The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-13
CORK LAID WASTE
Fire Damage to Irish City Esti-
mated at $15,OOO,OOO.
Quarter Mile of Business Dis
trict Is Destroyed.
FIREBUGS WELL ORGANIZED
Flames Started simultaneously
in Many Buildings.
Sim Fein and Troops Disagree
Over Cause.
FIREBUGS WELL ORGANIZED

Cork, Dec. 13.-More than three
hundred buildings are said to have
been destroyed in the fires which yes
terday laid waste a great portion of
this city. Most of the fires have been
extinguished. but there are occasional
sporadic outbursts of flames.
The police and military are having
the greatest difficulty in keeping the
thousands of spectators from the
wrecked premises. the walls of which
threaten to collapse. st. Patrick S
street, one of the main thorofares of
Cork, this morning presented the ap-
pearance of having been wrecked by
an earthquake. Looting has been gen.
eral.
Outside the fire zone the police
seized a gang Of burglars who were
killing a-woman.
Loss Over $15,OOO,OOO.
Losses. it was estimated, will ap-
proach SIS, 100000.
At least two thousand persons were
out Of work today with banking
houses. drapers and other shops and
the city hall destroyed. Fifty build
ings were burned.
1t was believed there must have
been casualties in the conflagration
hut the smoking ruins permitted no
search for bodies today.
Disagree Over Cause.
There was disagreement today as to
whether the fire was started by Brit
ish police in reprisal for an ambush
Sim Fein leaders charged the destruc-
ticn to black and tan police.
At dusk Saturday two lorries of SOL
dies entering this territory for the en-
forcement of martial law were
bombed at billions. nearby. Two hours
later. disturbances began on the
streets. Trans were stopped and pas
sengers searched. Finally. one car
gral
Burned All Night.
Almost simultaneously, flames broke
out in the Carnegie library, the city
hall and a number of shops on st. Pat
rick's street. The fires burned all
thru the night Two and three story
limestone business houses were burned
out
The city hall a famous two-story
structure of limestone, was one of the
first to go. Its clock tower toppled
into Il seething mass of flames early
in the night and the walls began to
sag shortly after midnight.
Fire Bugs Organized.
The fact that fires burst out stimuli
taneously, showed the incendiarism
was well organized. This fact led
some to believe it was not attempted
as a reprisal for the evening ambush.
1t was claimed there was not sufficient
time to organize reprisal of that
magnitude.
Some observers declared they saw
armed men in nondescript clothing
scurrying about the streets before the
fires started. They were not in uni
form.
Machine Guns Placed.
Troops were assigned to the business
section at once and a Gordon was still
tightly drawn early today. The men
We're under orders to shoot looters at
sight. Machine guns were stationed
at commanding points.
Corks citizens were in panic. Thou
sands fled Saturday night and those
who remained We're sleepless. Thou
sands more took bedding and valuables
with them to the country today.
Refugee cities sprang up in the sur
rounding districts. Bed clothing was
thrown over branches to form tents.
Men, women and children slept in the
open.
Sundays services were conducted in
the Cork cathedral, but with only a
fraction of the usual crowds attend
ing. Bishop Cohalan bitterly de-
nounced ambushes in the course of
his sermon, threatening to ex-commu-
nicate anyone aiding in such attacks.
The sermon was taken as a hopeful
sign, anti-Sinn Feiners being convinced
that the threat would restrain many
of the extremists.