The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-14
GALVESTON BADLY R N
Destruction of One Hundred
Acres of Buildings.
I'M ENSE LOSSEs
Hundreds of Buildings in the Ruins.
and Fully 50, 600, 900 Worth of
Property Destroyed.

GALVESTON, November ia destructive
fire broke out in this city at lao O'Clock
this morning. in a small foundry on the
north side of Strand avenue, near the cor
ner OF Eighteenth street. The entire fire
department turned out, but seemed unable
to accomplish anything, owing to the fierce
wind, which drove the sparks in perfect
clouds into their faces, nearly suffocatinp
them. For five squares south the fire WAS
confined to the width of one square. he.
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
but when it crossed Winnie street. six
squares from the starting point, it jumped
diagonally to the southeast into the next
block and gives evidence of consuming one
third Of the city.
At 1920 O'Clock the fire had reached the
beach about a mile and a half from the
starting point. The burned district ia six
or seven blocks wide.
About 4 O'Clock the fire began to spread
to the east and to the west of Sixteenth
and Seventeenth streets
THE WIND ROSE TO A GALE,
p~andemonium reigned. For a time 1T seemed
rs though the entire half of the eastern
part OF the city was doomed. The fire
spread rapidly to the southwark licking mp
blocks of elegant residences, hastily aban.
doned by their inmates. By s O'Clock it
had reached Broadway, which threads the
center Of the island, run ming east and west.
At Z { O'Clock the wind CAV signs of dying
away, and shortly it began to shift, then to
decrease until by 8 o'clock only a fair
breeze was blowing. But by this time the
fire had eaten it's way to Avenue o., where
at $50 o'clock it seemed to exhaust itself,
and the tremen coming up checked it's
further "a wages at this point, or within two
block Of the gull. The burned district covers
tifsy-two blocks, seven OF which are not
swept entirely clean. 1t is sixteen blocks
in depth, and averages u width of three
blocks. From the house-tops the smoking
burned district resembles n
HUGE, BLACK HALF-oPENED FAN,
living across the island from the bay, nearly
to the gulf. The island at that point is
nineteen blocks. or one mile and q quarter
wide. The fire started on the north side of
the avenue, better known as the Strand,
which is a block from the bay, and it stop
ped within two blocks OF the gulf. Sixteenth
street is nine blocks west Of the extreme in
habita bile portion OF the island. From Ave-
nue. A to Avenue ID the fire was confined to
the strip bounded on the east by Sixteenth
street and on the west by Seventeenth
street. The business part Of the city begins
at Twentieth street and runs west ten
blocks. This outline locates the fire which
began to spread rapidly afterit passed Ave-
nue. D. By the time it reached Avenue Y on
Broadway it was sweeping nearly three
blocks in width, from the west side OF Sew
enteenth street to the east side OF Four
tenth street. About 800 houses were
burned which were occupied by
FULLY 500
From Avenue A to Avenue E for four
squares the burned dwellings were occupied
almost entirely by the poorer classes. and
several families were in a single
house in this strip. From Avenue +, how
ever. the burned district includes the wealth.
lest and most fashionable portion of the
city. A hundred elegantly furnished man.
sions are in ruins Many OF these residences
have beautiful gardens attached, and the
monied loss does not represent hall their
value. All manner OF estimates are to be
heard at this time. The city assessor says
that the taxable value of the dwellings
burned is $65O,OOO. This makes the act
ual value OF the property 81 800, 600 which
perhaps represents the loss in money. Inc
insurance is estimated at 100000. al
though some of the insurance men who nave
walked over the district, place the insurance
at $500, 900. So far as a be learned
NOT A. SINGLE ACCIDENT
The scene during the progress OF the fire
was simply frightful, so filled with misery
and terror that whoever witnessed IL must
bear it's vivid impression Tor a iietllne.
TIL wind rose to a screaming gale IN the
vicinity OF the fire and swept through the
burning belt in terrific whirls, carrying mil,
ions OF live cinders high up in the air INC
raining them down a mile distant over the
wooden city and it's panic-stricken lnhabl-
tonts. The entire east end OF the city con-
tains scarcely a dozen brick dwellings; allls
~wood-Texas pine-and it burns with lnde-
scribable fury. Five minutes after 1ne
house had caught it would be wrapped IN
one mighty fame. Alleyways n streeis
for ten squares on either SIDE OF Ihe pei'
were filled with the bleached faces OF
LpL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Who could do nothing in such a gale put
crouch down for shelter and watch Ghe
flames lick up the fruits OF a lifetime. Inc
great majority OF those burned ou' loee La;r
better nortions of their fortunes or their
little ali. The loss in personal and house,
hold nropertv can never be ano
il not included in the previous stlmat
The hotels are filled with homeless peo'
pie.
CITIZENS COMMITTEE
Is now at work apportioning the familles
to rooms and premises vacated ~. .nnI
use. Every vehicle in the Guy ID az WIZ
carving a stream OF bedding, furniture ano
6xturas to secure places. Thousands o.
people haunt the burned district, iooklns
among the smoking ruins Tor VALUABLE
keen sakes or iewelry. hoping to lind some
thing left. Business is entirely suspe aSnI,
The calamity is SO great that men cnon'
with tears in speaking OF it. some sc 3'r
of sick people were hurriedly remo'eo Jul
ing the co~nfagration, and
MANY PEOPLE R PRosrRArED
. Gt see t is now in progress at the sotto o.
e..;hhs a to provide immediate relief 10 10
the poorer victims. Following close On NUN ,r
heels of the great strike which lnf1ct a mnn
led loss on the business men of Gaivest o.
of fully $4,000. 900, this alamiSy +hs cit
max to the woes and sorrows Oh -
zens of this city. ao,on orc
r "' storas and the car repairing foundrs