The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-04

of the best families in the city They had
no place to go. Many scenes of pathos
might be described. but it is difficult to
single out any one more affecting than
another.
zone incident / saw was that of a gen.
tleman who was pointed out to me as one
Of the most prominent citizens of Jack
sonville. He had lost his home and prac-
tically his all. Accompanied by his wife,
two daughters and his son, he was push
ing along in a little cart, such as fruit
vendors employ, what little of their val
uables had been saved from the flames
They had no destination. 1t mattered
not where they went but they seemed
to want to keep moving. line of hose
ran across their path. They were stopped
by "a guard. \ friend, who seemed to
know the one in authority, interceded,
ard they passed on-whther, they, them
selves, Gid not know.
"On every hand there was weeping.
The decentralization was so great that
the flames could not be fought properly,
and no impeachment to their wild sweep
was offered that seemed to have the
slightest effect. Buildings, standing in
the line Of the flames onward sweep,
, were blown up, but they were too near
the FIRE Had a block been skipped,
, blowing up the houses might have result
ed in the fire being stopped. The meas
uIeS huOplets IHOuSn, COulu tlOt sup INC
| terrible flood of fire. 1t roured and ragged
| with q fury that human agency was
powerless to curb. The great mass of
| the Windsor Hotel went up in half an
hour
About O'Clock there was a report OF
| drinking among the lawless element The
| report was substantiated, and soon the
terrors of the fire were added to by the
| dread of drunken men. Then the author
l ~
/ with carbines. and the saloons were all
| closed and kept closed. No drinks could
! be had, and the demon that was rapidly
! being aroused In disorderly element was
| kept down
THE military companies were ordered
| out, and the entire force of police, many
| of the mep mounted, was on duty their
| carbines slung across their backs. Loot
! ing was feared, and it was INDUCED in to
| certain extent The efforts of the SOL
| diers and of the police, however, were in
| the MAN, successful in preventing scoun-
| drels from taking advantage of the great
| disorder that prevailed on every side.
| Il heard report that Chief Haney of
| the fire department had been dangerous
| ly injured. This, however, was later de-
| MED, and it was stated that he had been
| seriously hurt and was in The hospital.
| did not hear of any fatalities, but there
1
Tins l saw. One was a young man who
had his leg badly crushed.
scenes in the Streets.
"Piled about on the sidewalks, removed
| from the path of the flames, were house
hold goods of all description. Men, wo-
men. and children stood about them,
| looking OH in abject terror. They saw
| their homes, caught in the onward rush
of the flames, dwindle to ashes. Not only
| women and children, but strong men were
| weeping, and it was such a scene of dis
| tress as / do not care soon to witness
| again.
| IAN were terror-stricken. Some were
| asssailed by fears for their property. They
| could get no aid. |" saw one man draw
500 from his pocket and offer it to the
| driver of an express wagon. He wanted
the driver to go with him to his residence
and remove only three trunks of valu-
ables. The driver would not go. You
could get no one to do anything. Service
of any sort commanded a fabulous price
To get from the depot to a hotel, a fare
that is usually % cents, cost me SO. The
| street cars were not running and the ter.
rible confusion made all business stag
nant.
| Il left Jacksonville at 7:45 o'clock. The
flames had been driven through the resi-
dence section and had been caught by
| change in the stiff wind and swept bach
| upon the business portion of the town
When l was leaving, the postoffice seemed
doomed beyond ali human power to save
| You have seen where q great fores
fire has passed? Then you have the mos
adequate description / can give of tn,
scene presented by the fire-swept dstric
| in Jacksonville. In all that vast trac
there is not wall standing. 1t was sweep
clear of everything save the stumps o
trees and the charred remains of tele
graph poles. standing in the streets. TIL,
blackened. limbless trees and the bar,
poles present just such a spectacle as /.
left by forest fire"
Conductors work In the Flames.
j. A. Farris. conductor of Southern
Railway train, No. IS, reaching Savannah
at 1885 o'clock this morning, worked TO-
. three hours in the flames, and saw mucf
of the suffering and desolation wrough
by their devouring fury.
Practically the entire residence sec
ton of the town is i'm ruins" he said
land of the business section, only foui
or five books remain. Thousands o
people are homeless. and in want, an,
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 engaged il
fighting flames or in striving to remove
TO a place of safety their own belongings
. | Every wagon ana cart That could be found
was pressed into service and these heav
lily laden with all sort of furniture and
personal property of every description
were passing in a long line across the
| river.
THE houses burned like finder and
brick and stone seemed TO offer no greater
impediment 10 the progress of the flame.
than did the frame buildings that stooc
in their path A scarcity OF water, thai
early became apparent. increased the diff.
culties OF fremen.
81 worked myself for three hours II
the burning district doing all that
} could 10 save property, until was tlreC
out. My duty compelled me to leave tn,
city. At that time the fire seemed {,
have about burnt itself out, and wa,
under partial control. The section OF tn,
Savannah Fire Department had then jus
arrived. The misery that has beer
wrought passes description"
c. ID. Taylor. an employe Of the Com
mercial Bank in Jacksonville. arrived OF
the Seaboard Air Line train this morn
ing and brought a thrilling story of thu
fire Mr.. Taylor lived near the Churci
OF the Immaculate Conception. Every
thing that he had was lost and he ief
on the first train for Savannah wher,
he has relatives.
s-s
Cromwell Assumes Command.
Washington, May 3.-Rear Admira
Cromwell has informed the Navy Depart