Rnnk -cil H ^ Acres of Ashes THE STORY OF THE GREAT JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, FIRE, MAY 3, 1901 ^^^^^ BENJAMIIs^ HARRISON %^ m .® • P r i c e 25 Cents m m. m m V1505 ; 05 "^ Copyrighted 1901 BT JjMi^S a. HOLLOMAN, PUBLISHER. i^All rights reserz'ed.) I * PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE BURNT DIS- TRICT OF JACKSONVILLE, AS SEEN FROM AN ELEVATION. : • --'i^if'i lilw ij^ir "-^ *?&; ?^ ACRES OF ASHES ^ THE STORY OF THE GREAT FIRE THAT SWEPT OVER THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ON THE AFTERNOON OF FRIDAY. MAY 3, 1901, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF SEVEN LIVES, DESTROYING OF $i5,cx)o,ooo IN PROPERTY. TOTAL INSURANCE LESS THAN $5,000,000 By BENJAMIN HARRISON e^ Published by James A« HoUoman^ ?Jight Editor of the Florida Times-Union and Citizen, ^▲OKfiOKYIXLB, PLA. • TJ.M3 Jacksostillk, Fla. : EAST FLORIDA PRINTING COMPANY. 1901. IMPRIMIS- The fuller relation of the history of the Jacksonville fire is a duty our city owes to itself as well as to those who visited her in want. It is fitthtg tJiat the details of the picture be filled in lest some fail to realize the depths out of which a cry for help was forced from our lips — it is required that toe render an accounting by showing that good use was made of the supplies heaped in overflowing measure in answer to that call. This little book seeks but to do this — it but tells how the loss befell us, how bitter was our need, how generous was the response from the whole people and how fully the wishes of the donors were made a law to those clothed with the re- sponsibility of the distribution. If this purpose is served it is well— less we could not do. J. E, T. Bowden, Mayor of /acksonville. INTRODUCTION It is proper that a record of the Jacksonville fire be given a form more accessible than that of the newspaper and more enduring than the ruins it left in its path. The chronicle of such suffering and the generosity that reHeved it, the fortitude that endured and the means by which the social obligations were preserved in the midst of a dis- organized mass of human beings, should furnish a lesson to the living as well as a moral to the his- torian — such conditions may prevail again and the study of an experience will not be wasted. The soldier who was a part of the battle is rarely the man to describe it, and it may be that we who passed through the Moloch of the old Jackson- ville to the glories of the new should leave to oth- ers the discussion of the relation our trials bear to the passing problem of municipal American life, yet it may be pleaded in excuse that the chronicle is ever the primary form of history and the bud must precede the flower. Upon these bare facts may be built the de- ACRES OF ASHES, veloped truth vital to the comprehension of a com- plex national life. Here we see a great people forming a family so close that one unit of it is not allowed to want till hunger pinches all. In Jack- sonville ten thousand people went supperless and homeless for one night, but they took breakfast together, a state waited upon their dinner table and a continent furnished the supper and the bed before another sun sank to rest. The memory of the need and the relief will never pass from the memory of Floridians and we hope it will be for- ever sweet to those who gave. Francis P. Fleming. ^be ©tori? of tbe SacfeaonvlUe 3fire. upon the State of Florida the morning of Fri- day, May 3, dawned to show every promise of hope and prosperity. Down the long peninsula crawled trains that labored with the weight of tourists re- turning to the north and west after a winter which had filled every hotel in the land to overflowing and gladdened the hearts of the landlords. The golf links and the tennis grounds were deserted and some of the great hotels were closed for the season, but many lingered before returning in view of the late frosts and all felt reluctant to turn their backs on a time and place of so much enjoy- ment. In orange grove and pineapple plantation, on truck farm and tobacco field, laborers appeared and the work of the day began. In the valley of the St. Johns a light mist hov- ered and through this a steamer of the Clyde Line pushed its way and its smoke added yet another element of darkness to the local obscurity. Then the sun rose, the mist dissolved into a silver radi- ACRES OF ASHES. ance and swept upward — a brilliant sun shone down and all nature basked in the light that be- tokened a summer's day at its best. In Jacksonville the mist hung while life began after the sleep of a peaceful night, but labor scarcely appeared on the streets before the heat rays were unpleasantly felt — horses fell into the slow pace that was to endure till the noon and the drivers began to wipe their perspiring foreheads. The day had begun in earnest and breadwinning demands its devotees. Shutters began to fall and then the doors of business houses were opened. The pedestrians became other than those who hur- ried to work and at the markets the housewives appeared and the telephones rang continuously. Soon smoke from steaming kitchens hung over the residences, there were calls from dooryards to dooryards and the new roses were seen and ad- mired. Breakfast was eaten and then work pos- sessed the city from end to end. At the street corners men lingered for a moment to discuss the news of the morning paper and the hospitality the President was receiving in the South seemed the topic of greatest interest. So peaceful and assured dawned the day for a city that was to be blotted out of existence within a few hours! so assured is the American in the ACRES OF ASHES. present and future secured by his laws and con- trolled by himself. Hotter shone the sun. At the offices of the Times-Union and Citizen the city editor gave out his assignments and reporters la- mented the dearth of any topics of sensational or absorbing interest. The story with the least r^p- pearance of public interest was accepted as a God's send; one prominent citizen when asked said, 'There is no news," and was told, "You must keep something going or how can we make a readable paper after Aguinaldo subsides." During this time a fibre factory on the extreme northwestward limit of the city proper had roused itself and its material filled a large yard, one side of which fronted Madison street, extending a whole block except as the building occupied the northeastern corner. In this yard fibre from the vats was spread to dry and some was already dry. From the platform rose a steam under the influ- ence of the sun's rays. At noon the workmen in the building went out into the yard and sat in the open air to eat dinner. On the west stood some negro cabins and there, also, dinners were being prepared. Now these cabins possessed chimneys of wonderful design but all defective in much — it was a common thing for sparks to fly from them and a watch over the fibre was always necessary ACRES OF ASSES. when the wind was high and swept towards the east. Now the wind was so light no danger was feared, though the direction was right, and the watchman sat with the factory hands to dinner. There was a Httle scurry of wind and smoke rose from the wide platform. One grumbled, rose, took a bucket of water and extinguished the fire. But in doing so he noticed that little blazes glowed in the mass of fibre and he called for help. The workmen went to his assistance and bucket after bucket of water was poured on — to no purpose. While this was being done the first breath of the coming wind swept over the yard, the fragments caught and fire ran along the ground with the speed of powder flashes. Into the building itself these followed the debris — here they found fresh material on the floor and in racks — the great room was immediately a mass of flames and the alarm of fire was sent in to notify the department of the dan- ger that menaced Cleveland's Fibre Factory. The engines came on the run, the firemen were at work before the horses stopped and streams were poured upon the flames. But the drought had been prolonged, the build- ing was of pitch pine with a roof of shingles com- bustible as tinder — water evaporated or seemed but fuel to the flames. With a roar the roof fell ACRES OF ASHES. in and then was added a feature for which all- ex- perience had left us unprepared. Excited by the heat the wind had risen and swept in fitful gusts over the city — from the glowing depths of the un- roofed factory masses of flaming moss rose high and were carried over the city in every direction by eddies or far to the east by the breeze. They fell on the shingle roofs surrounding the fire limit, in backyards, and they drifted through open win- dows and against curtains that dallied in the wind. Chief Haney had sent in the general alarm to the fire department and all his force was with him or coming. He had stood foremost against the heat and flame and he still poured a river on the fac- tory ; he turned from his work and dashed his eyes clear with his hand to find a city on fire behind him. The alarm had been sent in at 12 :35 — it was not yet i, but smoke and flame rose on three sides of him and he stood on an island. Hastily he di- vided his men and machines — he sent one detach- ment straight to the east in front of the fire — an- other to the westward to guard the residences and business blocks in that direction. He went to the front as the post of danger and worked there with despair already at his heart. But Hansontown was now a furnace — a suburb of pine shanties to the northwestward of the city — ACRES OF A8HES. with the wind behind. High overhead swept blazing shingles and the air was thick with flames —as the roofs of Hansontown fell in, beds rose bodily and carried their material far ahead — the firemen stood under a roof of flame, and the con- flagration swept over them beyond the reach of their engines. It was i o'clock. A thick pall of smoke covered half the city ; as far as Bridge street a river of flame swept up from the west and north — the firemen stopped there and fought grimly but despairingly. Then the fiery shower fell again behind them — the resi- dences on Cedar street flushed into flame on their roofs, and, at last, wagons began to remove house- hold effects systematically. Yet not even now was the situation appreciated — from blazing houses goods were removed and carried two or three blocks to be left while the wagons and drays hurried back to help others. The heat was terri- ble — brick walls crumbled — pictures taken from the rooms ignited on the sidewalks and these caught bedding and books. Women wailed and children screamed — far ahead of the conflagration roofs caught and appeals for help came in when every fireman was at his appointed post. The streets were filled with the shrieks of wo- men and of men who strove to comfort or guard ACRES OF ASHES. them from the effects of their frenzy — through the crowds hurrying horses raced and blazing heaps that were lately valuables drew about them mourn- ful groups. Leaping over the noble residences of Messrs. Porter and Ware, embowered in trees, the fiery shower descended upon a little house at the corner of Laura and Church — that flushed into flame as does the sky at the touch of dawn. About this were some of the finest residences in the city, those of Senator Taliaferro, of Vice-President Par- rott of the East Coast Railroad and Messrs. Ware and Porter on the opposite corners. Down upon these with the fire in front rushed the army of flames from the rear and little was saved because the heat in the streets was so unbearable. A de- voted stableman attempted to save Mr. Parrott's fine team and the horses were in an agony of fright — they reared and plunged but ever they were guided out and their struggles carried them far- ther from danger till they were given their heads and ran faster than even the racing flames. On West Duval street the flames made a chim- ney of the thoroughfare and rushed in wrath to conquer and devour — on the north side they out- sped their rivals on the other so that after the in- tersection of Cedar there was some hope of saving the south side. Encouraged by even this glimpse ACRES OF ASHES. of hope to ward off destruction from Bay street the firemen made an exhaustive effort and poured rivers upon the block west of the Windsor Hotel. But far to the west the flames had also charged along Monroe street, and as the firemen fought on Duval Dr. Dean's residence on Monroe sent a volcano of heat charged with lightning to mock their efforts. Before this walls fell and great oak trees blackened — a death trap was being set in front of them and they rushed out barely in time, leaving their hose on Julia street. From Julia to Madison was now an ocean of flames that seemed to envelop the heavens — north and south they stretched from Monroe to the edge of the city — half a mile wide and half a mile deep. But the appetite of the conflagration was still un- satisfied — it saw the hotel quarter in front and it gathered new strength for the fresh food. Along Church the fire had already crossed Julia, now it made the line solid and the army followed the skirmishers to attack the Windsor which occupied a solid block on the Duval side and the same front on Hogan. But wooden structures occupied one corner of the block and these blazed up without a pause. Into the hotel many had carried the goods saved hitherto, ftirniture and books had been piled in the halls— it was crowded with guests. Now ACRES OF ASHES. on the certainty of danger the scene was fearful — a mass of humanity struggled and surged into the street and parted like the waves of the sea as each followed his own judgment. Terror that was de- spair with many now drove the crowd — it had been followed relentlessly, it had been chased from, pil- lar to post — was there no end to this calamity ? Then the great Windsor and St. James were blazing and soon became furnaces; they radiated heat far and wide, the flame of their burning as- cended to heaven and they groaned with thunder- ous voices in their agony. To this dread partner- ship the opera house now joined itself — the poor plants in Hemming Park withered and twisted themselves into ashes and the cement that joined the Confederate soldier to the marble shaft blazed redly through the smoke. Around the pedestal of the figure some had piled family pictures an hour ago — others hoped something might be safe in the center of this block with its splashing fountain that then looked so green, and the ac- cumulation grew to include bedding and books. Perhaps the fierce heat was enough — perhaps a spark flew> but all now blazed and passed into ashes in a breath except a few family portraits which still showed the ghastly likeness of their ACRES OF ASHES. former selves in the gray light of Saturday morn- ing. Now the flames were racing on with a width of half a mile from Hogan's creek to Forsyth within two blocks of Bay. Just at this time the spectacle was appalling to the stoutest heart. In front and around the flaming district men and women wan- dered seeking the lost — wildly excited but always peaceable and helpful. Some had sent the ladies of their families into Springfield, but now became possessed with uneasiness as to their fate, for it seemed impossible to restrain the fire within the limits of Hogan's creek — families in Springfield were loading their effects on wagons and the wild- est rumors were afloat as to occurrences on the other side. An attempt to make this trip under these cir- cumstances led to the discovery of a remarkable fact — the combustibles floating in the air were fir- ing buildings several hundred yards in front of the conflagration. While the St. James was still burn- ing it was impossible to head off the flames to cross into Springfield except by passing Laura, Main, Ocean and Newiian streets, while on Market buildings were falling and blazes flashing from many houses yet beyond. However, it was still possible by rushing under the fire and smoke, and ACRES OF A8HE8. , along this perilous way a steady stream of passen- gers went with all manner of burdens from feather beds and mirrors to children. Along this dolorous line ladies struggled in thin slippers and dainty dresses with their cooks and the refuse of the city, but the rough were ten- der now and the strong supported the weak. Ex- hausted, one would drop a burden and another would take it in turn for a rod — one would take a child from its mother's arms and proceed until a wave in this sea of humanity would force the two apart — then the mother's voice of fear would add a new terror to the scene. Arrived at the Market street bridge over Ho- gan's creek, the jam of humanity made the pas- sage like that of swimming against the tide — now you won a foot and then two were lost. Into this mass passed the whisper that the gas works on the bank just above must explode soon and the struggle became more fierce, but at its fiercest, a woman fell, and there was a general pause till she could be pulled from under foot. Perhaps this incident saved lives, for the force was already straining the balusters of the bridge and only these kept the crowd out of the water. Within ten minutes after this struggle was over the fire had surged down on the shanties lining the 2 ACRES OF ASHES. southern shore and a return was impossible — the creek was still the northern fire limit. In Spring- field reports had spread that the fire had already- crossed, but those who now came refuted this and some confidence began to be felt. Meantime in the center of the march Liberty street had now been crossed and the flames were hottest as they attacked the public buildings and the armory. The latter had the reputation of be- ing fireproof, it was a most imposing building, reared as a place of strength. Here the people of the neighborhood with their valuables hurried and these were piled to the ceiling in the guard room and other apartments. The skirmishers of the coming army recoiled before its strength and devoted themselves to the work of heating it from the surrounding buildings. This they accom- plished so thoroughly that when the grand attack came it crumbled like an egg shell, its walls went down together, and here would have been the climax of the day in great loss of life had not the previous heat driven out all the refugees. But tons and tons of valuables were changed into ashes in a breath. The county court house had been built in the old style and its brick walls were known to be solid and thick; here seemed another castle of ACRES OF ASHES. refuge and to it the people flocked with their goods. The clerk of the circuit court knew his safes were worthless under such a trial as this would prove and he consulted with other officials who agreed with him that the only chance of sav- ing his papers was to take them into the court house. This was done and all waited the result. Down came the flames and licked up the one- story buildings opposite that the clerk had occu- pied — they struck the court house, but could not break the line. Then the Law building on the other corner became a flaming volcano and it radiated heat against the walls of the court house as a regiment shoots its volleys. The red bricks changed to pale, then they glowed so fiercely the eye could not rest upon them — but they stood. The roof crushed in, but the walls stood — the Law building fell, but the walls of the stout court house would not yield and the enemy retired discomfit- ed. Yet dearly was the defiance made good — everything within was calcined as would be the contents of a metal tube thrown in the fire — of the county building only the walls remain, while the records are but dust and ashes. Yet onward swept the fire. It had now broad- ened its sweep to the river and brushed the edge of the stream. Boats were hurried out, steamers ACRES OF ASHE8. puffed away in fear and those along the river be- gan to flock into South Jacksonville, thinking the river the only defence against the fire. Along the bank were foundries and brick buildings — these were levelled. Back were the handsome resi- dences built by many wealthy citizens with that of S. B. Hubbard overlooking the river. These were attacked from front and rear at the same moment and crumbled down like houses of cards. Behind them, were blocks of wooden buildings — all were borne down to the edge of the marsh. Across Hogan's creek here as it bends to meet the river were mills with piles of lumber — let these be reached and Fairfield must share the fate of Jacksonville. No engines were avaible, but a bucket bri- gade responded nobly to the call and the flames were crushed out as soon as they caught — they never gained a foothold. Here the might}^ rush of the conflagration was stayed — the marsh with its width of green grass, the creek and brave buck- ets bore down the weary monster and beat him to helplessness at last — Fairfield, the mills and the railroad were saved. But the fl.ames recoiled and went back on its tracks from the Mohawk building and the United States Hotel — along the river these were all massive brick structures. ACRES OF ASHES. Night had come and since 12:30 the fire had swept through the most thickly populated part of the city, destroying every house but four on an area of six hundred acres — these being the Thomp- son Novelty Works, a shanty along the line of the Valdosta road and two houses, one a store and one a dwelling, where Adams crosses Hogan. And, as darkness fell what horrors were added to the scene! From_ the top of the great tower at the waterw^orks in Springfield only the white gov- ernment building lifted itself unscathed on the southern boundary of the onward rush, though the recoil after dark drew the line along the river closer and closer. Above hovered a pall of inky blackness; below spectral flames hovered and Ht up the dread spectacle from the ground as the flames beneath the stage in Faust vainly strive to give us an idea of the infernal regions. In mid air the network of wires stretched like skeletons upheld by the blazing arms which were dropping a fiery rain — the gaunt chimneys reared them- selves like memorial stones. It is 6 o'clock and from the tower a man is seen to cross Hogan's creek on the Laura street bridge and enter the burned district. He is one whose duties call him to Bay street and he will cross if the task be possible — he carries his bicycle ACRES OF ASHES. that return may be swift in case of need, but the street is so encumbered that he will put the wheel to the ground only as a last resort. His anxious wife waits on the bridge because she cannot rest at home, knowing the task before him. His gait is at first swift and confident, but we see him place his handkerchief over his face. The smoke de- scends and and hides him, but he emerges and proceeds. But the heat increases — he does not halt, but he peers anxiously before him — the way grows worse instead of better. He reaches the summit of the first hill on Laura street which was once shaded even from the rays of the nooday sun by the royal oaks lining the street — now flames quiver all over the pavement and the bricks glow with fervent heat — he turns back for mortal strength and nerves may not endure that path. He does not reach the bridge a moment too soon — he reels and is almost overcome bv the heat and » • smoke. His wife receives him and they pass back by Hammatt's woodyard, to which the flames have leaped across the creek. Scenes Among: the Homeless* Now this fire from Hammatt's yard lights up a scene strange beyond description. Here ^s a ACRES OF ASHES. non-descript population along the banks of the creek that does not need the pencil of Dore to lend a weird light that never shone before on land or sea. The softest cheek ever nourished by Cau- casian blood seems yellow and drawn under the firelight — the blackest African flushes into saffron and the eyes emit a gleam that seems borrowed from the cat's eye or the angry panther's. Up to the tower from this aggregation of humanity floats a murmur which never becomes articulate — some- times it has the hard tone of remonstrance with heaven for the cruelty of the visitation — some- times many join in the crooning of a camp-meeting hymn; often there is the shriek of a mother sep- arated from a child in the terror of the time and her agony must find vent. But at 7 the street had cooled and it seemed possible to pass through the burned district from Hogan's creek to Bay street, though this was still no pleasant trip. Even the bridge was crowded with those who had fled from the fire — they were now putting up all sorts and descriptions of cover- ings to shield the babies and the old or sick from the dews of the night. Then came a few yards of deep sand upon which the fire could take no hold ; after this there was only the hot street under foot and the heaps of ashes on each hand. There ACRES OF A8HE8. was a tangle of wire on the pavement — a cloud of intermingled and intertwisted wires overhead, and these were all hot. Occasionally, even with the best of care, one of these would catch around the ankle, and then a leap would precipitate the pe- destrian into worse trouble — a keen eye and a cool nerve was needed for such a walk. The day before Laura was one of the finest residence streets in the city, embowered in the shade of oaks that made coolness at noontide in the center of the highway ; on either hand the fine homes of the McQuaids, the Prides, of Alderman Smith, the two Sable brothers, the Fairhead resi- dence, that of Mr. Furchgott, the Dalton board- ing house, the S3magogue and the St. James Hotel at the intersection of Duval. Around was desola- tion indeed — a dull glow shone from the ashes — flames burned fitfully on the poles overhead sup- porting the wires that remained suspended and the lonely chimneys everywhere. In the park the palmetto froncTs drooped despondently and smaller plants merely marked the earth with brown heaps ; the great trees in front of the St. James held up their stumps to the sky and shone as blackened skeletons only. From this elevation the view ran unobstructed to Bay, for to the east the houses had been swept ACRES OF ASHES. away. On the river bank the lire still raged, beat- ing back against the wind and fighting for its life. The engines were stationed in front of the Astor block and the fire was raging against the walls of the Western Union building — the Commercial Bank was a hopeless wreck. Its stout walls stood and gave the enemy pause, here the firemen won the final battle — no further could the enemy come and he died at Laura street. But there was still danger and the streams were poured upon the ruins during the whole night, while the crowds waited and watched. It seemed the people of Jacksonville could not realize the measure of the calamity that had fallen upon them — men seemed stupefied except when driven into action by the loss of a friend or relative. Ten thousand people were homeless — 1,700 houses had been consumed — an area of 455 acres in the heart of the city was desolate — except for four little structures it was a clean sweep two miles long and nearly a mile broad. Meantime appeals had gone to the Governor and at his order the State troops had sprung to arms and were hurrying to the city as fast as the trains could bring them. Captain Davis of the Gem City Guards received his telegraphic orders at 2 a. m., at 4 he had his company mustered at the station — ACRES OF ASHES, in the early dawn he reported in Jacksonville and went upon duty immediately. In the offices of the Times-Union and Citizen every man was called upon- to cover the field and the reporters rushed hither and thither as sensation after sensation developed. There was no power for the typesetting machines and the old hand cases were brought out from their dusty corners and set to work. Press telegrams had been sent out and in response particulars were demanded from every quarter. But how could these orders be filled when the offices of the Western Union was the limit of the district saved? Flames beat upon its outer walls and the crowds blocked its doors — the despatchers were obliged to suspend work with piles of messages unsent and the coun- try had only the baldest news, so that the press did not understand the full measure of the calam- ity. The Coming: of Nigfht. But what a night was that! From Bridge to Laura a thin fringe of twelve blocks, three deep, stood upon the river bank, but northward, eastward and westward of Hemming's Park stretched desolation unbroken save by three ACRES OF ASHES. small houses on the east; around this swept up the suburban towns like oases in a desert. Nearly in the center of this stood the Confederate soldier high on his marble column, facing a scene, still undismayed, such as confronted his prototype in the long ago. The waves of death had rushed up to his feet and had Hcked into ashes the costly piles left for him to guard, when the great hotels on either sides were blazing their fiercest, his pe- destal glowed with fervent heat, but still he stood nor changed his attitude, though the stone quiv- ered and flames flashed out of the cemented base. There the early morning found him, on guard where he was placed, true to duty and unchanged in aught save that the smoke of battle shrouded his form and the smell of conflict was on his gar- ments. Yea, there he shall stand while heroism and patriotism endure, beloved alike of friend and those who once were foes. Hail to thee, O, sol- dier! Thy city shall rise again and the pledge of its resurrection is seen in the beam of morning now crowning thy imperishable front. But all the field now smoking under the eye of that bronze soldier was lately thronged with a seething mass of humanity in horrible conflict with the unchained forces of the elemental world — a struggle to which only the pen of Hugo could render justice. But, ACRES OF ASHES. to the eternal credit of the people of Jacksonville be it remembered, that through it all the brute passions of the human never broke loose; under every temptation there was courtesy to the fe- male, consideration for the weak and tenderness from the strong. Man was opposed to the dread conflict that beset him in the Stone Age — com- forting fire had been transmogrified into the vol- canic immensities of destruction that were then transforming the old world to its present like- ness, but man scorned to surrender his heritage of the ages and refused to degrade himself though he perished on the altar of his devotion — and the time was again when the martyr became the con- queror. Without fear of contradiction the statement has been made that no negro forfeited the trust reposed in him when valuable goods were given to his care by those too excited to notice the num- ber of his vehicle even ; he often showed bad judg- ment, for who could dream the fire would run so far? But there was no looting — no stores ac- cumulated by robbers have been found in the sur- rounding country — no evidence of cruelty or ex- tortion has risen from the ashes of that dread af- ternoon and night to haunt with distrust and sus- picion the future of our people. ACRES OF ASHES. A number of men were trying to save some- thing from a house that reeled under the shock of the flames and one staggered against another and was drawn into the air. Leaning on the sup- porting shoulder, the fainting man looked up into the face, both smoke-begrimed and almost un- recognizable — utter strangers to each other. But the smile of recognition caught the eyes red with smoke and the drawn Hps said, "I helped you at your house." ''Were you the stranger?" said the other; ''tell me your name." "To hell with your thanks," replied the one with a ghastly attempt at laughter, "this is no time for foolishness !" And the two turned again to their work. Never spoke a tenderer heart with a rougher voice — the reply was entirely typical. The recording angel that blotted out Uncle Toby's oath took the feeling for the words and never heard the imprecation save as a blessing. Among all the varied mean- ings into which the words of the president's En- glish have been twisted it is still true that silence best bespeaks the American heart. On Cedar street a citizen in caring for wife and children had been nearly caught in the rush of flame before he could send away a dray with a few clothes. Returning into the building he made 'a little bundle of most important articles and ACRES OF ASHES. Sprang away without a coat. Two blocks off he overtook a weak old couple pushing a sewing ma- chine which rolled haltingly on a sidewalk already growing hot. ''Madam," said he, ''you must leave this and save your lives; the fire is upon you." "How can I, sir?" sobbed the old mother; "this machine is the only support of my poor husband." Without a word the gentleman threw away his papers, raised the machine to his shoulder and staggered off with the infirm couple close at his heels, nor did he halt till he saw the three on board a steamer in the river. The ancients cele- brated the piety of Aeneas who brought his father on his shoulders from burning Troy. The Amer- ican owed no duty here save that of humanity and brotherhood. Often and often on that day of horror was the stranger taken in hand by the good Samaritan — never was he more nobly entreated than was this aged couple. From a flaming house bedding and furniture and books were taken by willing hands for an old lady who promised a wagon would come. Time went by and no wagon appeared; the bedding caught fire, and one said to her, "Madam, you cannot stay here and we must go now." But she threw herself on the blazing pile and shrieked it was all she had now, and she wished to go with ACRES OF ASSES. it. They took her away by main strength. Is it not wonderful that suicides were not numerous? The fire brushed the human insects off the face of the city and they settled in the vacant lots and under the trees of the surrounding territory, with the creeks for their protection. Here the families were camped, with no attempt at separation into groups; friends were twenty feet away and mourned for each other during all those terrible hours. Some had piled furniture so as to support bedding, or rugs, for canopy, and so made an excuse for a tent and the show of privacy. In many cases a few trunks became a little house that delighted a baby; from other lit- tle shelters issued the moans of the aged or feeble or sick. But there was sympathy of the sweetest and dearest; some had brought a frying pan, an- other a coffee pot; there was a little money for food brought from the stores around. One wo- man had left her purse and all the belongings of a comfortable home, but she had carried eight eggs in a little basket for hours. All these w^ere shared — a man would bring a few sticks and over this dishes would be improvised for the children; all shared what was the common stock, though none knew w^hether they would find breakfast. A dolor- ous gathering, to which the flame of burning ACRES OF ASHES. homes gave light and from which the smoke shut out the sight of heaven. Up and down the creek, catching a voice from each vacant lot, sweet now and then the deep tones of a camp meeting hymn, broken occasionally by the shrill wailing of a negress for a lost child! Then a storm of sobs would follow, muffled from the Caucasian by the habit of self-repression, loud and deep or piercing with savage notes from the African. ''Bress de Lawd, dis am de day of judg- ment!" shouted a religious enthusiast. ''Have mercy on us, O God !" sobbed the voice of an educated woman whose face was bowed and hair hung free in the abandonment of grief. ''Hush, honey," comforted an old mammy. "De Lord will care for his own, an' I feels like I did when we all camped 'round Micanopy in de s'render, and I was a young gal dat had lots o' fun. Don't you trouble, honey, it will all come right." Later, as it became evident that the suburbs were safe, those who had houses penetrated these groups. "Come with me," said a lady to a friend just found, "my house is safe." "Have you room?" asked the unfortunate. "I have a crowd," smiled the friend, "many of whom are strangers to me, but surely I can make a place for you, though I give you my bed and I sleep under it." Such was The Florida Times-Union ^Citizen. VOL. XXXVI-36TH YEAR. JACKSONVILLE SATURDAY, MAY 4, lOOl PRICE FIVE CENTS. JACKSONVILLE DEVASTATED BY A MOST DESTRUCTIVE CONFLAGRATION Rre Raged Without Abatement from 12:i0 p. m. 8-30 p. m— Thousands of People Are Left Homeless— Loss Roughly Estimated at About SU. 000,000,00. There Is Suffering in Jacksonville! There Must Be Immediate Assistance Wot Less llian One Hundred- and Thirty Blocks i Residence and Business Sections of tlie Cily Ddst roved— Municipal Bodies and Let Those Who Are Able Respondl ^"'"^ "' T"* to Med. 'eraclils r(Hoiin>4iy hand composition. ACRES OF ASHES. the spirit which animated our people. All the dreadful night tramped through these dreadful scenes individuals and parties who looked for friends and mourned because they w^ere not to be found. Perhaps only the darkness hid them from each other — both might be seeking, but all the unknown was terrible. The Market Street Horror* About 3 o'clock Friday afternoon the man in charge of a little launch saw it in danger and pushed out into the stream. On the dock at the foot of Market street stood a crowd and a lady asked if the boat took passengers. ''No," replied the man, but he checked her speed to see if he could do anything; hearing no further calls and all seeming safe with an open street behind them for escape, he passed on. To these was probably added about this hour a number who had taken refuge in the Mohawk block. But now the Mo- hawk block caught as the flames swept back in an eddy from their onward march; the Meyer & Muller warehouse, the shop of McMurray & Bak- er and the building of the Florida Yacht Club. This closed the circle around the hapless company and retreat became impossible except by the river. 3 ACRES OF ASHE8. One of them, Alfred Ball, of the Springfield su- burb, secured a sailboat, into which entered fif- teen hapless survivors of the company. Some were hcked off the wharf by the devouring flames ; others in their haste fell into the water and drowned, screaming under the more merciful ele- ment. Attempts to push ofT the sailboat proved unavailing, because the winds swept in to meet the fire and drew the boat back at each efifort. At this moment passed Arthur Cummer, of the Cummer Lumber Company, in his yacht Edith, having been to the Gardiner building on Bay street to save important papers and now returning to the mill. He heard the screams and ran in as near as he dared and shouted. The despairing survi- vors in the sailboat heard, and young Coxetter, of St. Augustine, swam out to the yacht, secured a line and nobly went back with it. The line was secured, the word given, and the yacht got under way to tow out the sailboat. With the strain the boat began to move — then down swept a smother of smoke and flame, from out of which rose agon- izing shrieks and despairing groans. The tow rope parted (whether broken from the hasty fas- tening or burned, who shall say?), the Edith dart- ed out under the impulse of her headw^ay, and before she could be checked the sailboat had been ACRES OF A8HE8. drawn back into the flame and into contact with the blazing timbers of the dock ; in a moment she was a thing" of the past. The Edith came round and swept back as near as she dared go to the head of the dock; from that fearful fate she found several swimmers float- ing out and picked them up; of the rest another hour must tell when the bodies are recovered. For the Edith now sees the steam.er Irene in dan- ger and from her are calls for help. Formed by the strong currents of air rushing to supply the vacuum left by the rush of the heated smother, a waterspout gathered and added another horror to the scene. A cloud descended and touched the whirling water with a giant finger; the water rose thirty feet to meet it, and in the center of the fear- ful hourglass it was about two feet in diameter. This monster swept up the river, seething and whirling its tons of v\^ater, directly tow^ards the Irene. Seeing no more swimmers, the Edith dart- ed to the help of the Irene. But the waterspout was too swift; it caught the Irene in its clutch, capsized her as a child would a cork, and passed on with dreadful noises before the river front of the city. Was there an element of terror wanting to this dreadful time? This was about 5 p. m. of Friday, May 3. ACRES OF ASHE8. Circling around the fire zone on the north and confining it, Hogan's creek then bends towards the river and forms also its eastern boundary. But as the brief and ghastly twilight darkened into the horrible night the creek again became a line of battle. Near its mouth a broad marsh separates it from the city. Near the marsh the houses are small cabins, but built of inflammable material, now dry as powder. While these burned the heat swept over the grass and it flamed. Was the fire to cross the creek at this point and so sweep the railroad and destroy the mills? Here w^ere no ap- pliances to fight the fire. Men and boys formed a line with buckets and passed up from the creek, running to put out each blaze as it caught and held as if instinct with malice. For two hours this continued. The horrible heat poured down from the burning city and the acrid smoke lacer- ated the skin. Hands and faces were blistered, but no one flinched. It was naked man against the element and many times the issue was doubt- ful. If one staggered beaten away another took his place and many passed the buckets, each in his place, but ready for another with that Ameri- can thoughtfulness which the foreigners who watched the fighting in Cuba called "The Quality of Initiative." The name is not American — ^the ACRES OF ASHE 8. thing itself is an inheritance from those pioneer days when each man took many parts and filled them all so well as to earn a continent. In the end the fire was beaten, the defence of marsh and creeks, with the stm-dy line behind was too much — together they proved invincible. Then the bafiled terror was stopped in his onward march, and, curling back upon his track, marched to new destruction along the river bank. Then occurred the charge on the foundry, the Mohawk block and the United States Hotel, which culmi- nated in the massacre at the Market street dock — now the people along the river met their deaths. High soared the flames from those lofty buildings, and it seemed the heat and flames deserted the rest of the field to concentrate their fury here. From this hour the terrified watchers in Spring- field regained hope; in Fairfield they rejoiced over a victory hardly earned and men began to talk of the possibility of crossing back to Bay street within a short time. For many who had gone to the suburbs to put loved ones or property in a place of safety had been unable to return. Duty now called for them to render yet other service, if possible, to business interests. At 6 an employee of the East Coast Rail- way made the attempt along Laura street and ACRES OF ASHES. nearly lost his life. An hour after this the first crossed through the central line of the burned district, and soon there was a steady stream of anxious pedestrians passing with careful steps over the hot wires and the glowing bricks with the darting flames on either hand. Strange to say, in this inferno there yet was life. A low moan attracted attention and a shudder ran through the hearer. Was it possible that any- thing human could withstand such heat and live ! Dreading what he expected to see, he stepped carefully through and over the tangle of wires to the twisted and grotesque shape of what had been an iron fence before a yard filled with shrubbery. There was no sound and he called. Then came back another low moan — it was under the scorched ruins of what had been an evergreen tree or thick shrub near an erection of shells about a fountain. He called again and with piteous lament crawled forth a horrible shape that was still a cat; its fur was gone and the baked skin cracked as it moved, but it crawled toward a human voice. Its feet Avere gone and it walked on stumps that dripped as a joint does in the oven; the flesh of the face had fallen away and the eyes, unseeing, were white and glazed like porcelain; the teeth stood out as ACRES OF ASHES. from a skeleton. Should such a horror be suf- fered to live? Who should kill it? The government building flash2d white in the spectral flames ; the Confederate soldier stood firm in his immortal watch over the land he fought to save, but other signs of man and his works had been swept away or transformed into new shapes. Was this the St. James Hotel that was but six hours before crowded with merry guests contem- plating their homeward trip ? They had fled, and it had fallen. Where was the Park Opera House where so lately Jefferson played old Rip to ap- plauding thousands? Its heap of ruins was in- distinguishable from those that covered the ground for acres and acres. Down on the river the engines throbbed and the exhausted firemen spent their remaining strength in the fight with their backs to the West- ern Union offices. The Commercial Bank in ruins was the last victim of a fury that seemed insatiable. Here the struggle was kept up through the night; soldiers stood guard like umpires of the lists, and Chief Haney's heroes, in defeat as in victory, were worthy of their leader. Occa- sionally the w'eary engines paused as if to take breath, for the foe had been beaten to the ground, but at each cessation of the stream he struggled ACRES OF ASHES. up and renewed the fight. So it continued till a fearful dawn replaced the dreadful night, and it was Saturday at last. In the great Astor block on the corner of Bay and Hogan the staff of the Times-Union and Citi- zen kept up its supervision of the war. Reporters rushed panting in with accounts of the progress of the battle and rushed hurrying back. No ap- prehension was felt; then safety was assured, for the government building on the second block to the north had turned the tide and stood as a strong cHff against the ocean surf. But when the march was turned and assault after assault proved successful in the rear, records were packed, books sent west and every preparation made for a hasty flight. At 7 o'clock the office was a wreck and the weary relics of the force onl}^ waited the word to go. Then word came that the defence on the line of Laura held good ; then that all was won save at the Western Union building, and there was hope. That hope was justified and enough men collected to begin the work of getting out the paper. What a task that was ! All during the afternoon calls for copy had come from papers all over the coun- try, but the Associated Press was first served; then the office refused to take messages and those ACRES OF ASHES. prepared were held till the fight was decided. Al- ready the whole continent throbbed eager for news. In every city of the land Jacksonville, the gateway of Florida travel, was known, and in thousands of them were men and women who had friends among us. Naturally all tourists were sus- pected of being in Jacksonville on the road home. This demand grew more urgent when the stand of the defenders was made good, but the first duty of a newspaper man is to his own paper. How could that paper appear on time to take the mournful tidings through the mails? Power was dead; the Mergenthalers were useless. The old cases were hastily brought out from dusty corners and printers began again the old work that had grown unfamiliar. Light had failed; there was neither gas nor electricity. But somewhere in that city of dreadful night a box of candles was unearthed and men wrote and set type and filled the chases with nerves strained to the utmost — some with aching hearts for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown — some who dreaded the worst from scanty information gained hours ago. All remembered the worst extremity that comes under certain conditions and weapons were at hand in case violence attacked the defenceless, and the brave soldier boys and police needed aid. ACRES OF A8HES. It was a fearful time when the ears were burdened with awful sounds, but the crack of a rifle might have precipitated a massacre. As the night wore on into morning and every observer confirmed the exemplary conduct of all classes and conditions of men, relief was possible and he whose work was done sank to sleep on the floor in a stupor — if he could. For some there was no such mercy vouchsafed, and for these work was merciful, because it gave distraction to more torturing anxiety. Day broke and sorrowing crowds inspected the ruins and talked in low murmurs. Ten thou- sand people were homeless and business impossi- ble. The soldier who participates in a battle never sees one — his vision is limited. The immediate prospect fills his eye and absorbs his senses — the historian comes after the soldier has done his part. How did the fire destroy the city of Jacksonville? March of the Flames, When the roof of the fibre factory fell in and masses of the burning moss swept through the air in every direction, the flames rushed up Beaver street like a charge of cavalry; they leaped hun- ACRES OF ASHES. dreds of yards at a bound ; they plunged and tore over the roofs, and. Beaver was ablaze to Liberty in thirty minutes. Other masses swept westward across Ashley and Church and Duval and Monroe within the same time. Soon they had touched Adams and threatened Forsyth. Afterwards it was a steady march across the heart of the city with ever accumulating heat and gathering force in the rush. Henceforward, as Chief Joyner, of Atlanta, said, ''No human power could have saved the city. All the fire apparatus of New York and Chicago combined would not have stayed the fire here." This was as true as soon as the line of march had been formed, as at the Gardiner building, of which the visiting chief spoke. Chief Haney did all that mere man might. It was impossible for man to stand in front of it. The hose burned in the hands of the nozzlemen while the water rushed through it. Men would shoulder a trunk and start down the street with it. Before going a block the flames would overtake them and they would drop the weight and run for dear life wdth the blaze licking their heels. Ladies left home and were hurried away by ACRES OF ASHES. anxious friends, but the fire would catch their dresses and urge them on with' pitiless lashing. There were thousands of narrow escapes. Sick people were brought to places of supposed safety time after time, only to find death at their heels, and yet another removal necessary. When the churches caught frenzied negroes yelled, "De Lawd is angry wid us, O, people! prepare to die!" and some would break away and rush towards the flames, only to be caught and dragged away by main strength, foaming and fighting. Wagons were piled high with trunks and fur- niture and bedding thrown over these. The fire caught the bedding, and a mad horse with a crazy driver and flaming wagon would rush madly through the streets. Wagons carried their loads to a distance and returned for other burdens. Sparks fell in the abandoned piles and flames leaped high in the air, darting in open windows and flying high in the driving wind. So the fire was carried over the city. After the fire reached Julia street the local military was called, out and dynamite used in the vain atempt to remove all food from the path of the terror. The thunders did but add new ter- ACRES OF ASHES. rors and drive the ignorant and nervous to greater acts of unreason. Trinity Methodist Episcopal church was ablaze before the opera house caught. From these two furnaces the work of the two great hotels was completed. There was no more hope, for fire was everywhere. Hundreds joined in the attempt to save the Baldwin building, now owned by the Elks; it col- lapsed, and the paint shops shot into lurid flashes. The Hubbard block, with its stores of explosives, scattered even the firemen, for the bullets from the cartridges rained out in every direction. The new Furchgott building gave its great stock of dry goods to the flames; Cohen's followed, and the tons of paper in the Drew building made a fire as hot as coal. The proud city building, that was to prove a monument to its projectors, went down; the headquarters of the fire department, and then the armory, whose castled front had promised to with- stand a longer siege. Down East Duval the fire seemed to rush on eagle's pinions to the Catholic church and orphanage and the St. John's Episco- pal church. Within four hours the city was gone and acres of ashes had taken its place. In Raleigh, N. C, the flames of the burning ACRES OF ASHES. were seen and men turned to each other on the porches after supper and said, "A city is burning in the South." In Savannah the smoke of the earlier afternoon was supposed to indicate a com- ing storm and inquiries were made of the weather ofEce. Seventeen hundred buildings were burned — one hundred and forty-eight blocks. The fire- swept over a tract two miles long from west to east and over half a mile broad. The property de- stroyed is put by careful estimates at twelve mil- lion dollars, insured for about five millions. Ten thousand people were homeless at sunset and many possessed only the clothes in which they faced the world to make a new beginning of life and labor. Without money or work or prospect of either they were hungry without the means to secure food at breakfast next morning — delicate womicn, tender children and strong men. power- less to feed their own. What, then, was the con- dition of the aged, the feeble and the helpless? All seemed alike doomed to death or misery. But, before they fell, the wires had borne no- tice of the dread calamity over a continent filled with Americans — with people whose hearts are tender, but whose strong hands have wrenched wealth and the power wealth gives from the stub- ACRES OF ASHES. born earth. When the wires in the city fell those at the Union Station still throbbed with the bur- den of the disaster and men heard from San Fran- cisco to Maine. To hear was to feel; to feel with Americans is to act. Down the long line of the east coast throbbed the wire and throbbed back the contribution of Henry M. Flagler, who has taken Florida and her people to his heart. Over the wide plains it caught the president in his flying capitol and brought his condolence; on to Washington, and the secretaries of the national government wired back their readiness to place the resources of the nation at the service of the stricken city, so far as the law would permit. With the morning Florida knew to her farthest hamlet and thrilled to the bond of blood. Palatka sent her help on a passing train, and Jasper shouted "Take what we have and welcome." The Governor asked how he could serve the people and sat at his desk to direct. Pensacola heard and obeyed her heart as always. The word dived under the waves and came back laden with the tenderness of Key West for her sister. The American people had heard and Jack- sonville should not starve or struggle naked against her foe. There was a voice of lamenta- ACRES OF ASHES. tion throughout the land as of Jacob for a beloved child, but America is not old that she should sit still and weep. "New York is the first city of the country/' said one of her papers, ''and she must be first and strongest to~ help." ''Why should Chicago be second ?" spoke the giant West. "Bal- timore is the city of the South." came booming from the Chesapeake, "and she cares for her own." "Nay, Florida is not poor or helpless when her children sufifer," cried all the Flowery Land. It was Saturday morning in Jacksonville. Where shall a people be fed? The homes were in ashes, the hotels were no more. As the sun rose the hungry were fed till the ready money that happened to linger in the pockets of a family din- ing at home had been exhausted ; most of this the ladies kept, though many of them left the family pocketbook to feed the fire. Still, in front of every restaurant and eating place on Bay street and in the suburbs long lines of the hungry pressed forward. Outside the line were many unused to privation, whose looks showed they were penni- less. When the hour passed few gentlemen had a penny and many had been fed, but there were many also who still hungered. In the suburbs the kitchen fires glowed till provisions had been ex- hausted. The stocks in the retail stores that sur- ACRES OF ASHES. vived were dealt carefully out to give each a little as in a siege. Still some were hungry. Wagons were sent to the wholesale houses, and it was pitiful to see that many had no thought of cooking food except on a stove and with ap- proved implements. What would a hunter like better than a roast from the same ashes over which so much mourning was made ? The question of breakfast solved, what re- mained? Life was to be faced and what others were doing became of concern. Copies of the morning paper were secured, and groups gath- ered to hear this read; a consensus of opinion was thus gained and some attempt to realize the whole was made. But the reading also told that help was coming from every quarter; that meetings were to be held to organize the situation and the soldiers were already on the ground. Here was comfort — perhaps here was safety for the present and prospect of recovery for the future. Then those hapless outcasts gave a sign of relief — many sought the nearest water and began to clear the grime of the night from face and hands — some were, indeed, unrecognizable. At 10:15 a. m. there was a meeting of mem- bers of the municipal bodies in the telegraph of- fice of the Times-Union and Citizen, over which 4 ACRES OF AS HE 8. the mayor presided. Mr. Floyd moved that im- mediate measures be taken to afford practical re- lief, and Mr. Turner proposed that the various municipal bodies be designated to take charge of donations and directed to supervise their distribu- tion, Harry Mason immediately gave his check for $250, and the city treasurer was made treas- urer of the fund. Thus the work began. St. Au- gustine and Palatka and Volusia county offered assistance, and Jasper, through Senator Frank Adams, sent $500. Military headquarters were es- tablished on the vacant lot next to the govern- ment building and Jacksonville turned herself with one heart to the work in hand. Several offers of help from the outside were already in hand. But the wildest rumors stirred the crowds that collected about the streets, exchanged reports and dissolved to form again with fresh constituents. But it was found that the prisoners had been marched safely by the sheriff into Riverside and afterwards sent to the jails of adjoining counties. Dr. Dean had been burned badly, but he and all his family were otherwise safe. Judge Dzialynski had crawled under a burning building and got away, not being cremated, as reported. The chil- dren at the orphanage had been taken across the river, and Sister Mary Ann had cared for her own. ACRES OF ASHES. Gradually confidence was recovered, and from a readiness to believe that everybody was dead, the crowd was elated by the conviction that there had been no loss of life. Then came the finding and identification of the body of a negro woman in front of her home at the corner of State and Ocean streets. She had fallen with her head away from the fire and her lower extremities were burned to a crisp — a hor- rible sight that brought a swift realization of what might com.e. The witnesses of her death were found who testified thai she had said she did not desire to live after her home had burned, that she struggled away from friends who tried to de- tain her and rushed frantically into the flames. Evidently she had fallen from the heat before reaching the building. The survivors from the Market street death- trap had named some of those involved and a sys- tematic search was instituted for those still miss- ing. Among these was Mr. Harry Bonnetheau, known and loved by all, whose friends and ac- quaintances inquired in every possible locality with unwearied hope till the mystery was so mourn- fully solved on Monday. But the scenes of meeting or the disappointments that followed confessions of ignorance on the part of friends expected to ACRES OF ASHES. know, made the streets pathetic during all the Saturday and the following night. Meantime contributions poured in by wire, on the trains and in every mail. The rich gave freely, both in money and in their services for relief and the reorganization of the prostrate community, and all the continent anxiously joined to help. At the meeting of the Board of Trade $15,000 were subscribed and turned over to the commit- tees, and this was immediately used to buy food. All the vessels of the Clyde Steamship Com- pany, whether of the river or ocean fleets, fed all who applied while they lay at the docks ; the East Coast Railway ran special trains to St. Augustine, that those who could might get out of the city, even if compelled to return at night, and all the transportation companies joined in giving free passage to all who desired to go elsewhere. So passed the weary time. Except in the offices of the newspaper, in the military camps and with the firemen, Saturday night was a time of stupor — human nature could bear no more when the strain was relieved. Shel- ter of some kind had now been obtained by many ; the weather was still warm and pleasant for those compelled to remain in the open air. During the day the tangle of wires had been partially cleared ACRES OF ASHES. away, necessary provisions were abundant, and there was no attempt to raise the price on food. Eight butchers opened for business at temporary stalls, the banks that remained standing were open and the others had secured rooms and were pay- ing all demands, those who had been burned open- ing on Hogan, Laura and Forsyth. These evi- dences of faith in the preservation of law and or- der exercised a m_ost salutary influence on the temper of the community. The colored men held a meeting at the Flor- ida Avenue Baptist church and perfected an or- ganization to co-operate with the committees and the Board of Trade, the Elks issued their call for a meeting and the trade bodies of neighboring cities sent over committees to aid the Jacksonville Board. Sunday dawned clearly and beautifully on the city of ashes. From the ruins still curled upward wreaths of sm.oke ; occasionally a forlorn chimney would crash downward; the firemen valiantly watched, and the soldiers were on guard as the sun rose. Wearied and worn was every man ; the women were hollow-eyed, but felt safe ; the chil- dren still wandered around and stared at the changed surroundings. The Board of Health put on a permanent sanitary force and its officials ACBE& OF ASHES.* were everywhere on errands that will bear fruit in the better health of the future city. Five carloads of tents came in from Camp Perry and a carload of supplies from Atlanta; smaller contributions came on every line and almost every hour. The insurance men also quieted anxieties by promis- ing that payments should be made within thirty days, and as few impediments as consisted with safety should be interposed. Various stations for the relief of the hungry and needy were designat- ed and there food was alwa3^s ready for delivery, only the crowds miaking this a slow process. The ladies also joined in the work and appointed com- mittees who sought the sick and helpless in every corner of the ruins. The Finding^ of the Dead* And all during Sunday the search for Harry Bonnetheau continued ; at last hope sank with the absence of news, and it was conceded that his body must be hidden by the waters of the river. Again a night, during which the ashes cooled, the soldiers kept vvatch and ward, and the com- mittees of relief found no rest from tl^e night- m.are of suffering stories. And now the fiery grave ACRES OF ASHES. began to give up its dead, and soon the streets were filled with the excited inquirers. First the charred bones of Mrs. Wattie Thomp- son were found at the Home for the Aged, where she had taken refuge. Her son, after a search con- tinued for two days, had concluded his mother must have gone out of the city; he had written to old friends in the State and accepted a position, hoping to hear soon. When the bones suspected to be those of his mother were found, he fainted. Out from the crowd came an aged negro, once a slave of the family, who gathered the relics to- gether, covered them from the public, and then reHeved the boy, whom he called, with streaming eyes, ''My Young Marse." Leaning on the old man, who bore his mother's bones, the boy walked to a carriage and friends assumed care of all. Let us preserve, if we may, the name of that ex-slave Alexander, who was faithful at the last, and there- fore an honor to all humanity. . The body of an unknown negro was found at the boatyard. With his clothes burning he had plunged into the river for relief and been drowned. This tale the conditions of the garments and the position of the body plainly told. But public attention still fixed itself about the Market street wharf in fear of the worst horror. ACRES OF ASHES. During Monday the river had been persistently dragged, but the floating timbers and the masses of aquatic plants made this necessarily an unsat- isfactory search, while such conditions made all efforts of the divers fruitless. Two young ne- groes, T. R. Michael and Robert Johnson, stand- ing at the McMurray & Baker wharf, noticed a black mass floating which they thought could not be a log. It was near the southeastern corner of the piling and was partially concealed by masses of hyacinths; the lift in response to the waves showed to their experienced eyes it was not a log. They clambered out on the piling and soon proved it was a body; on touching it the face turned up and they screamed in horror. Help came and the body was carefully towed to the shore. Magis- trate Ledwith was summoned, who presided over an examination as ex-oflicio coroner, surrounded by members of the Order of Elks who had learned of the find. Immediately these friends recognized the re- mains of poor Harry Bonnetheau. The apparel, the watch and jewelry and a bundle of papers in the breast pocket admitted of no doubt; physical peculiarities made assurance doubly sure. Here the long search ended. But the hands were burned and blackened and distorted as if he had ACRES OF ASHES. exposed them to the fire by dinging to some ob- ject above water — possibly to the boat seen from the Edith to capsize. The crabs had wrought their wicked will on the kind face so many loved, and the whole was a dream of fear. One of the first to arrive at the scene was the brother-in-law of the dead m.an, Mr. Edward Hudnall, of Valdosta, and he tenderly took charge when the legal pro- ceedings w^ere dismissed. Peace to his ashes. He left a son and a widow. The body of Willie Clark, a valued employe of Gus Muller, was seen by H. G. White, cashier of the Clyde Line, floating at the head of the A., V. & W. Railway wharf about 5 o'clock in the after- noon. During that terrible Friday evening young Clark had devoted himself to the task of helping others, and he was last seen carrying Mrs. Follett from her home in the Meyer & Muller building to a place of safety. Doubtless he tried to return to the river afterwards, and the flames closed around him in that final reflex action of the fire which ended in the death struggle on Laura street. So that the people of Jacksonville again supped full of horrors on Monday night as the fearful par- ticulars were known. Perhaps in closing the his- tory of Monday better cannot be done by way of showing the temper of the people than by quoting ACRES OF ASHES. the editorial lea'der which appeared in the Times- Union and Citizen the next morning: The Wotk Before Us. "Sentim^ent is most beautiful and at this time it is specially lovely in our sight when its influence is bringing us comfort and material help from every corner of the continent. Yet there are times when even sentiment must give way to imperious necessity — in the battle of Hfe the soldier must often go forth alone that he may face the foe with undivided energies and heart undismayed. He must put his loved ones out of his sight, that he may the better serve them. — he must leave them behind that he may the more surely and efficiently protect them. Woman is to every man a minister- ing angel if he be worthy — she is always his best inspiration and highest hope, but there are times when her absence serves him as well as her pres- sence does at other times. Such a time has come now to the homeless people of Jacksonville. The task before us is the creation of a city and the recovery of its business — a stern task and a difficult one. While doing this men must be sheltered and properly fed, and within the city there are not at present roofs to ACRES OF ASHES. cover the army of workers demanded by the situ- ation. The remedy is one which has often con- fronted man before, and ahvays with the same re- suh — the beautiful and agreeable must give way to the useful — the shelter must be monopolized by the workers alone. Let us appeal to our peo- ple in plain language that all may understand. It is our duty to send out of the city all those dependent upon others for shelter, except those needed for the work in hand. Dependent non- workers, women and children can be sheltered and jared for elsewhere — they must be. Night and day we must labor; comfort and care cannot be given others except at the cost of the workers, be- cause there is not room for all. So should the dependent and the helpless go elsewhere till Jacksonville is again prepared to care for and comfort them. Give up the city for the present to the workers — visitors who insist on coming to see the ruins should gaze their fill and return — the help is not here to care for them. Our hotels and our churches have been wiped out — our task is one grim enough to try the strength of the strongest. Let us have no distraction that excuse may be made for the neglect of duty — banish the amenities of life that we may the earlier ACRES OF ASHES. resume them, and more deeply appreciate them hereafter. It is hard to separate families, but there are times when it must be done. It is hard to send away those dependent on us, but we can care for them the more effectually by depriving ourselves of their society now. Work, work, work, must be the rule in Jacksonville for white and black — hard, stern, laborious work that owns an affinity to vulgar dirt, and is not beautiful except to look back upon, when we are enjoying the fruits of the harvest sowed and cultivated. Let us wait for that time, and hope, but now we must work. The problem of finding shelter for this army of labor is the difficulty of the present — a room means a worker now. Nor have we room for the idle and curious — such hotels and boarding houses as have been left to us are driven to their wits' end to provide for those necessarily dependent on them. Will not every member of the community help the solution if he may, as soon as he can?" Near midnight on Monday night a reporter visited Mayor Bowden at his house and found the wearied official sleeping on the floor, having given all his beds to his friends and to strangers who were homeless. He had been everywhere during ACRES OF ASHES. the eventful time, but was still full of pluck and energy, though his physical strength was nearly gone. He concurred fully in the views of the pa- per, was confident his people would preserve the excellent record they had made untarnished, and had every confidence the committees and the mu- nicipal government would be furnished with means from abroad and at home to feed all the hungry and clothe all the naked of his city. With Tuesday morning the work of preparing for the new time began in earnest. The various committees had shaken themselves into place and the people knew where to find them. The muni- cipal authorities were doing the work of double their number, the military was as orderly and pre- cise in discipline and practice as if in the face of an enemy; the wires had been swept from the prin- cipal thoroughfares; the street cars were running wherever their rails had not been ruined by the heat, and squads of laborers were clearing ofT the debris along the edges of the lots where the ashes had cooled. The owners of real estate were in- terviewing architects and contracts were being let for all the multifarious jobs whose completion meant a right of way for the coming mechanics. Tents had gone up, shanties were building and teams passing in every direction. To listen to the ACRES OF A8HSS. sound of the hoofs and the roar of the car service on Bay street was sweet as music to the citizens of the late thriving city. Another night passed and Wednesday came. It boots not to tell in detail how other bodies were found and the insurance men added yet other sums to the tale of losses — ^^these may be better given in figures. But the mayor spoke to the world of our condition when he now said to a reporter of the Atlanta Journal: "Beg the people to stay away. We have no room for our own — everything is gone. Jackson- ville can keep the wolf away from the door for three or four days longer with the provisions that are here and on the way. We have paid out $i8,- Goo of our own money, money given by our own sufferers. But this has been spent. God bless the great heart of human charity that has heard our appeal for aid. The United States is too big a country and her people too good to permit us here to starve to death. The situation is intense. There are many dangers and hardships at hand, but we have suffered enough. I believe the fire means the rebuilding of the city, and it will rise from her ashes to the greatest degree of success. Work has actually begun on many destroyed sites ACRES OF ASHES. and as fast as the debris cool the workmen will enter with their picks and tools." These w^ere sensible as well as brave words. The time had come when the city had room for workers only, when the hand must prepare the way for all softer things — when the ornaments and delights of life should be postponed for a more befitting time. The people were pioneers fight- ing the hard conditions which confronted their fathers, except that they stood on a bed of ashes with a world to help instead of in a forest isolated from everything more humane than the vengeful savage and the ravening beast to be met with the eye that did not blench and the hand that never trembled. The same man must meet the old needs under sHghtly different conditions. Floridians and Americans know how this is to be done. The future will tell the story in many chapters to fol- low. There is one other word to speak here. It had been wired that Chief Haney lost his mind; he was said to be dead; men had seen him die. It is true that when the experience and generalship of a chief availed him not,^ he went into the ranks to sustain his fainting men and fainted from over- exertion himself, but he was ahvays and every- where the hope of our people, the brains and the ACRES OF ASHES. inspiration of the force he had created. Modest ahvays he said nothing until Wednesday night when he gave this to a reporter of the Times- Union and Citizen: ''The alarm was sent in at 12:35. I^ answer two hose wagons, a truck and hook and ladder responded. On my arrival, I sent in the general alarm, and before the last company had arrived the fire had gotten two blocks from the place it started. I immediately sent back for more hose, and issued orders that the fire be fought by going to the place farthest east, where fire was to be seen, as the fire was being furiously fanned from the west. Soon after that several blocks in various sections were on fire, and after that everybody knows the history. "On investigation, I found that the fire started in some fiber in the Cleaveland Fiber Factory, but what started the fire was not learned. It was also learned that those who were at the factory tried to put out the fire, and were unsuccessful and sent in the alarm too late. 'T wish to thank all for their kindness to me and my men during the ordeal. One of the men, Aug. Hokason, a Swede, and who was with the fire department even before my connection with it, was overcome, and is now at St. Luke's Hos- 3Nl^3HxVD^ ^ I— • H 00 ID ^fv ACRES OF ASHES, pital, suffering greatly. It is believed that he in- haled flames." If such disasters must come may they always be met by Americans as this was in Jacksonville — shoulder to shoulder — with the right men in com- mand and obedience from below. We have en- dured and survived. Again the future is ours to mould according to our will, and as we deserve. The rest is but detail. Some Uncibente* The Lady and the Fire, On Friday in a peaceful location on one of the residence streets of Jacksonville the visitor would have found a model household. On the piazza a dozen choice plants luxuriated in the Florida sun- shine, roses climbed the walls and roses and lilies filled the small space between the gate and the door. Madame sat within a cool room, comfort- ably waiting the coming of the lord, who was not master; dinner was in course of preparation and occasionally the old woman who had been in the family for little less than a generation, cast out something to pacify a brood of chickens in the backyard, or spoke a word to the mistress of the house. Then the inevitable man arrived ; he noted that some buds had opened since breakfast; he gave fresh water to some ferns and he paused to catch a new note in the song of the mockingbird giving a concert from the oak at the gate. There sounded the fire alarm; the Lady and ACRES OF ASHES. the cook both ran out and joined the Man on the front piazza. A dense smoke rose to the west- ward, and the cook suddenly concluded her home was in danger, whereupon she was urged by the Lady to look after it, and obeyed on the run. Soon after the Lady thought she might help the cook and she ran off hatless regardless of the pro- tests of the masculine element that wanted its din- ner on time. The cook returned to get the hose ; got it, and went off again. The Lady returned to say the cook's house must surely go, for it was a big fire, and went again to consult a neighbor. The Man went to the upper piazza to take a view of the possible danger. The cook arrived, weeping, with a pile of bed- ding on a dray. The Lady returned to know if it was not time to pack up, and ran off to stop some children she suspected their father of leading into danger. There was a debate between the Lady and the father. These occurrences occupied fifteen minutes. The Man called to the Lady that she should be at home. She looked up to see a blaze a dozen blocks away and ran in frantically to say the city ACRES OF ASHES. was on fire. The man asked her to get her wits together and was told this was no time to be quiet and reasonable. She began to pack what came first to hand in a trunk Sampson would have pre- ferred as a test of strength to the gates of Gaza. The Man continued to gaze from the upper piazza till a shift of the wind rained light ashes on the plants in the yard; then he called the atten- tion of a neighbor to them ; the neighbor laughed. The Man went within and asked the Lady to put her preferred stock in two trunks which he indi- cated, saying, "We can save these, at any rate." He then began to put valuable papers and books in a steamer trunk. Having done this, he went out to find the Lady telling him to get the silver. He emptied a great clothes basket and was told not to make a mess on the floor. He carried the basket down, put in it the silver on the sideboard, and was startled by a shriek from the Lady. He rushed to the door to see the flames rising high in the next block. A friend ran in to know if he could be of ser- vice; he was asked to get wagons if possible. The Man went upstairs to find the Lady filling one trunk with old newspapers. He said nothing, but wondered which books of a small library he could afford to lose — each was a part of him. He be- ACRES OF ASHES. gan to pack some with eyes too dim to read their titles. The friend returned with two wagons and three friends with him. After this there was noth- ing but confusion; the three friends and two ne- groes tore in and out at the bidding of the Lady who jerked heavy furniture about with the strength of madness, and kept talking about the history of each. There was a pause and the Man looked up to find only one of the friends with him. That friend pointed to the opposite house just falling in; all the houses opposite were aflame; this was 2 o'clock. One friend had taken the Lady ofT. The remaining two went out with their arms loaded with things of little moment. Soon after the Man learned the Lady had been entrusted to the care of a negro and sent in a covered vehicle to Springfield. Anxiously he turned his steps in the same direction, for the ne- gro might show bad judgment or lose his head in an emergency. He had been away barely ten minutes, but he could not get within a block of the house just left. He turned in another direc- tion, for an ocean of flame shut him ofif the direct route to Springfield. He made a detour which took him near the St. John's Episcopal church, dived under a whirl of smoke and flame, then made ACRES OF ASHE 8. his way between blazing houses to the bridge. So near he was to being cut off — so swiftly did the fire eat its way through the heart of the city. He found all safe, but the joke of that dolorous day is the look of the Lady when she found upon the recovery of the plunder that she had packed one trunk with old newspapers and left the best of her clothing to the flames. As for the Man he is thankful that no lives were lost in his immediate circle and insists they were most fortunate. The Lady and the Piano^ Two gentlemen passed down a street while the fire roared behind them and sometimes made leaps that passed over their heads; one of these gentlemen had often been told by his friends he weighed a ton, but he never believed they spoke truth till he raced with the Jacksonville fire and must head it off to get home. At one of the houses stood a dray with a piano upon it; the driver stood at the horse's head and begged the lady to let him go, but she insisted on piling bed- ding upon the piano. The two friends knew her and paused. "Madam," said the fat man, "it will ACR£J8-VT ASHES. soon be too late to get away; send the dray off." ''O, no," said the lady, ''I want to save my beds." The two ordered the driver to wait, and went into the house to help bring out those precious 'beds. The trip was made, a bed and bedding brought, but as a pillow was tossed on the load a spark fell and blazed. The pillow was thrown oft* and the stout gentleman said, protestingly, ''Now, madam, let him go." ''O, no," said the lady, ''there is just one more." Obediently they re- turned, but found another spark had fallen, the bedding on the dray was flaming high, the driver had cut his traces and skedaddled. "There is no time for fooling here," said the lean man. He dropped his bundle, caught the lady past the nar- row gap and ran off, supporting her. Now the fat man could not slip through the eye of a needle. In that brief moment the fire in front of the door had grown hotter; his hair rose and his hat blew oft. His friend had reached a safe distance, turned and saw the picture of blank amazement — then he sav/ the fat man turn and dive back through the house whose upper storey was nov/ blazing fierce- ly. From this grew the story that a prominent citizen of Jacksonville had suffered cremation pre- maturely. But what became of our fat friend? He passed ACRES OF ASHES. through the house and found himself in a yard en- closed by a high planked wall. Had he entered a deathtrap ? There was horror in the thought. But a second look showed a door; he wrenched it from the hinges; the fire was above and around; he followed the fence gropingly and gasping ; present- ly there was a breath of air less hot, and he opened his eyes to find himself again in the street, but the spectators of his exit had disappeared. He ran faster than he ever did since he chased the nimble hare with a yellow dog, and reached home at last. He would much prefer paying for pianos to saving them, and when his friends laugh he asks v/here is the joke. But he has already begun to pay the forfeit — in lemonade. How Court Sat in Jacksonville* The Monday following the fire was the first day of the regular term of the Circuit court for Duval county. Now the court house was four brick walls filled with a miscellaneous assortment of debris and nothing else; the records were but ashes and all the officials in no condition to pun- ish any crime but extortion in prices for the nec- essaries of life. Yet court must be called, and ACRES OF ASHES. for this purpose a hall must be found, as the most learned and upright judge insisted. The sheriff found one and a local attorney of high standing and solemn face guided the judge thither. That dignitary was seated upon a table, the cleik ar- ranged a sheet of paper on another, and the sheriff stood with a beautiful cat in his arms to the mani- fest approval of the gentle and humane judge who had not observed such love of animals in that usually obdurate official hitherto. ''Open the court, Mr. Sherif¥," said his honor with due sol- emnity, whereupon it was called that the honora- ble court was ready for all and sundry who might deserve its ministrations. "Adjourn the court," said his honor, and it was forthwith adjourned to a better time. Then stepped forth an attorney and requested permission to make a statement. "Proceed," said his honor graciously, thinking a subscription was now to be taken for the fire sufiferers ; he sat back on his table and inserted a hand in a particular pocket that he might be ready. 'T have only to say," went on the attorney, "that your honor sits upon the poker table, the clerk has appropriated the baccarat board and the sheriff has the kitty by the tail." These words were meaningless to the learned judge, not being among those accept- ACRES OF ASHES. ed by Blackstone, but he gazed around and a great light dawned upon his brain, while his noble countenance reddened and his eagle eye flashed. "Gentlemen," said his honor, ''no outsiders are present, and if this becomes pubhc somebody will sleep in jail." But it never did transpire, being a star chamber affair and done in executive ses- sion. But even after a great fire some light matters may remain. How All Suffered Together* A family that had saved something of its household effects took refuge with a friend in the suburbs and remained twenty-four hours. When the parting came both were near to tears, but each was trying to check the briny flood to make a brave show. The suburbanite had found her house filled to overflowing, so that her husband and his male friends slept in the woodhouse or on the ground. There were not cots and beds for the ladies and children, and only exact calculation found floor room for all, yet all were fed and all comforted. So when the parting came the refugee said. ACRES OF ASHES. with a suspicious quiver about the mouth that tried to be a smile, "Annie, I fear you lost more than I did by the fire; the walls of my house are gone, but we saved something of what was within. You have the walls, but they are bare — we have eaten you out of house and home." ''Ah, yes," answered the hostess, "but you don't know what happiness the coming of all these visitors gave me. What am I that I should hope to have the pleasure, so dear to our Lord himself, of helping the needy and supporting the weak?" Now men would have gripped hands and said nothing, but these dear creatures sat down immediately on the back step and had a "good cry." Two Lives For Picttircs. I. Mrs. Wattie Thompson belonged to an hon- ored family that had been very wealthy. When it was known she was missing the news spread through the city and the search was prosecuted during all Saturday and the following night. In- quiries swept out into the country on Sunday, and then^ it was accepted as certain that she had ACRES OF ASHES. left the city on one of the passing trains that res- cued so many from the worst of those terrible first days after the fire. In this hope her young son wrote to all the friends of the family and went Monday to aid in the distribution of the supplies that were now pouring in from the outside. To the house of Mr. Thames in the city went an old slave woman of the Thompson family, named Roney. She had never left the old lady in all the years of her freedom, and was now worn out and nearly hysterical with her efforts to find ''Old Miss." She had this tale to tell : "Me and old Miss got out the fire," said Roney, "and we wuz gwine 'long de street, when ole Miss she say she cawn't leave Mars Preston's picture. I say, 'Ole Miss, dat house burn you up,' but she say she gwine an' she look at me so I turn her loose. Den she walk right straight into de house and it burning fierce on de top where it catch. I wait till de fire reach down atter me like a great hand and de smoke hide de house, and I run an' hollow to ole Miss, 'Come erlong ! Ole Miss neb- ber come and dat's de las' I see ob my ole Miss." Then it was feared Mrs. Thompson had met death in the house and Monday morning saw an anxious company working at the ruins. They knew the picture of the little child^that was now a ACRES OF ASHES. boy doing the work of a man, had hung on the wall over her bed and they worked to uncover the spot where it stood. And they found the skeleton of that bed and on it a few charred bones — the mother had at least won her way to the presence of that baby smile — perhaps had climbed on the bed to reach it, and then sank down. Let us hope that she was stricken with merciful unconscious- ness, and that the mother's heart was cheered, even in that inferno, by the presence of the baby face. The son was called but to faint; Roney was too hysterical for the trust, and another old slave, Alexander, wrapped the sacred relics from the light. When the young man recovered Alexan- der called, ''Come, young Marse," and offered his shoulder for a support. With the remains of the mother in one arm and the son on the other, Alex- ander went to the carriage proffered by the by- standers. Roney followed, and the strange spec- tacle of devotion unknown and unappreciated save in the South, became no longer visible in the dis- tance veiled by misty eyes. 11. Harry Bonnetheau's house stood at the cor- ner of Market and Bay. It was full of bric-a-brac ACRES OF A8HES. and valuable books — he was an enthusiastic col- lector of China. He remained in his house with- out making an effort to save anything, because at first he could not think the fire would reach him, and afterwards he could not find a wagon. Across the street and an open lot was the river and escape seemed so easy, to the boatyard or the wharf. A friend fleeing from the wrecks of the county buildings called to him, ''Come, Harry; you have no time to stay!" He took his hat calmly and said, 'It seems to be time to go," and walked out as if on an ordinary errand. He reached his friend, haltingly, for he was lamed by rheumatism, and then turned to say, "I cannot leave my moth- er's picture; it is the only one we have." "But you must not go," for the hotel at their side was now on fire. "I must go," said Bonnetheau, and went into the house. The picture was found care- fully placed against an oak tree at the boatyard. Some survivors of the Market wharf horror say Harry Bonnetheau was among them to the last. But his body came from the river, the hands burned and the face disfigured. The loving heart was still that left diamonds and beautiful shapes more precious to him, but would not leave his mother's picture to the flames. May Bonnetheau rest in peace; he showed a ACRES OF A8HE8. loving heart and pitiful soul to all that suffered while he lived. HOW HELP WAS DISTRIBUTED* As soon as it was apparent that the fire would be stopped at the foot of Laura street and a rem- nant of twelve blocks be saved to the city the effects of the Times-Union and Citizen were re- called to the Astor building and preparations be- gan to get out the paper in time to meet the mails. Into the editorial rooms then came Capt. C. E. Garner, president of the Board of Trade, and Hon. J. S. Stripling, United States attorney for the fed- eral district, and asked that a meeting of mem- bers of the Board, in which all citizens were asked to participate, be called to convene next morning at ID o'clock in the federal court room of the gov- ernment building to systematize measures for the relief of the needy and suffering. Such notice ap- peared next morning with editorial endorsement urging a full attendance. A meeting of municipal ofiQcials was also called which convened in the Astor block. At the Board meeting Captain Garner spoke feehngly of the calamity and urgently of the im- ACREB OF ASHES. mediate necessity of providing for the needy and appealing for help before the suffering became in- tolerable. Bishop Weed suggested that measures be taken to secure concert of action between the two meetings sitting simultaneously and joint ac- tion taken for the distribution of money and sup- plies. This view was at once adopted. A commission of six to correspond with the general government and the public as to the needs of the distressed people of our city was appointed, consisting of Governor W. S. Jennings, Senator J. P. Taliaferro and Messrs. W. W. Cummer and E- C. Long. The colored people were invited to appoint an auxiliary committee to act with others. The con- tribution of $5,000 from Mr. H. M. Flagler was reported; Mr. Harry Mason gave $250, with the use of his rooms in the old Everett Hotel, and the list swelled with the names of our most prominent citizens so that a total of $15,000 was promptly reached. Henceforth there was unity of action and a fair distribution of labor among all the bodies seeking a common object — system replaced that spon- taneous help which had before been the universal rule. Ladies were asked by Mayor Bowden to look ACFES OF ASHES, Up all the cases too feeble to reach the stations ap- pointed for the rehef of the several districts and a number of these immediately responded, so that the private vehicles which remained to our peo- ple were speedily tO' be seen going in all directions with baskets of food and articles of clothing. Much suffering was prevented in this way. The Knights of Pythias met and appointed the following committee to act for them in the rehef of distress: W. C. West, E. E. Willard, J. T. O'Quinn, Edward WiUiams, C. C. Root and J. C. Turner. The Elks met in the government building, sub- scribed $i,ooo to the rehef fund and decided to rebuild their home. The I. O. O. F. gave out for pubHcation the notice that all members of the fraternity or their famihes in need should apply to Postmaster Den- nis Eagan. Practically, however, all these bodies were merged into the Citizens' Relief Association, for no questions were asked where need was found. At a meeting of that body held on Monday at the Everett House wtih Mayor Bowden in the chair, the following ladies were appointed a committee to assist in the distribution of supplies : Mrs. G. M. Washington, Mrs. Guy R. Pride, Mrs. Lock- ACRES OF ASHES. ett, Mrs. D. A. Cook, Mrs. H. Green, Miss Eva Sanderson, Mrs. Dennis Eagan and Mrs. W. W. Summers. The president of the Relief Association is Capt. C. E. Garner, whose office is in the Everett Hotel building. The executive committee meets at lo o'clock every morning in the office of President Garner. Executive Committee — C. E. Garner, chair- man; J. R. Parrott, J. E. T. Bowden, J. C. L'En- gle, J. H. Durkee, J. E. Lee, W. A. Bours, Harry Mason, Bishop Edwin G. Weed, W. W. Cummer, Telfair Stockton, A. VV. Cockrell, Jr., Conrad Brickwedel, M. A. Dzialynski, Rev. W. J. Kenny. W. C. West is the secretary of the Executive Committee, and his office is in the same room. C. H. Smith is corresponding secretary of the Relief Association, and is also secretary of the Board of Trade, and his office is also in the same room. J. R. Parrott is chairman of the Commissary Department, and W. N. Stockton is superintend- ent for Mr. Parrott, and the office of the depart- ment is in the office of the Florida East Coast Rail- way city ticket office on West Bay street. Perhaps the duties assigned to different relief committees is best seen in the following report of ACRES OF ASHES. the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Relief Association held Monday afternoon and published by the Times-Union and Citizen in the Tuesday morning's issue : President C. E. Garner occupied the chair and W. C. West was appointed permanent assistant secretary. Before the meeting opened Mrs. W. W. Cum- mer and Mrs. Dennis Eagan appeared before the board with relation to establishing a relief station which could be put in the charge of the ladies' committee appointed yesterday. Mrs. Eagan stat- ed to the Executive Committee that there were many ladies who were in destitute circumstances who could not go to the general relief station and who would starve and suffer before making known their wants. It was decided by the committee to establish a commissary for white ladies only, in charge of the ladies' committee. The commissary will be in a tent in the lot next to the Duval Hotel ten- dered by Mr. Cullens. The tent to be erected this morning. Telfair Stockton was appointed a committee of one to employ stenographers, bookkeepers and other employes to keep records. Mayor Bowden stated on behalf of the city that ACRES OF ABEES. he had assurances that water would be put into the camps. Mr. Bours then explamed that the committee on lodging had decided to establish camps of about 100 tents in different sections, and asked that com- missary accommodations be made. J. R. Parrott was elected chairman of the com- mittee to establish as man}^ commissary stations as might be necessary, to distribute the supplies, and he appointed W. Stockton to be in charge of the warehouses and supplies and supervise the sending out of rations to the relief stations each day. Rev. Father Kenny was appointed chairman in charge of the bureau of information. The headquarters of Father Kenney will be in a tent behind the Duval Hotel. Telfair Stockton was appointed chairman in charge of the employment bureau, to work in con- junction with the Board of Public Works, and he also will have his ofifice at the headquarters which commencing today will be in thejot behind the Duval Hotel. Chairman Bours of the committee on lodging reported that he had ordered a thousand spades and shovels for the use of the men who were to assist in cleaning up the city. ACRES OF ASHES. A. W. Cockrell was appointed chairman of the sanitary committee, and J. E. T. Bowden was ap- pointed chairman of the committee on transpor- tation. A resolution adopted was as follows: "Idle men cannot stay in the city and be fed. The motto of the relief bureau is no work, no food. The militia is requested to make the vicious and idle, without regard to color, leave the city." A report was handed in by the colored relief association which has organized with the follow- ing officers: J. H. Blodgett, president; J. Dug- las Wetmore, first vice-president ; E. J. Gregg, sec- ond vice-president; C. C. Manigault, secretary. Rev. James Johnson, treasurer. '^ An executive committee comprising Messrs. Wetmore, Gregg, Dickens, Ferguson and Alexander was appointed. This report was referred to the chairman of employment committee to assist him in employing labor, and also to see that only deserving colored people received aid. A bureau of information, with Mr. I. L. Harris in charge, was organized under the Very Rev. Father Kenny, to which all suspicious or fraudu- lent claims might be referred and decided. Here the claimant had his present address registered and his former residence; investigation then ACRES OF A8HEI:i. proved whether he had suffered from the fire and had made true report. The stations at which rehef was given out were distributed to secure the greatest possible conven- ience to those in need, located as follows : Station No. i — Riverside avenue. Station No. 2 — Corner Myrtle avenue and Adams street. Station No. 3 — The water works. Station No. 4 — Florida avenue. Station No. 5 — South Jacksonville. Station No. 6 — Hemming Park. Station No. 7 — Corner of Cedar and Adams streets. Station No. 8 — Corner Julia and Eagle. Station No. 9 — 415 West Church street. The following account of the relief given on Monday appeared in the Times-Union and Citizen of Tuesday: At the relief stations yesterday the committees were kept busy all day long and almost 3,000 peo- ple were supplied at the white station and almost 3,500 at the colored station. There is not a sin- gle case of suffering for w^ant of food known to the committees, and the work has been systematized rapidly and in good and efficient shape. There was receied at the Everett block station ACRES OF ASSES. yesterday nine barrels of bread, two boxes of bread and two boxes of sausages from St. Augustine. There also came b}^ express from a source un- known to the committee eight sacks of potatoes, two barrels of cabbage, one sack of cabbage and one box of cabbage and one box of tomatoes. Notice was received that ten cars of supplies would reach the city from Charleston during the day, and Committeeman Will Stockton has estab- lished headquarters in the warehouse at the depot for the storage of the supplies. Another carload of supplies was also received from Atlanta last night, which was cared for at the same place. Everything is running smoothly at the com- missaries and no trouble has been reported. It were well to leave the work of relief here. The whole continent had contributed the mate- rials — rich and poor, neighbors and friends and strangers. Such chapters in the history of the American people will remain to do them the high- est honor. The people of Jacksonville had com- ported themselves helpfully and in a Christian spirit in the hour of trial, some with the highest heroism, but all as they had opportunity to serve •each other. Then came the organization and henceforth it was a business system that worked with the monotony of a machine, but with its un- ACRB^ or ASHES. failing regularity also, for, governing all its mo- tions, was the brain power drilled to handle great volumes of business and entirely devoted to the work in hand. There was to be no more suffering and Jack- sonville soon walked strongly forward to its ap- pointed future. DIRECTORY OF RELIEF WORK- While the flames that devoured the city were still flashing, before midnight indeed, the work of relief began. For several days help was afforded at a venture and there were cases of imposition and fraud. But every citizen whose services were felt to be especially valuable freely dropped his own business to serve the public and the best skill and energies of our people were speedily placed where they could do the most. The result was that or- ganization was soon effected, the frauds were spot- ted through the information bureau and even the commissary department worked with a smooth- ness that wasted nothing and left none deserving to suffer. The names of those who did such work should remain with us and this slight sketch of the organization, taken from the directory of the ACRES OF A8HE8. Times-Union and Citzen, will possibly afford a les- son to another city in such an extremity: Jacksonville Relief Association Officers — C. E. Garner, president ; J. R. Parrott, vice-president ; C. H. Smith, secretary; A. M. Ives, treasurer. Executive Committee — C. E. Garner, chair- man; W. C. West, secretary; J. R. Parrott, J. E. T. Bowden, J. C. L'Engle, J. H. Durkee, J. E. Lee, W. A. Bours, Harry Mason, Bishop Edwin G. Weed, W. W. Cummer, Telfair Stockton, A. W. Cockrell, Jr., Conrad Brickwedel, M. A. Dzialyn- ski. Rev. W. J. Kenny. Finance Committee — Charles Benedict, J. P. Talaiferro, B. F. Dillon, J. N. C. Stockton, B. H. Barnett. Headquarters over McNearney store, foot of Laura street. Commissary Departm.ent — J. R. Parrott, chair- man; W. N. Stockton, superintendent; T. T. Stockton, auditor. Headquarters Florida East Coast Railway city ticket office. Commissaries are located as follows : No. I, Riverside — Located on Riverside ave- nue on the vacant lot two blocks from the viaduct. Two tents, in charge of G. P. Hall. No. 2, La Villa — Located on the corner of Adams street and Myrtle avenue on a vacant lot. Two tents, in charge of L. F. Drysdale. AVJttElS OF A8HES. No. 3, Springfield — Located at the water works. Two tents, in charge of J. W. White. No. 4, East Jacksonville — Located on the va- cant lot opposite the Episcopal church. Two tents, in charge of W. B. Watson. No. 5, South Jacksonville — Located at the South Side Grocery, in charge of Fred Schulen- berg. No. 6, Ladies' ReHef — Located in tents in Hemming Park, in charge of Mrs. W. W. Cum- mer. No. 7, Jacksonville proper — Located at corner Cedar and Adams streets, in charge of Tom Tur- ner. No. 8, Woman's Colored Relief — Located at 915 West Church street, in charge of Mrs. L. B. Robinson. No. 9 — Located at the corner of Eagle and Union streets. Committee on Labor — Telfair Stockton, chair- man. Headquarters behind Duval Hotel, in tent. Committee on Informatoin — Rev. F. J. Kenny, chairman. Headquarters behind Duval Hotel, in tent. Committee on Tents — W. A. Bours, chairman. Headquarters in tent behind Duval Hotel. Committee on Transportation — Mayor Bow- AORES OF ASHES. den, chairman. Headquarters Southern Railway ticket office. Committee on Sanitation — A. W. Cockrell, chairman. Headquarters over McNeamey's wholesale store, foot of Laura street. ^ Woman's Relief Corps — Chairman, Mrs. Den- nis Eagan; secretary, Mrs. G. M. Washington; Mrs. Guy R. Pride, Mrs. Lockett, Mrs. D. A. Cook, Mrs. H. Green, Miss Eva Sanderson and Mrs. W. W. Sumner. Headquarters in tents in Hemming Park. Woman's Relief Corps, Information Bureau — Mrs. Bogart, chairman clothing department; Miss Hedrick, chairman commissary department; Mrs. Pepperday, chairman. Hospital Department — Mrs. Dr. Reichard. Headquarters of all in Hem- ming Park. Masonic Relief Committee^ — Dr. C. W. John- son, chairman; W. P. Webster, secretary and treasurer. Headquarters Masonic Temple, Bridge street. Woodmen of the World Relief Committee — H. H. Simmons, chairman. Headquarters, H. H. Simmons' office, Cleaveland's furniture store. Knights of Pythias Relief Committee — The re- lief committee of the Order of Knights of Pythias have their headquarters on the third floor of Cas- ACRES OF A8HE8. tic Hall building. The committee meets daily at 9 a. m. and the rooms are open from 9 a. m. until 5 P- m. MILITARY RULE IN JACKSONVILLE- During the eventful Friday night following the fire the three Jacksonville companies of State troops, the Rifles, the Light Infantry and Wilson's Battery, were under arms and stationed through- out the city to guard life and property. Early the next morning the Gem City Guards arrived from Palatka under Captain Davis and remained on duty till Monday, when they went home. Other companies of the State troops arrived as soon as the lines of road could bring them, while others were ordered out as the need was more fully appreciated. On Saturday morning the Governor declared martial law by proclamation and the military sit- uation remained unchanged for many days. The ofificial roster was then as follows : C. P. Lovell, Colonel Commanding. F. A. Ross, Captain and Adjutant. F. J. Howatt, Captain and Quartermaster. ACRES OF ASHES. Lee M^cDonell, Lieutenant and Acting Ord- nance Officer. J. S. Maxwell, Major and Provost Marshal. A. G. Hartridge, Captain and Assistant Pro- vost Marshal, acting as Trial Judge for Military offenses. C. B. Parkhill, Captain and Assistant Provost Marshal, acting as Trial Judge for Civil offenses. C. A. Dunham, Major and Surgeon. Dr. Philbrick, Lieutenant and Assistant Sur- geon. Company A, First Regiment — Capt. A. G. Hartridge, ist. Lieut. B. B. MacDonell, 2nd Lieut. Charles Tucker ; 60 men present. Company C, First Regiment — Capt. A. B. Small, 1st Lieut. C. B. Smith, 2nd Lieut. J. T. Bush ; 34 men present. Company D, First Regiment — Capt. Geo. Lew- is, 1st. Lieut. W. H. Markham, 2nd Lieut. G. T. Gibbs; 32 men present. Company E, First Regiment — Capt. W. H. Lyle, 1st Lieut. A. W. Lewis, 2nd Lieut. E, M. Bynum; 34 men present. Company F, First Regiment — Capt. William LeFils, 1st Lieut. W. A. Jones, 2nd Lieut. Geo. L. Dancy; 40 men present. ACRES OF ASHES. Company G, First Regiment — Capt. J. C. Fos- ter, 1st Lieut. H. M. Snow, 2nd Leiut. G. W. Snow ; 29 men present. Company H, First Regiment — Capt. W. H. Cox, 1st Lieut. J. Kinarth, 2nd Leiut. H. Helven- ston ; 40 men present. Company K, First Regiment — Capt. C. B. Parkhill, ist Lieut. Martin Griffin, 2nd Lieut. R. L. Nickelson; 58 men present. Company C, Second Regiment — Capt. B. C. Aberneth}^, ist Leiut. H. C. Robertson, 2nd Lieut. R. H. Hudson; 37 men present. Company E, Second Regiment — Capt. J. R. Davis, 1st Lieut. John D. Alderman, 2nd Lieut. Tate Powell ; 30 men present. Company H, Second Regiment — Capt. Geo. M. Lynch, ist Lieut. Phillip Miller, 2nd Lieut. C. R. Layton; 41 men present. Wilson's Eatery A— Capt. C. B. Duffy; Maj. J. Gumbinger, commanding; 42 men present. In addition to these there was a detachment of marines from the revenue cutters Forward and Hamilton, under command of Lieut. Boskcrck. ACRES OF ASHES. ESTIMATE OF PROPERTY LOSSES. The following estimates do not cover the en- tire losses, as it is impossible to fix the values on thousands of little things, and losses to individuals who were in the city, at boarding houses or ho- tels, and not otherwise identified with the city's population. The entire losses, it is conservatively estimated, will approximate $15,000,000. FORSYTH STREET. Cleaveland Block $ 30,000 Clark Block 5,000 Livingston Block 10,000 Hubbard Block 40,000 Livingston Block 25,000 Reed Block 15,000 Hubbard Block 50,000 Spratt Block 10,000 Jacksonville Fire Dep't. 2,000 Thebaut Block 10,000 City Jail Block 15,000 McMurray Block 15,000 Morrison Block 3,000 Bisbee Block 16,000 Law Exchange Block .. 25,000 Ely Block 18,000 Clark Block 7,000 Hudnell Block 25,000 Wilmarth Block 8,000 Seminole Block 30,000 Metropolis Block 30,000 Smith Block 20,000 Total MAIN Byrne Block. STREET. .$ 405,000 Porter Block Board of Trade Block 35,000 10,000 20,000 Fire Department Block. Emery Block Placide Hotel Block... Simms Block Henderson Block .. .. Emery Block Doctor Daniel's Block Aird Block McMurray Block Baya Block Lancaster Block Gas Works Block Brickv^edel Block Jones Block Ivers Block Grunthal Block , Jones' Hall Block Spratt Block Total. RESIDENCES. Senator J. P. Taliaferro W, S. Ware J. R. Parrott T. V. Porter A. W. Cockrell R. B. Archibald J. N. Stripling Dr. H. Bacon 15,000 30,000 25.000 15,000 15,000 20,000 8,000 6,500 10,000 15,000 ■^ m 45,b00 7,500 r,5oo 3,000 7,500 10,000 4,000 309,000 30,000 30,000 17,000 15,000 6,500 5,000 4,000 4,600 ACRES OF ASHES. Dr. R. H. Dean 4,500 L. Haynes 4,500 ^ McLaughlin 6,000 D. G. Ambler 6,000 C. S. Stansdl 17,000 A. Meigs 20,000 H. W. Clark Estate.. .. 6,000 E. A. Champlain 7,000 W. B. Watson 4,000 T. W. Roby 4,000 W. B. Drew 6,000 Mrs. C. L. Robinson ... 5,000 W. A. MacDuff 8,000 W. D, Vinzant 5,000 W. G. Toomer 5,000 J. D. Witchen 7,000 J. P. Beckwith 6,500 C. W. Wilson 5,000 H. Bisbee 12,000 B. M. Baer 8,000 E. B. Dalton 6,500 Mrs. Coffin 6,000 L. Furchgott 20,000 A. S. Fairhead 7,000 S. B. Darnell 5,000 L. N. Wilkie 8,000 W. H. Itjen 8,000 G. R. Foster 5,000 H. G. Aird 3,500 Mrs. Tibbetts 7,000 M. S. Pollak 12,000 Mike Sabel 6,500 Joe Sabel 6,500 G. L. McConihe 5,000 Mrs. McQuaid Estate.... 7,500 R. G. Ross 12,000 Dr. E, Sabel 5,000 Dr. C. Drew 5,000 D .U. Fletcher 5,000 Doctor Spratt 7,000 Mrs. Rivas 6,000 Mrs. Christopher 8,000 C. C. Robertson 12,000 Doctor Liell 5,000 C. M. Fuller 7,000 Hy. Robinson 10,000 J. H. Durkee 10,000 W. B. Barnett 10,000 Doctor Stout 7,000 Mr. Harkisheimer 5,000 E. Vanderpool 7,000 J. S. Driggs 6,000 J. C. L'Engle 8,000 J. C. Cooper 7,000 C. M. Cooper 20,000 Dr. J. H. Livingston .. 5,000 P. Walter S.OOC S. Ritzwoller 10,000 Gov. F. P. Fleming.. .. 5,000 R. D. Knight 5,000 Mrs. L. I. Fleming.. .. 5,000 Mrs. C. M, S. Hallows.. 12,000 W .M. Davidson 8,000 J. Einig 8,000 S. B. Hubbard 12,000 Mrs. Hartridge 5,000 Judge Doggett 5,000 F. Bettelini 5,000 Mrs. J. Bettelini 5,000 J. B. Bours 5,000 W. A. Bours 8,000 C. C. Bettes 5,000 G. O. Holmes 5,000 C. B. Benedict 5,000 O. P. Knapp 5,000 Max Myerson 7,500 E. F. Smith 7,500 Mrs. J. F. Young .. .. 5,000 Mrs. H. A. L'Engle.... 5,000 William Byrne 6,000 T. Murphy 6,000 George E. Chase 5,000 C. D. Towers 5,000 J. R. Tysen 6,000 B. H. Barnett 8,000 Mrs. C. P. Cooper 6,0OQ ACRES OF ASHES. Mrs. E. I. Daniel 5,000 Mrs. John Clark. 7,500 J. Cohen 8,000 A. Zacharias 7,000 Mrs. D. P. Smith 5,000 Mrs. Burton 5,000 Mrs. Ochus 10,000 William Baya 5,000 Fifteen hundred other residences 2,000,000 Personal Effects 2,300,000 STOCKS. Commercial Bank $ 7,000 I. E. Baird 15,000 Green Engraving Co 2,000 S. F. Hall 10,000 H .E. Clark 15,000 Benedict, Pollak «& Co . . 60,000 Emery & Co 40,000 E. F. Clark 45,000 Charles Marvin Co 15,000 Shad Bros 15,000 Stafford & Ward 20,000 Florida Hardware Co... S0,000 State Bank of Florida.. 12,000 John C L'Engle 15,000 W. B. DeWitt 2,000 W. A. Bours 15,000 Carder & Campbell.. .. 5,000 Hooker & Lightbody .. 3,000 National Bank State o-f Florida 10,000 Petting & Reichard .... 15,000 Lewis H. Reiley 10,000 Christie-Groover Drug Co 30,000 John G. Christopher.. .. 25,000 George E. Chase 35,000 Gus Muller 25,000 Iseman-Clausen Co.. .. 20,000 John Zahm 7,000 John McAllister 7,000 Merrill-Stevens Eng. Co. 50,000 T. Murphy 25,000 Hotel Bristol 7,dOC Thomas Clarke 15,000 H. P. Fridenberg .. .. 10,000 Mrs. Coffin 10,000 H. & W. B. Drew Co.. 75,000 Cohen Bros 60,000 Montgomery 3,000 J. D. Home 15,003 W. T. Simmons 12,000 Atlantic Pacific Tea Co. 7,000 W. G. Clarke Co 10,000 Furchgott 150,000 J. C. L'Engle 10,000 Marvin Shoe Store 25,000 Kress & Co 15,000 R. D. Knight Co 20,000 Greenleaf & Crosby Co.. 50,000 Hughes Drug Co 6,000 Fries Drug Store 6,000 First National Bank.... 10,000 F. Williams, Sons & Co. 20,000 C. C. Bettes 10,000 S. B. Hubbard Co 150,000 Metropolis 15,000 A. B. Campbell Co.. .. 25.000 Knabe Piano Co 7,000 A. F. Land 3,000 McCastle 3,000 East Florida Printing Co 25,000 William Clarke 7.,500 E. E. Cleaveland 30,000 C. A. Clark 10,000 J. R. Porter 15,000 Johnson Law Co 7,000 Dignan & O'Brien 7,000 J. D. Grether 7,000 William Byrne 20,000 C. Tyler 3,0'jO F. A. Chapman 5,000 George W. Clark 10,000 Clark & Burns 7,000 ACRES OF ASHES. R. Grunthal W. F. Seeba Placide Hotel F. A. Pellerin Vail Carriage Works.... S. Genovar F. D. Genovar Law Exchange Miekleman & Co Smith Laundry Richardson Laundry. . . . Rhodes Furniture Co . . About 200 other smaller stores and business houses 5,000 7,000 15,000 15,000 20,000 3,000 10,000 30,000 7,000 15,000 15,000 10,000 550,000 Total $ 2,180,000 SOUTH SIDE BAY STREET. Business Blocks. Hazeltine Block and Docks $ 50,000 Holmes Block and Docks 45,000 Baya & McQuaid Block and Docks 35,000 McConihe Block and Docks 50,000 Able Block and Docks.. 30,000 Benedict Block and Docks 30.000 Holmes Block and Docks 35,000 Boatwick Block and Docks 35,000 Fitzgerald Block 7,000 Rivas Block 7,000 Basnett Block and Docks 75,000 Reed Block and Docks.. 20,000 Baird Block and Docks. 15,000 Gaskins Block and Docks 15,000 Hartridge Block and Docks 15,000 Bettelini Block and Docks 12,000 Herkimer Block and Docks 30,000 Durkee Block and Dacks 40,000 Mohawk Block and Docks 75,000 Jacksonville Yacht Club 4,000 Gardner boatyard 8,000 Myer and Muller Block and Wharf 40,000 Walsh Block 7,000 Bristol Hotel Block and Wharf 30,000 Christopher Block and Wharf 20,000 A., V. & W. Ry. Block and Wharf 40,000 A., V. & W. Depot Block and Wharf .. .. 50,000 Tacksonville Marine Rail- way Block and Wharf. . 10,000 T. Murphy's Block and Wharf 15,000 Merrill-Stevens Block and Wharf 35,000 Alsop Block and Wharf 5,000 Business houses scattered 150,000 Total $ 1,030,000 NORTH SIDE BAY STREET. Bisbee Block $ 15,000 Witschen Block 15,000 Gardner Block 100,000 Holmes Block 20,000 Baldwin Block 50,000 L'Engle Block 20,000 Rivas Block 15,000 Bettelini Block 15,000 Reed Block 40,000 ACRES OF ASHES. First National Bank Block 20,000 Holmes Block - 30,000 Togni Block 15,000 Morrison Block 10,000 Holmes Block 5,000 Broward Block 8,000 Baya Block 12,000 Gonzales Block 12,000 Morrison Block 25,000 United States Hotel Block 60,000 Total 495,000 PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Afro. Presb. Church.... $ 7,000 St. Philp's Church.. .. 4,000 African M. E. Church Coopman Institute (col ored) 20,000 Negro High School.. .. 7,000 Grammar White School 10,000 Duval White High School 10,000 County Jail 35,000 Froebel Academy 3,000 Massey Business College 5,000 Arlington Hotel 10,000 Glenwood Hotel 3,000 Operahouse 40,000 Elk Club 20,000 Jacksonville Telephone Company 35,000 Windsor Hotel 75,000 Southern Bell Tel. Co.. 35,000 St. James Hotel 125,000 Oxford Hotel 20,000 Nooney Hotel 20,000 Baptist Church 15,000 Congregational Church . 10,000 Synagogue Church 15,000 Christian Church 3,000 German Luther, Church 3,000 C. C. Church 5,000 McTyeir© Mem. Church 45,000 Bethel Baptist Church.. 20,000 African Meth. Church.. 20,000 Catholic Church and buildings.... 75,000 Convent buildings.. 35,000 Trinity Meth. Church 25,000 St. John's Church 75,000 Southern Preb. Church 5,000 City Building 115,000 Clerk's office 10,000 Courthouse 80,000 Armory 40,000 Total $ 1,088,000 THE TOTAL LOSS. Public Buildings $ 1,088,000 Stores north side Bay street 495,000 Stores south side Bay street 880,000 Stores Forsyth street.... 405,000 Stores Main street 309,000 Residences prominent . . 785,000 Residences, 1,500 small.. 2,000,000 Residences personal ef- fects 2,300,000 Stores, stocks of goods 1,630,000 Stores, 200 smaller.. .. 550,000 Street Railways 30,000 Pavements 100,000 Aggregate $10,565,000 The Metropolis FLORIDA'S GREAT Evening Newspaper SWORN CIRCULATION OF 6000 DAILY Although the plant of the Metropolis was destroyed by the big Jacksonville fire of May 3, this newspaper has ordered a magnificent new outfit and will soon be equipped better than ever. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: $5.00 per year $2.50 per six months. $1.25 per 3 months. 45 cts. per month. Advertising rates upon application. W. R. CARTER, Editor. R. A. RUSSELL, Business Manager. The Geo. W. Clark Co. Before and After Fire. This cut represents the home office of The Geo W. Clark Co. previous to the great tire on May the 3rd, 190 The Geo W. Clark Co are large manufacturers of ar- tistic monuments, and other ceme- tery work in marble and granite They have an office at Hard- wick, Vt , from which point they make shipments of their goods to all parts of the United States. They also deal extensively in Avood mantels, grates and tiling. They had a tine establishment in this city, and were doing a large business, shipping monumental work from here to California, Ne- vada, Arizona and other western states They have agents in every state in the union. Although the V were heavv losers by the tire, they were the first firm to put up a new building and re-establish their business at the old stand. They are now advertising more extensively than ever for agents to sell their goods They are prepared to make prompt shipments of mantels, grates and tiling from factories at Kuoxville, Tenn., Louisville, Ky , and Zanesville, O. Since the fire they have gone extensively into the building material line, and expect to take an important part in the re-building of Jacksonville 'J-'his cut represents their temporary quarters, although they have made arrangements for a permanent brick block which will shortly be erected on the lot now occupied by their marble works. ' Florida's Great Daily ft Tis-iii il Ci ESTABLISHED 1863. ISSUED: Daily, Sunday and 5emi=WeekIy AT Jacksonville BY; The Florida Publishing Co. GEO. W. WILSON, President and^ditor. T. T. STOCKTON, Business Mgr., Sec'y and Treas. THE INDUSTRIAL BANK Is a great savings' medium. Save the climes aud the dollars will take care of them- selves' Jno, n. Stevens, Pres. W. A. MacDuff, Treas. GRAY, SMART & DAVIS, ARCHITECTS. Phone No. 828. NO. 15 SOUTH MAIN ST. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. WILSON d EDWARDS ARCHITECTS Jacksonvilkt Fla* Columbia, S« C* JACKSONVILLE BUILDERS' SUPPLY CO., 224 W. Bay St., Jacksonville, Fla. Building- and Prepared Brick, Roofing Slate, Tiles, Mantels, Lime, Cement, Plaster, etc. ncMILLAN BROS., Florida Copper Works, rSrsr-L^.. COPPERSMITHS AND GENERAL METAL WORKERS. The Fire Did Not Reach Us. Savannah, Ga* Jacksonville, Fla. Mobile, Ala. C R RIVERS & CO^ Brokers, Decorators and Builders' Supplies. Brick, Lime, Cement. — Hay, Grain and Provisions. P. O. Box 97. 112 W. Bay St. Grenville Temyle Snelling. CMPI f WH J^ PflTTPD 132 W. Forsyth St., Howard Nott Potter. Ol'^L,L*L,ll'^Vl a ru 1 1 Crl\, ggQ^ 9^ JaoXsonvlUe. Grenville Temple Snelling, A T? r^TTTT"Frr"TQ Jacksonville representative, -rirv^^ni 1 £L\^ ± o, III Fifth Avenue, New York. 132 W). Forsyth St. Room 9, JACKSONVILLE, FLA. THE C. C. ROBERTSON REAL ESTATE AGENCY Are back at the old stand N. W. Cor. Hogan and Ad- ams St. They made the first deal after the fire of $80,- 000 and are ready to save you. BURTON E. COE COMPANY GRAVEL ROOFING CONCRETE ASPHALT PAVING Estimates furnished on Contracts in all parts of State. Old Thone No. 574. Jacksonville Office and W'orks, Bay St. and Terminal Station. Tampa Office and Works, LaFayette St. and the Bridge C. W. PERKINS, Manager. THE DIEBOLD SAKE Was the winner in the Jacksonville Fire. JOHN S. FRANZ, Special Agent, JACKSONVILLE, KL.A, A. B. Qilkes, Alfred Rodd, ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS Uedemann Building JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Independent Line Steamers, DOUBLE DAILY SERVICE. St. Johns River, Manatee River, and Tampa Bav, Florida. U. S. MAIL. H. R. FULLER, C. E. GARNER. Gen. Frt. & Pass Agent, Prest. & Gen Mgr, Tampa, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. KNOWLES & HUBBLE, ' ARCHITECTS, 20 E. 42d St., New York City. Will maintain a branch office, 11 1 Forsyth St., for the trans- action of local business. J. C. HALSBMA, ^ BUILDER Plans and specifications furnished. Ofifice N. E. Cor. Hogan and Adams St. Old Phone No. 839. HOLMES & LAWTON, ARCHITECTS Rutledge Holmes. Chableston Libbabt Bldg., Charleston. S. C. St. J. Alison Lawton. C. B. RoGEEs Co. Bldg., Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Tla INSURANCE Office Nos. 5 & 7 Drew B'ldg. Telephone 639. Also Agents for the sale of ... . ATLANTIC BEACH LOTS. LBON BBA VBR, Architect, 1 20 W. Bay or Nat. Bank of Jacksonville JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Residence, Knoxville, Tenn. Wilson & Edwards, ARCHITECTS COLUMBIA, S. C. JACKSONVILLE, FLA. J. W. Qolucke & Company, Architects. M ain office jSTo. 412 Temple Court, Atlanta, Georgia. Branch offices Birming- ham, Alabama; Anniston, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida, We have had years of experience in planning all kinds of buildings, and can make you plans and specifications for any kind of a building, so that the cost will not exceed the amount you wish to expend. Address all communications to our Atlanta office. Yours truly, J. W. QOLUCKE & CO., Architects. THE QEO. W. CLARK CO., HARDWICK, VT. JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Iron Fencing and Wood Mantels. AGENTS WANTED in all parts of the United States. Write for terms and Catalogues. I CARDER ■ CAMPBELL CO. I SHACK NO. i; FOOT OF MAIN ST. I Jacksonville, Fla. I Asphalt Gravel Roofing I SOUTHERN SELLING AGENTS FOR Je AVarren's Anchor Brand, Asphalt Gravel Roofing. % National Paint Works, Structural and Technical Paints. ^ Cabot's shingle Stains and Deadening Quilts High Point Granite Works, Spartansburg, S. C. Ijythite Cold Water Paint. COAL TAR PRODUCTS, SHEATHING AND BUILDING PAPERS. 9i Building Stone, Crushed Stone, Curb Belgium Block, Cross Walk, Sills, Lintels and Steps. Asphalt Paving. I t t t I R. J RIL-ES Railroad Watches A Specialty Wutch inspector for Plant Sys- tem arid Jacksonville A: South Western Diamonds Silver and Silver Plated ware. Opticial Q^Jt j Graduated Opticiiiu from one ? of the leadinjj; schools of N. Y. 225 W. Bay St. Jacksonville, Fla. /T Ube ^ Duval Hotel The Popular Commercial Hotel of the City Jacheonville, ]flon&a CENTRALLY LOCATED. OPEN THE YEAR ROUND. OPPOSITE R O. MODERN EQUIPMENT.^ IRatee lllncbangeb wP^*5U DAY B. W. SPERRY, Proprietor.