Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1905-02-26
LARGE FIRE VISITS
HOT SPRINGS, ARK,
Over One Million Dollars Worth
Of Property Destroyed.
1000 PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS

nfIagration-Water Supply Failed
and High Wind Prevailed-Three
Lives Reported Lost.
Hot Springs, Ark, Feb. 25.-A fire
| which broke out at midnight has de.
stroyed 100 buildings in the southern
portion of the city and is still burning
| dercely, at o'clock this morning. A
fhtgh wind prevails and the water sup.
ply has failed. It is impossible to es.
innate the damage at this hour, but 1t
is already very heavy.
The burned section extends from
Ouchita avenue to OaklaWn.
At 1925 a. m. the fire seems to have
burned itself out. There are 1000
people homeless, including many Wis.
itors.
The estimate of the loss is placed
at million dollars
The fire was checked at the Meth.
odist church, the district where the
hotel Moody was located having been
entirely destroyed. The burned sec.
tion comprises about one-fiftieth of the
entire area of the city and was occu.
pied almost exclusively by the poorer
classes.
The main hotels, the Eastman, Park
and Arlington, are safe and both rail.
road stations were saved The fire
was in the southern part of the city,
the northern limit being the Methodist
church.
Three or more lives are reported to
have been lost but the idenity of the
victims cannot be learned at present.
The fire started at $3.50 o'clock
this morning in the. Grand Central ho
tel, at the corner of Central avenue
andChappel street, in the southern
portion Of the city. A high wind
was blowing and the flames quickly
spread to the south and west.
The Plateau hotel, Hotel Moody, the
GARNER flats and several lodging
houses were quickly destroyed.
lie u10 QSpd4 LA1SuL 4OuQSIGO ECOu
service until o'clock when the wa
ter gave out and the threatened area
was left to the mercy of the flames.
Duties general store, one of the
largest in the city, is total loss.
The charred bodies of three women
are reported to have been IN the ruins
of the Grand Central hotel. The re
mains were so badly burned as to
make Identification difficult, II not i'm,
possible.
When the water pressure gave out,
bucket brigades were formed and hun.
dreds OF citizens and visitors volun.
teered their services. At 9 o'clock the
fire was still burning, but it was pro
nounced to be under control
The spring season always attracts a
large number of visitors to this resort.
The city has been filling up with Wis,
itors for several weeks, and it is es-
timated full 10000 of these sojourn.
ers are now here.
A DHOT SPRGS FIRE-Second ad.
The firemen put forth every effort
to save the county court house and
jail, but their efforts were of no avail
both structures bein consumed.
Many valuable records were burned
and the 20 prisoners in the Jail were
rescued with great difficulty.
In the South Hot Springs cottage
| district, which was consumed, sever.
al persons are missing, but it is not
known that any loss of life occurred
| there.
The Jewish synagogue, the Central
Methodist church and the residences
of Mayor Belding and Sheriff VIII.
liams were completely destroyed.
The district occupied by the bath
houses and the entire government res.
ervation, in the east side of Central
avenue, escaped the flames.
Telephone and street car service is
suspended, and all business has been
practically abandoned for the day.
systematic search of the ruins has
resulted in the finding of two male
| bodies. This makes a total of five
| known dead and other bodies may be
J discovered.
AS the day progressed estimates oi
| the losses exceed those of the early
morning, many residents stating that
| S2,000,000 will not cover the damage
Insurance men are at work preparing
a statement and will not give out their
| estimates in advance.
| For a time the magnificent Park
| hotel, situated in the southern portion
of the city, was considered to be in
danger, but the wind shifted to the
west and the hotel was left undis
turbed.
Mayor Belding has issued an appeal
| to all residents urging them to assist
the homeless in every way possible
He las called a mass meeting to be
hel dat 4 o'clock this afternoon when
contributions will be received and re
| lief work will be systematlzed.