The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1904-05-31
YAzOO CITY BURNS
Most Disastrous Blaze in His
tory of Mississippi
BUSINESS SECTION GONE
Losses Reach Into the Millions While
Amount Of Insurance 10 Unknown.
Martial Law 10 Enforced
BY. Mayors Order.

Yazoo Cry, the wealthiest town in
the Mississippi delta, located As miles
north OF jackson, the capital was
swept by the fire fiend Wednesday
and wednesday night, and as a result
not a single business house IN the
town is left standing. Over TWO hun.
dred buildings were wrecked by the
flames and the loss is estimated be.
tween 100000 and s2,5OO,OOo. The
FIRST figure win probably cover the
total destruction.
The fire was beyond all comparison
the most disastrous That has ever oc.
CURED in the history Of Mississippi.
Hundreds OF people are homeless, seek
Ing shelter wherever offered and APP
peals have been cent out for food and
proTtsdonR Many are destitute, every
grocery store and provision house hay
Ing been licked up by tho flames.
The Are started in the residence OF
John Wise, Of Main and Mound streets.
The origin 10 unknown, the flames
being first discovered In the parlor,
and the occupants say that there had
not been Are In the room for four
months
From building to building the fire
leaped down the west side OF Main
street to Jefferson. thence to the east
side, and within half an hour every
business structure on the thorough
fare had been destroyed.
From Jefferson The fire burned to
the river and then started north,
sweeping everything In ies path TO
Hntonia, lumber yard, stopping at
Keystone lumber yard, after destroy
Ing $4,000 lumber stock.
Realizing that the fire was beyond
control CT the local fre department.
Mayor Holmes sent out appeals for
aid, and the Jackson fire department,
headed by Mayor Hemingway, and the
Greenwood FIRE department, headed BY
Governor Vardaman, hurried to the
scene on special trains The Jack
son special made record breaking
run, covering the distance Of 45 miles
In forty minutes.
An hour after the arrival of assist
ance, II seemed that the FIRE was al
most under control but shortly after
noon II broke out afregh at the Calu-
met Club, destroying that structure.
ieaping thence to the Magnolia Inn,
also destroying the wholesale ware
houses OF the Goyer company, con-
tanning $500 900 stock OF goods
Every white church in town, the
Methodist, Baptist, Elplscopolian, Fres
byterian and Catholic, were burned
Both telegraph Offices, the Cumber.
land telephone exchange and the va.
500 and Mississippi valley passenger
depot.
Tho four banking inc.itutions, the
Blk Club, the express Offices, postof-
nee, were swept away.
Tho only buildings Of consequence
directly exposed which escaped we're
the court house and the Fannie J.
Kicks memorial library, and through
some queer prank OF fate these were
unburned, although surrounded by fre
on all sides.
Under Martial Law.
The town Is under martial law by
order OF Mayor Holmes. The devasta.
ton OF the business district Is com
piete. Twenty. eight blocks were licked
clean by the flames and only the
blsckened brick walls and smolier-
ing embers mark tho SPOT where hand
come buildings once stood, OF the to-
taa number Of buildings destroyed fully
two hundred and fifty were magnin-
cent residences many OF old colonial
architecture and occupied by some OF
the wealthlest citizens OF tho south.
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