The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-09-11
HOT SPRINGS HAS
DISASTROUS FIRE
PARK, JEFFERSON, PRINCESS AND
MOODY HOTELS ARE IN
RUINS.
LOSS ABOUT TEN MILLION
Thirty Blocks of Homes in Famous
Resort Now In Ruins-Governor
Goes to Scene and Places
Military as Patrol.

Hot Springs, Ark, Sept. 8.-After
reducing to a sniouldering mass of
wreckage an area a mile in length
and from seven to 10 blocks wide, a
fire which started in a negro's cabin
was slowly dying out at the foot of
West Mountain, the southern ex-
tremity of Hot Springs, at midnight.
The fire was confined to the eastern
section of the city.
Governor F. w. Hayes is in the
city and took charge of the burned
district by placing the military on
patrol and declaring martial law in
Hot Springs.
Conservative estimates place the
damage of the flames at $l0,0 00, 900,
but some Of the sufferers place a
much higher figure on the losses.
Owing to all telegraph and tele-
phone wires into Hot Springs being
put out of commission by the fire, mes
sages to the outside world are being
brought out by automobiles to the
main line Of the Missouri-Pacifc Iron
Mountain railroad at Waivers and
there sent.
Extent of the Damage.
More than 80 blocks of residences
and business houses were burned
down and at midnight a strip of ter
ritory a mile in length and from eight
to 10 blocks wide are s%mouldering
ruins.
In the path of the flames we're man
ufacturing houses, hotels, a number
of the more ~pretentious residences
and public buildings, which are in
ashes.
1t is estimated that 1000 persons
are homeless.
So far as can be a%scertained there
were no fatalities and the few per-
sons hurt suffered only minor injuries.
Some Big Buildings Gone.
Among the buildings destroyed
were:
The city's light, water and power
plants.
County courthouse.
High school building.
Park hotel.
Moody hotel.
Princess hotel.
st. Louis, Iron Mountain & South
ern railroad station and shops.
The Arkansas sanitarium.
Smaller buildings by the hundreds
were reduced to ashes.
But few of those whose homes were
burned saved any of their household
effects and guests of the hotels gave
little heed to their ~valuables and lug
gage in their flight.
Hard Task to Save City.
Before nightfall the task of check
ing the flames was abandoned and the
combined fire fighting forces turned
their efforts toward keeping the fire
away from the center of the city.
This much was accomplished. The
city at midnight was in darkness ex-
cept for the glow of the dying fire,
which cast shadows over a scene of
desolation.
Mayor McClendon ordered all sa-
looms closed and a mass meeting OF
citizens at the city hall. Two hun
dred and fifty special officers were
sworn In to patrol the fire-swept dis
trict. There was no disorder. All
the homeless have been cared for
temporarily and plans have been start
ed to systematic the work of sue
cor. Many offers of assistance have
been received but It is believed that
outside aid will not be needed.
AS a result OF the destruction of
the water. light and power plants,
street car service was abandoned and
newspapers and other industries
which have depended upon motive
power from the city's plants are Grip
pied.
General Manager Dillon of the pub
lie utilities commission, states that a
light and power service
will be established within 80 days and
within three months the public plants
will be working to their capacity again.
The natural gas supply was not in
terfered with.