll since yesterday afternoon. All last night the city was in darkness. The electric light cir cults were interrupted and the gas plants destroyed
 A conservative estimate places the number of homeless people in the city at 10000. Most of these spent the nights in the parks, on the docks. and on barges. while some slept beside the few belongings they had managed to save from the general wreck.
 n r,f11 rf7rT mercial bodies Eeld meetings at 10:3O this morning
 Mayor Bowdoin stated to an Asso- efated Press representative to-day that he estimated the loss at $15,000,0OO.
 Jacksonville, Fla, May 4-W. W. Cleveland. on whose premises the fire originated that wrought so much havoc here yesterday, and who was one of the heaviest losers, dropped dead from excitement during the progress of the flames A stalwart negro, bringing trunk on his head from a burning building went crazy from the horror of the situation. He ran around in a cir cle 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 instances had almost denuded themselves when they were caught by friends and led to places of safety Horses hitched to trucks could not be cut loose quickly enough and many of them ran wild through the demoralized throng At night the military was ordered out to guard the household goods piled in the streets.
 Savannah. Ga, May 4.-J. 4. Ferris, conductor of Southern railway train reaching Savannah this morning, work ed for three hours in the flames, at Jacksonville and saw mucn of the suf- fering and desolation wrought by their devouring fury.
 Practically the entire residence sec ton of the town is in ruins,'' he said, "and of the business section only four or five blocks remain. Thousands of people are homeless. and in want, and many of them are leaving the city.
 During the time the fire was raging the entire population of Jacksonville was abroad. Most of them were engag- ed fighting flames or in striving to remove to place of safety their own belongings. Every wagon and cart that could be found were pressed into ser vice, and these, heavily laden with all sorts of furniture and personal prop erty of every description, were passing in long line across the river.
 The houses and barns were like tin der boxes. A scarcity of water that early became apparent, increased the difficulties of the firemen
 T worked for three hours in the burning district doing all I could to save the burning property, until I was tired out and my duty compelled me 10 leave the city. At that time the fire seemed to have about burned itself out and was under partial control. The misery that has been wrought passes description"
 SECOND LIEUTENANTs WANTED