The Prescott daily news., 1913-09-08
HUT SPRINGS, ARK..,
 VISITED BY FIRE COURT HOUSE, HOTELS, MANY BIG BUILDINGS AND PALATlAL
 HOMES ARE BURNED.
250O ARE LEFT HOMELESS
Famed by 40-Mile Gale, Flames De- stroy More Than Half of Arkansas Resort-Miitary in Charge
 of Devastated District.

Hot Springs, Ark, Sept s. Stunned by the destruction of more than half the city by fire, citizens of Hot Springs now estimate that 50 blocks have been wiped out and that the property damage will exceed $12,000,000
 Mayor Taylor addressed a mass meeting called to devise ways and means of taking care of the hundreds of homeless families, and one of the first acts of the executive was to ac- cept the governors offer to have mili- tia patrol the burned district and prevent possible vandalism.
 Only a few persons were hurt, but whether there were any fatalities is not known, it being believed possible that some among the 2,500 persons whose homes were destroyed may have sacrificed their lives in an at tempt to save vaiuables, as the flames, famed by a 40-mile-an-hour gale, con- sumed everything in their path through the ''L" shaped valley from the heart of the city to the southeast ern extremity
 Special officers patrol the fire-swept district. Business is suspended and every saloon closed under orders from the mayor.
 None of the street car lines are in service and many factories dependent upon the light and power plant for motive power are either shut down or badly crippled. General Manager Dill lon of the public utilities commission stated that a temporary light and power service will be established i'm mediately, but it probably will be month before it can be put in opera tion.
 The natural gas supply was not in terfered with and the city water serv- ice only slightly crippled.
 Governor on Scene.
 Gov. George w. Hays came from Little Rock with a party of state of fcials. Thus far there has been no footing, and the police have been able  troops from Fort Logan H. Root may be called to add to the guard on the military reservation and help the pc lice and militia.
 The fire started in a negro cabin on Church street, about three or four blocks east of the government reser- vation and near the army and navy hospital It swept southeast away from the hospital and reservation for an hour, when the rising wind shifted in that direction and carried it in the direction of the business section, talk ing the Public Utilities plant and every business structure on Malvern avenue.
 Crossing Malvern, the fire swept south. burning the Ozark sanitarium and beautiful high school building, when the shifting wind current again carried the flames to Ouachita ave nue, sweeping wide pathway, de- stroying the Garland county court house, and for time seriously threat ening to turn back in its path and sweep QOWn the HldlH uuSlueSS SSSIoh of Central and Ouachita avenues.
 By heroic efforts of the Hot Springs and Little Rock fire departments, the latter having arrived by special train, the fire was kept from turning back on Central avenue, but there was no checking the flames in the direction the wind was carrying it, and build ing after building was destroyed in the space of few minutes.
 Some of Biggest Losses.
 The following are few of the big losses in the fire:
 Park hotel, s5OOOOO; Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone company, s315, ,000; Public Utilities, $225,O0O; Cooper Bros. stables, $6O,OOO; Iron Mountain freight and passenger depot, $3O,O00; Iron Mountain shops, s250.0 .000; Central Methodist church, s75.0OO; Dillard's laundry, s4O,0OO; Peoples laundry. S40,000; Moody ho- tel, SS0,O00; Orange Street Presby- terian church, $20,000; Central high school, $70,000; Ozark sanitarium, $40 900: Sigler apartments, $65,000; county courthouse, $110,OO0; Sam Watts residence. S70.000: Biiou rink.