The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-09-11
HOT SPRINGS IS
SWEPT BY FIRE
THIRTY BLOCKS ON EDGE or
BUSINESS SECTION BURNED.
FlaEMEN SAVE HEART OF CITY
In Path Of conflasration Were Manu-
featuring Houses, Hotels, Preten-
tious Residences and Light,
Water and Power Plant.

Hot Springs, Ark, Sept. 6.-Fire
which started in negro cabin at $3.50
o'clock yesterday afternoon was UNI
der control at midnight, after reduc.
ing to a smouldering mass of wreck.
age an area more than a mile in
length and from seven to ten blocks
wide In the eastern section of the
city. The monetary loss Is roughly
estimated at $i0,000,000.
Governor HAYS arrived in Hot
Springs late last night and ordered
military patrol Of the burned district
United States troops came from Little
Rock to add to the guard on the mill.
tary reservation.
| In the path of the flames were man
Iufacturing houses, hotels, number
Of the more pretentious residences
and public buildings, which are In
ashes. II IL estimated that 1000 per
sons are homeless. So far as can be
estimated there are no fatalities and
the few persons hurt suffered only
minor injuries.
Among the buildings destroyed
were the following:
The city's light, water and power
Iplants. f7t
County court house.
High school building.
! Park hotel
| Moody hotel iiVs
Princess hotel. tf
St Louis, Iron Mountain G. South.
ern railroad station and shops.
| The Arkansas sanitariiim.
Smaller buildings by the hundreds
were reduced to ashes.
But few Of those whose homes were
burned saved anything of their house
hold effects and guests of the hotels
gave little heed to their valuables and
luggage in their efforts to escape the
flames.
The fire originated within several
blocks Of the United States army ar
navy hospital and took south and
east course.
Driven by. high wind the fire
spread rapidly. Within fifteen min
utes il was apparent that the FIRE
fighting force of Hot Springs was in
adequate and an appeal was made to
Little Rock for aid Apparatus and
men were sent but the fire was then
beyond control. Dynamite was re-
lsorted to when II became apparent
that water would be of no avail. but
this also failed to check the progress
Iof the flames.
The burned district for some dis
itanee skirts the business section and
several times the shifting winds head
led the fire for the principal business
section, but each time the free use OF
Explosives and an opportune change
in the wind saved II. Before nightfall
the task OF checking the flames was
abandoned and the combined IRE
ifghtine force turned their efforts to-
wards keeping the fire away from the
center OF the city. In this they were
successful.
The city was in darkness except
for the glow of the dying fire, which
cast shadows over scene of desola-
ltion.
Early in the evening Mayor McClen-
don ordered all saloons closed and
called mass meeting OF citizens at
1.-THE city hall Two hundred and fifty
special officers were sworn in to pa
troll the fire-swept district. All the
homeless have been cared for tenn
Iporarily and plans have been started
to systematic the work OF succor.
As a.result of the destruction OF the
water. light and power plants, street
ear service was abandoned and news
paper and other industries which have
depended upon motive power from
the eity's plants are crippled.