St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-14
LAID IN ASHES.
Ninety Blocks of the City of Galveston
Swept by Fire, the Wind Blowing
Gale.
Fifteen Hundred People Made Homeless
and Two Million Dollars Gone Up
In Smoke.
Contributions for the Afflicted People
Coming in Rapidly from the Ada
cent Cities.
Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars Raised
in Galveston for the Poor and
Suffering.
Scenes of Terror Everywhere--A
Graphic Account of the Terrible
Disaster.
Incinerated a City.
Special to the Globe.

GALVESTON, lex, Nov. 13.-From 1:4u
this morning until nearly O'Clock this aft
ernoon terrible fire swept the city. More
than 81. 600, 900 worth of property has been
consumed and 1500 families have been
made homeless. The fire swept clear across
the city from the north to its south side and
was only stopped by the gulf. The fire
started in a small foundry on the north side
of Strand street, near the corner of Sixteenth.
The flames spread rapidly under stiff
north breeze and the fire department at
once- realized that it would be difficult to
check the progress of the conflagratjon.
Immense clouds of sparks were blown in all
directions, and within an hour fifty dwell
ing houses were blazing. The fire spread
southwark and laid five squares in ashes.
In that distance it was confined to width
of one block, but when it crossed Winnie
street. six squares from the starting point,
it jumped diagOnally to the southeast into
the next block and consumed number of
the finest residences in the city. Seven
entire squares were mass of smoulderlng
ruins before the hara work of the fremen
began to tell. About o'clock the breeze
died out, and soon after the confiagration
was, it was believed, put under control.
An hour later, however, it was raging
MORE FIERCELY THAN EVER,
with the fire companies altogether demoral
lied. The flames kept on until the gulf
was reached. and until there was nothing
more in their course that they could exist
upon. Over ninety blocks were swept out
of existence The boundaries of disaster
are the gulf shore and the strip between
Sixteenth and Twenty-tirst streets. The
business section Of the city escaped, or the
money loss would have been heavier. 1t
was the fashionable and middle-class resi-
dence quarters of the town that suffered.
Owing to the mildneSs of the climate there
will be no suffering from cold. but all other
privatonS will be encountered. The scene
during the progress Of the fire was simply
frightful. The wind rose to a screaming
gale in the vicinity of the fire and swept
through the burning belt in terrific whirls,
carrying millions of live cinderS high up in
the air and raining them down a mile dis
tant over the wooden city and its panic
stricken inhabitants. The entire east end
of the city scarcely contains dozen brick
dwellings, All is wood, Texas pine and
it burns with an indescribable fury. Five
minutes after house had caught it was
wrapped in one mighty flame. The alley
ways and street squares on either side of
the burning belt were filled with blanched
faces of helpless men, women and children,
who could do nothing in such gale but
WATCH THE FLAMES
lick up the fruits of a lifetime. Some fam
lies saved good deal of their furniture
while others are left with only the clothes
on their backs. so confident were they the
fire would not reach them. As nearly as
can be estimated this evening. the loss to
insurance companies will reach $3.50, 600.
and the total loss $4,000, 900. All that re-
mains of the once beautiful and happy
homes are few standing chimneYS and a
number of half-burned trees and shrubs
AS the flames swept uncontrolled along be-
fore the gale, and policemen ran from house
to house in advance and aroused the sleep
ing occupants, giving them barely time to
save themselves and what clothing they
could hastily throw on. People thus
aroused several blocks in advance of the
flames could not be made to realize that
they were in imminent danger, and would
not attempt to remove their effects until it
was too late. A great many lost their
household effects after removing them to
what they considered safe places. In a
great number of instances the flames
CAME UPON THE PEOPLE
before they could release their horses and
dOgsA None of the business portion of the
city 4 burned and no government, city or
county buildings. A number of valuable
churches and schools have suffered greatly.
Relief committees have been formed and
the citizens have already subscribed $50, 600
for the relief of the sufferers. The relief
committees appointed at the citizens meet
ing this evening are actively engaged. In
addition to the above amount the city coun-
Gil has appropriated SIS, 900 from the gen.
eral fund for relief. They have also passed
the customary resolutions of thanks, etc.
At one time during the night the wind blew
with terrible force, which carried the flames
across the streets and vacant blocks. The
insurance men held a meeting tonight.
Those burned out in many instances lost
their insurance papers. kilograms OF con-
dolence are pouring in from all parts of the
country and many cities and towns through
out the country are offering aid. The Bal
timore & Ohio Telegraph company has
rendered the use of its lines free of
charge to the relief committee. There
are upwards of thousand of the families
homeless. Those who have homes are
sharing with the unfortunates. The total
loss to insurance companies is 81. 123, 655.
New York Underwriters agency, Home of
New York. Insurance Company of North
America, Western of Canada. City of Lon
don and Commercial Union of London suS-
tain the
HEAVIEST LOSSES.
Accurate charts of the burned districts were
completed this evening, showing that the
course of the fire was in a southeaSterly
direction. Beginning at the foot of Six
teenth street. on the Strand, the fire crossed
Avenues c, D and E. Here it worked its
way to the east half of the same block on
which stands the pOStotfice and United
States court. The flames threatened the
postoffice in the most aggressive manner
god the building was hastily cleared of mail
natter. and all valuable mail was placed
in the vaults. Fortunately the flames spared
the government building and passed on
ward toward the gulf. At Avenue I, the
fire fiend reveled in the most stylish man.
sions of the city. One of the first OF these
splendid houses to succumb was $40, OCO
house. then in rapid procession went the
houses of Julius Runge, Leon Blum, FL.
Fellman, George Selby, K. +. Georges
$50. 600 residence, Thomas Goggan's and
500 of lesser value. These names repre-
sent loss of $40, 900 to $4,000 each. but
ali are insured. The business portion OF
the city was not touched, but in the burnt
district were twenty-one groceries. saloons
and small stores. As the fire swept past
the county jail. rejecting
FEARFUL GLARE
and intense heat through the grated win
dows. the forty inmates became nearly
frantic with fear. They set up yell which
was heard for squares, above the awtu
oar of the terrible fire. On top OF ths