The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-05-05
JACKSON vILLE'S
RESURRECTION
From Ruins of Ten Years Ago
Most Wonderful.
Wednesday, May 3rd, Was Tenth Anni-
versary of Great Fire.


lust ten years ago today, Jacksonville
lay PROSTATE: the city proper being. a
heap of smouldering and smoking ruins
from devastating conflagration, which
swept from west TO east, and from norm
TO south on the afternoon OF Friday, May
3, 1901.
II was the most rapid fire, considering
the area covered, on record. Com
mencing at 1885 p. m, il burned. with
unabated fury until $50 o'clock that
evening, during which time 14S squares
including principal business and resi-,
dence portions were completely wiped
out, entailing a property loss ol over
SIS 900, 900, the loss OF seven lives and
rendering over $4,000 people homeless.
Fire Discovered
II was at the hour mentioned, while
workmen at the Cleveland fibre factory,
at the corner of West Beaver and Davis
streets, in the extreme northwestern
portion of the city, were at dinner, that
some of the dry fibre, spread on large
platform used for drying purposes, caught
fire from sparks from neighbour g
chimney. The watchman employed at
the factory to guard against fire, was at
that time also taking dinner with the
rest of the employees. >.
He soon observed that there was fire
among the fibre, and called Tor help.
Other workmen came TO his assistance,
and bucket after bucket of water was
thrown upon the burning mass, but
without avail. The wind came up and
caught fragments of the dry fibre, send
ing fire rolling through the yards and In
to the building, where was stored I'M
mense quantities of the substance.
Excellent Fuel.
Offering excellent fuel, flames had
soon entirely enveloped the factory.
The alarm had been sent in, and the
fire department responded in all haste.
In vain the department battled with the
fury of the flames TO prevent their
spread. With a roar the iron roof OF
the building fell in, and then was added
feature for which all experience had
left the department unprepared-irom
the glowing depths of the unrooied
structure masses of flaming moss rose
high in the air and were carried TAR and
wide over the city in every direction by
eddies, or by the strong east wind.
Dry as finder, the wooden shantles
in that vicinity added their quota OF ma
teria and fuel to the fire, upon which
Jacksonville was TO be given over TO the
flames. Driven back step by step, the
iiremen were soon helpless, for the bat
tie was hopelesSly lost, and the defeat
became a reality. The conflagration
stirred mighty whirlwind of its own,
and when the sun, a blood red disk,
glowing through pail of smoke which
served as the city'S funeral shroud, drop
ped from sight in the western heavens,
Jacksonville was a sea OF ashes.
Mighty Resurrection.
One hundred and forty-five blocks
were burned upon which had stood
1868 structures. The fire swept a tract
two miles long, from west TO east, and
over half mile wide, covering an area
of ass acres.
The resurrection of the city has been
nothing more than wonderful. In place
of the Z, 1868 structures which were burn
ed, II, ,1O2 have been erected since the
fatal day, ten years ago. OF these
| 10, 337 are frame structures and 76o are
brick and stone. This record is up TO
NAV 1, 1911. Likewise, ii is estimated
that the valuation of these structures
alone reaches the tremendous sum OF
$29, ,747, ,9S6.
The property loss in the fire OF
SIS 900 600 included everything-value
of burned structures, furnishings, con-
tents and what not. There hardly re-
mains a scar of the conflagration. The
city is new, modern and in every re
spect greater than the one destroyed. II
is doubtful if any city in the world can
equal this record, which demonstrates
that the Florida metropolis is growing
wonderfully, substantially, steadily and
in such proportions as will eventually
make it one of the great cities of the
New South. "Wednesday shines Union