The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-02
Three Hundred and Eight
Buildings Destroyed; Loss
Will Reach S600,000.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
ARE LEFT HOMELESS
Jesuit Fathers Order Convent to
Be Opened and Care for Those
in Distress-The Principal
Loss Falls on Owners
OF Cigar Fac
tories

tire extreme northeastern Sec
ton of the city proper was de-
stroycd by fire, which ragged
uninterruptedly from Q A. NJ.
to 1 P. NJ. to- day. The area burned
covered fifty-five acres, or eighteen and
one-half city blocks. and 3os buildings
were destroyed, with total loss esti-
mated at 100000.
Tho burned section included four
large and one smaller cigar factories
and q number OF restaurants, saloons
boarding houses. and over 200 dwell
ings occupied by cigarmakers. The
factories burned were NJ. Stachelberg
and Company, loss 100000; NJ. Perez
and Company, loss 100000 Gonzalez.
Fisher and Company. loss 100000; Es-
berg, Gunst and Company, branch OF
stachelberg, loss 10000; Fernandez
and Brothers. loss $4,000. All fac
tories carried large stocks of tobacco
and cigars. The area swept by fire
embraced all that portion of the city
between Twelfth and Michigan Ave
nues and Sixteenth and Twentieth
Streets.
start in Boarding House.
1t originated in the boarding house
of Antonio Diaz. No. 17l4 Twelfth
Avenue, and. famed by a strong wind.
spread out. fan-shaped. defying the
effort of the entire city fire depart
ment, which was crippled BY very weak
water pressure owing to the smallness
of the mains In that section. occu-
pants of over 200 dwelling houses.
thrown into panic, rushed out. at
tempting to save but little OF their
belongings. One fatality is reported
a Cuban woman in a delicate condition.
who dropped dead from the shock. her
BODY being rescued from the burning
house with difficulty. In the big fac
tories It was possible only TO save the
most valuable Office records. books, etc,
and the valuable stock of leaf to-
bacco and manufactured cigars. ready
for shipment, was left TO the mercy of
the flames.
Fire Chief Savage was overcome by
heat and smoke early IN the fire. but
recovered later. Citizens volunteered
assistance to the hard working fire
men. but the spread OF the flames was
so rapid that little effectual work
could be done.
Among buildings, other than fac
tories, destroyed were the hotels and
cafes of Feroz &; Castro and MaXimo
Caras. six saloons. twelve restaurants
and ten boarding houses. The car barns
of the Tampa Electric Company. con-
tanning twenty cars. were endangered
and owing to the destruction of trolley
wires Gers could not be moved. The
big Seidcr berg branch factory of the
Havana American Cigar Company was
also reached by the flames. but was
saved. and st. Josephs Catholic Con-
vent and Academy barely escaped.
The fire finally burned itself out at
the extreme northeastern corner OF the
city.
Refuge in Convent.
Fully half of the people rendered
homeless Were out of work. owing 10
the duh season in the factories, and
shelter became an Immediate problem.
st. Joseph's Convent was opened to
them by order of the Jesuit Fathers,
and many found lodgings there, while
others were accommodated In homes
throughout the city.
Besides these. thousands of men will
be out of work, owing to the burning
of tho factories. The insurance is cs-
timated at not more than half OF the
loss. kilograms Were sent to Lake
land, Barlow and other nearby towns
for fire apparatus, but later were coun-
fernandez
In the Stachelberg factory was de-
stroyed a solid silver case, in which
cigars Of the firm were displayed at
the worlds fairs and cXpositions, val
ued at $4,000.
At the home OF Miguel Rodriguez a
cigarmaker. the corpse of child in a
coffin, awaiting funeral services, was
cremated. The State militia was placed
on guard tonight in the burned dis
trict to prevent depredations.
Edgar j. StachelberE. manager of
the Stachelberg factories, said that
other quarters would be secured and
operations resumed within week.