The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-05
.FIREMEN STILL THROW
 WATER ON THE BURN NNG
 REMNANTS OF HOUSES
The Burned Area Is a Mile and Half Long and Half Mile Wide, and Nearly All of the Build
 ings Were Resi-
 dences.

Fort Worth, Tex, April 4-To party of small boys and a carelessly thrown cigarette is generally credited the fire of yesterday, which destroyed property in South Fort Worth valued at $2,000.00O. caused the death of one person, J. J. Newton a bank employee the serious injury of six others; rendered 300 families homeless, and will cause the temporary idleness of several hundred workmen em- ployed in the manufacturing plants and business houses burned.
 All of today and tonight the burned district Is under the guard of state troops to prevent footing and, although worn out by their continuous labors, the entire fire fighting force of the city is still en- gagged In extinguishing, finally. the burn- ing embers which, with the wind still high, spasmodioally spring into a blaze. This morning mass meeting of citi- zens was held and relief committees named However. because Of the fact that the burned resident district was pop ulated largely by those in comfortable circumstances, the monetary relief need ed will be small.
 The fire originated in barn near the corner of Peter Smith street and Jennings avenue. Driven by gale blowing from the southwest the flames quickly spread to adjoining buildings, quick to ignite be- cause of the extreme eryness ef the wood, and within few moments the confiagra- ton was beyond all control. Spectacular in the extreme, the flames would leap from building to building across broad avenues and at times for a block at a time, the rapidity of the fires progress rendering impossible the removal of household effects and in some instances even trinkets and jewels had to be aban- doned.
 After eating it's way through the resi- dence district after reducing to ashes 300 pretentious dwellings, three church build ings. the Broadway Presbyterian and Baptist churches and the Swedish chapel, and the Walker Sanitarium. the flames. spreading to the south, attacked the man. ufacturng plant of the Sawyer Electrical company. This building was quickly de- stroyed and five large warehouses and several smaller business houses suffered a like fate.
 The yards of the Texas and Pacific rail- road were next in the pathway of the fire The round-house, repair shops, coal chutes and several hundred box cars were destroyed and 20 locomotives were re- duced to twisted masses of steel and iron. To the south of the yards is an open space, known as the ''reservation.' which prevented a further spread southward.
 To the east the stone and steel depot building proved barrier to an encroach- ment toward the wholesale district and although several times flying sparks would ignite roof or flooring in this section as quickly would one of hastily formed band of volunteer firemen be on hand to check 1t in it's incipiency. Thus, after burning for four hours, the ffre was finally brought under control.
 The burned area Is approximately a mile and half in length and half a mile wide, and, while it will require days to accurately compute the individual losses, careful estimate places the aggregate about the $2, GOO, ,0O0-nlark. The largest in dividual loss was suffered by the Texas and Pacific railroad, officials of the road placing the damage at $16000o
 Shortly after the fire began assistance was asked of Dallas and special train brought apparatus and attachments from the fire department of that city, but even thus reinforced the fire had gained such headway that the efforts of the nremen were without result until practically noth- ing remained on which the flames might feed Temporary abodes were found for those rendered homeless wherever avail able.