The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-29
Every Business House for Blocks
is Unro0fed-- Big Vessels
a Mass Of Debris
FIRE ADDS TO TROUBLES
OF THE STRICKEN CITY
Mayor Orders All Saloons closed, But
Already There Has Been Much
Wanton Loo.ing, az Off
GERS Are Inadequate.

Pensacola, Fla, September 25.-(vin
Flomaton, Ala, September 2S,)-'fhe worst
hurricane to visit this city in It's history
ragged here furiously all last night and
this morning, and today With q gale still
blowing, the city presents q wrecked ap-
pearance and the damage is estimated at
$5OOO,OO0. The loss of life Will be heavy
among the mariners, but thus far only
one body has been recovered, a man
named George Morgan, fisherman Other
bodies are reported along the shore, but
have not been recovered.
Commencing at o'clock last night the
wind blew at 90 miles an hour for threa
hours, then increased to 65. From that
time until 5 o'clock It remained about
50 and 80 miles an hour. The tides FROM
the bay backed into the city fer blocks
destroying homes and making rivers out
of streets. When the gale was at its high
est this morning and women ana children
were running frantic about the streets in
darkness, the alarm o. fire was sounded,
and this added to the confusion.
Started Near BUSINESS District.
The fire started in the Pitt mill. near
the business district and horses of the
fire department refused to go out in the
weather. With the tin roofs flying about
them, trees ana wires falling over thorn.
the flrenen taole tlleir hose wagons pv
hand and rushed dewn the streets to tne
scene and after hours of work controlled
the blaze.
This afternoon the waterfront and bus
mess district presents a horrible scens
OF fifty or sixty big ships and sailing
vessels lying In the harbor. Only five or
six are there now They have beer driven
ashore, and along the water front is u
mass of wreckage of steamers. tow beats,
launches and sailing crafts of all descrip-
tions. Thirty fishing vessels in port have
been destroyed or damaged and the three
big fish houses with their wharves arc
gone Muscogee wharf and the Cornmeno-
amelia and Tarragona wharvss of tho
Louisville and Nashville read ara badly
damaged,
Ships Driven In Shore.
Great iron ships of two and three thou
sand tons have been driven not only
ashore, but have gone through houses
block from the water front
Every house along the waterfront for
distance of ten miles has been destroyed.
and the wonder is that the loss of lives is
not greater. The tracks Of the Terminal
railway to the navy yard and Barrancas
have all been destroyed, as also the tres
ties and bridges
No communication can be had with tho
navy yard. but the report is that 1t has
been badly damaged And there is no
doubt that such Is the case.
Every Business House Unroofed.
Every business house from the wharf
and Chalifoux street to the Union depot
has been unroofed many plate glass VIM
dows broken, stocks badly damaged and
wires and poles all mixed up together.
There are no electric lights, cars or tele-
graph, or telephone service. The track
Of the Louisville and Nashville on the.
Pensacola and Atlantic division has been
washed up for thirty miles, and two en-
gines and cars sent out to the quarantine
station have been destroyed
Eight sailors from a British steamer
were in the place and as 1t went over they
clung to the roof. and FIVE were washed
ashore on this side this morning, tbe
other three being drowned.
All Saloons Are Closed.
Acting Mayor Maura ordered every sa-
loon closed this morning, anc fifty extra
police officers have been sworn in. The
homeless families are housed in all por-
tions Of the city, but many VIII walk the
streets without food or a place to sleep
until something can be brought out af
chaos now existing. Added TO the terror
of the situation, is that of thieves, who
are breaking open trunks all along the
beach, entering unoccupied houses and
stealing everything in sight Several ar
rests have been made but II is impossible
to protect property under such condi-
tions
war vessels at the Pensacola navy yard
undergoing repairs were the gunboats
Vexen Machias, Isa de Luzon and Glou-
cester. besides several smaller craft ana
the quartermaster's steamer Foe Ihey
were in an exposed position, and II IS
feared they may have been beacned-