Evening journal., 1901-05-04
Buildings Blown Up to Pre-
vent Fires Spread
SIX LIVES REPORTED LOST
In the Present DiSOrganizcd State Of
Affairs 1t Is Impossible to
Verify Reports

Jacksonville. May 4 - Yesterday
jacksonville experienced the most dis
astrous fire OF her existence. The
buildings on the entire length OF Beav
er street, from Davis street to the
creek on Liberty street. have been to-
tally destroyed. This is II solid blocks
Of residences. For the same distance
Ashley and Church streets have been
completely burned out When the fire
reached Bridge street in its eastward
course 1t enveloped in flames three
blocks, burning up that entire section
of the city and running IA blocks to
the Duval street bridge.
The plans of the city, as prepared by
the city surveyors, show that l30 blocks
were burned and a part Of another
block. The estimates Of residences to
the block in the residential district is
ten, and in the business section the
blocks We're solid The confagration
has burned over a distance of two and
half miles long by a mile wide.
When the fire reached Julia street it
was roaring furnace. without any
prospects OF being put under control.
The local military companies were
called out to keep back the crowds, and
the fire department began to use dyna-
mite to blow up the houses a block
from the fire and thus preventing the
fire from spreading. So 1erce was the
blaze, however, and so strong had be-
come the wind that millions of sparks
and.nying burning shingles spread over
five or six blocks, setting the roofs of
the houses on fire In advance of the de-
partment.
Soon Senator Taliaferro'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
quickly enveloped in flames. For about
and hour the guests in the Windsor
had been busily packing their trunks
and went away loaded with trunks and
grips, some unfortunately to the Uni
ted States hotel, but most Of them to
Riverside.
Leaping madly across the street from
the Windsor, the flames set fire to
Sells house and then the Methodist
parsonage. A few moments later the
Trinity M. g. church vas mass OF
flames. The Opera House block fol
lowed and the Richards and Living
stone boarding houses. A desperate ef.
fort was made to save the Baldwin
mansion. which was recently purchas
ed by the Elks for $4,000 No earthly
power could save this building, anC
that entire block and the one west o.
It was quickly a mass of flames.
Once the fire got started on MaiI
street the closely adjoining building
went one after the other Paint shop
with barrels Of oil in stock were plen
tiful in this district, and as the,
caught fire one after the other th'
blazes rose hundreds of feet high ant
quickly set the other buildings acros
the street on fire.
Then the Hubbard hardware stor
caught and the people scattered whel
they saw what had happened. Hun
dreds OF pounds of powder and a grea
deal Of dynamite was stored in thi
building. Ten minutes passed, whe
suddenly there was a roar and tn
building collapsed like an eggshel
The dynamite and the powder had eS
ploded The firemen at this time wer
working in great danger. Cartridge
began to explode and bullets began {
fly around, so the effort to fight tn
fire at this point far a time had to /
abandoned. This was only the stal
OF the most intense part Of the fire. Th
new Furchgott building was 500
ablaze and soon the Gardiner buildin
was also a mass Of flames. Down th
street the fire spread with rapidity an
in a short time the entire section
Bay street, from Market to Main, an
extending for five blocks back, VIZ
burning all at once.
The city building went, the hre a
partment building, the county cou
house, the clerks Office with the com
ty records, the criminal court hous
the city Jail and the graded schoo
and the Catholic church and orphal
age, st. Johns Episcopal church az
the convent. Almost the entire ci
of magnificent buildings was burnl
up in less than four hours. The seer
|s was one that beggars description.
At $3.50 D. m the fire was check,