The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-09-06
Fire Fiend at Hot Springs Wines
Out Property Valued At Twelve
Millions Sixty Blocks
are Burned
$500 PEOPLE ARE
RENDERED HOMELESS
Militia Patrol Streets to Prevent
Vandalism DrOuth and High
Wind Add to Fury Of
the Flames

Telegram bv Unltod Prcsu.
Hot Springs, Ark, Sept. 6.-Twc
thousand and five hundred are home
less today and sixty blceFs. including
many Of the principal buildings. are N
ruins as a result Of the fire late yes.
terday which swept the southeastern
section Of Hot Springs. The loss Il
estimated at twelve millions. No lives
were lost.
Mayor Taylor accepted Gov. Hays
offer 70 send militia 10 patrol the
burned district in order to prevent
possible vandalism.
None Of the street car lines ars in
service. Many factories which were
dependent upon the light power plant
Tor motive power are either shut down
or badly crippled.
General Manager Dillon Of the Pub.
lie Utilities commission stated that
temporary light and power service
would be established Immediately. but
i would probably be a month before
the plants are In operation.
The homeless are camped in the
vicinity Of the race tracks. The gov.
ernor win probably be asked 70 supply
militia tents.
The natural gas supply was not in-
teriered with but the cty wator scr.
vice is partially crippled.
Under ordinary conditions the fire
would have been eStnguished with
slight loss. but the drouih OF the past
two months made the buildings SO IN.
flammable, and a strong wind blowing
from the northwest soon carried the
fire TO a shickly populated business
and residence section on Malvern ave
nue, where il spread to nearly half
mile IN width and sweeping south
swept through a section Of The eily
more than a mile in length. dastr0qing
hundreds OF the buildings, including
some Of the principal business houses
Of the city Among the large build.
ings destroyed within the space OF an
hour and half were the Park hotel.
water and electric lishi plant. Peoples
laundry crystal theater. Iron Mountain
station and shops ozark samitarium.
Princess hotel and The Bijou rink.
Hundreds OF smaller business build.
mas and many residences, including
some OF the most palatial in the city,
were destroyed
Within fifteen minutes from tho
time the flames started il was wholly
beyond the control Of the fire depart.
ment and help was asked from Little
Rock A special train brought add. |
tional equipment, but human Ingenuity
with water. dynamite and every other
known means Of fighting fire lalled |
to check the flames in the slightest
degree. The wind increased IN fury as
the flames spread and frame aid brick |
business blocks were razed in few
moments time The fire fighters no
sooner got located for another des-
perate stand than the fire would sweep
past them and break out IN dozen
different places at the same time
Dynamite was freely used but nothing
could stop the rush Of the flames One
Of the first big structures to 60 was
the electric light and power plant and
IS night grew on the city was in dark
ness save for the flames which lit up
the whole city
Shifting winds changed the course
Of the fire on three different oeoasiors
the gale at times blowing forty miles
an hour Changing winds twice threat
ened to turn the flames back along
the Central and 0uchita avenue bust
ness district. which would have meant
the destruction Of the entire city.