The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-05-28
The Beauty Spot of the Delta Is Completely
Wiped Out by Flames.
Loss VIII Be Nearly Three Millions of Dollars - Not a Business
House Remains Standing, and Bot Few Residences Left.
One Fatality, AMI the Mayor Serious I'M ne1 = Jack
son and Greenwood Send Hell, But Lack Of
Water Handicapped Their Efforts y Peo-
pie Homeless, Business Para1yzed.

Yazoo City, Miss, May 25.-Beauti-
full Yazoo City, nesting at the foot of
the hill and on the banks of the Yazoo
river. tonight lies in ashes, a city of
ruins. of ~blackened walls and chimneys.
One thousand people are homeless
tonight. Two million dollars worth
of property is in smoke and cinders,
and the business of Mississippi's most
prosperous delta town is paralyZed and
the State of Mississippi mourns her de-
struction.
Not a business house stands in the
city, not a church in which the peo-
pie can worship, not a lawyers office,
not a hotel. Everything fell before
the flames. 1t was all done in SO short
a time that the people did not realize
what had happened. The most dis
astrous fire in the history of the State,
and in many respects the most dis
astrous in the history of the South
for many years, originated at 8:15
o'clock in the handsome twO-Story
residence owned and occupied by Her
man Wise on Mounth street. in the
southern portion of the city. How the
fire originated is a matter OF dou
and will never be known, but it is
supposed to have been caused by de-
fective wiring.
Mrs. Wise went into the parlor
shortly after 8 o'clock this morning
and the room was in flames. Before
any alarm could be given the whole
building was burning. The alarm was
very promptly turned in and the fire
department responded and with a will
went to work, but the next adjoining
building caught before any stream of
water could be gotten.
Spread of the Flames.
The buildings in this section were
very close and the streets very mar
row. 1t was easy for the flames to
spread, and they leaped from n
building to another with appalling
rapidity. Everything was favorable
to the flames, everything against the
firemen. A stout, strong wind was
blowing from the south, all of the
town lying to the north. The water
pressure was Door, as the city is just
putting in a new waterwOrkS plant,
planned to meet just such situations as
arose. The third building caught, then
the fourth. and people began to realize
that they were face to face with a on
fagration unless speedy Roadway was
made to stop the flames. The first
store to catch was the Wise store,
owned by the occupant of he resi-
dence. BY 8 O'Clock all OF the citizens
we're out working to stop, If possible,
the march of the flames. but every
minute the task was growing more
and more impossible.
Mayor Holmes realized the situation
and ~telegraphed to Jackson mi 10
Greenwood and Canton for assistance,
but it would be several hours at least
before these companies could arrive,
and during the meantime the city
fought alone against its great enemy.
Up Main street, which is the leading
business street of the city, the fire
made its progress. By 10 o'clock 1t
had broken into several sections of
the business portion OF the town and
by II O'Clock the people realized the
impossibility of coping with the situa-
ton with the apparatus at hand. IN
less than two hours smoke was curl
inc out two dozen of the largest bust
ness houses on Main street. Some of
the merchants attempted to save their
goods. but to carry them out In the
streets meant their destruction, for fire
was jumping from n side OF the
street to the other. Most of the mer-
chants realized this very soon and
lust locked up their stores and made
no effort to ave anything except their
books, valuable papers and
Water Famine.
At II o'clock the Jackson fire de-
partment arrived. Then the ire had
burned over half of the town. The
iremen from the capital city went TO
work with a will, but water could not
be had. They pumped one clstern dry
but it had no effect on the flames; no
water could be gotten from the n.y.
drants. so the engine was placed neal
the river, but the hose was not then
long enough to reach the burning dis
trict and the fight was carried on
under difficulties. The Greenwood de-
partment soon arrived and assisted III
the struggle. The Canton company
made it's way as far as Flora, but were
forced to turn back and did not arrive
until this afternoon at 5 O'Clock when
the fire had burnt itself out.
By 2 o'clock the fire was az It's
worst. The residence portion or the
city was then fame, and some o.
the h~andsomest buildings were IN
flames. BY 4 O'Clock the fire had made
its wav to Canal street, which divides
Lintonia addition from the city proper.
This street is very wide and here 1t
was that the wholesale destruction was
stopped.
Birc's-Eye View of Loss.
Tonight the flicker of the smolder-
ing embers from twenty-seven blocks
light UP the heavens, and there is a
burnt district with black brick walls
and chimneys of frame buildings OF a
mile and an eighth in length and from