, 1885-11-14
IN ASHES.
Galveston Swept With a Bosom
of Blazes.
Residence Portion of the City
Destroyed.
The Losses Said to Aggregate
$2,500,000.
IN ASHES.
Great Fire in Galveston.

JAM EoAbNi leAsi NoN.s 10. AZ lsfR
O'Clock this morning the most destructiv,
fire in the history of Galveston broke GU.
in a small foundry and car repairing shoI
on North Side avenue, known as III,
Strand, between Sixteenth and Seven.
teenth streets. A fierce gale from the
north was blowing at the time, and the
flames spread with lightning rapidity to
both adjoining buildings, one being a gro.
Gerry store, the other a humble dwelling.
In a twinkling the long fiery tongues had
crossed the street and two more dwellings
were in flames, the inmates barely escap-
ing with their lives. AT this the
fire department got two streams going,
but they were of no avail. The heat be-
can't so intense that the fremen had to
abandon their positions, and the wind
arose and carried myriads Of sparks to the
premises OF East avenue. A general
alarm was sounded. In half an hour two
blocks were burning fercely, and by 3
o'clock it was seen that a great conflagra-
ton was upon the city. The people for
squares around on either side of the burn
ing blocks became panic stricken, and the
piercing cries of frightened women could
be heard above the hoarse din of the fire
and mournful wind. At $3.50 the fire had
leaped three blocks distant from its start
ing point, but in a perfectly straight line,
being confined to blocks bounded by Six
tenth and Seventeenth streets.
About 4 O'Clock the fire began to spread
to the east and to the west of Sixteenth
and Seventeenth streets and rose to a gale
and pandemonium reigned. For a time
it seemed as though the entire eastern
half of the city was doomed. The fire
spread rapidly to the southwark, licking
up blocks of elegant residences, hastily
abandoned by their inmates. BY 3 O'Clock
it had reached Broadway, which threads
the center of the island running east and
west At 7 O'Clock the wind gave signs
of dying away, and shortly it began to
shift, then to decrease until, by s O'Clock,
only a fair breeze was blowing. But by
this time the fire had eaten its way to the
avenue, where, at $50 o'clock it seemed
to exhaust itself. and the fremen coming
up checked its further ravages at this
point, or within two blocks of the gull.
The burned district includes the wealth
lest and most fashionable portion of the
city. One hundred elegantly furnished
mansions are in ruins Many of these
residences had beautiful gardens attached
and the monied loss does not represent
over half their value. All manner Of esti-
mates are to be heard at this time. The
city assessor says the taxable value OF the
dwellings burned is 1856, 900; this makes
the actual value of the property 81 800
600, which perhaps represents the loss in
money. The insurance is estimated at
5000 900, although some insurance men
who have walked over the district place
the sum at $500, 900.
So far as can be learned not a single
accident occurred. The scene during the
progress of the fire was simply frightful,
so filed with misery and terror that who
ever witnessed it must bear its vivid i'm
press for a life time.
The hotels are filled with homeless peo-
pie. and a citizens committee is now at
work a%pportioning families to rooms and
premises vacated for their use. Every
vehicle in the city is at work carrying the
strewn furniture, bedding and pictures to
secure places. Thousands of people now
haunt the burned district looking among
the smoking ruins for valuable keepsakes
or iewelry, hoping to find something left.
Business is entirely suspended. The cal
amity Is so great that men choke with
tears in speaking Of it. Some scores Of
sick people were hurriedly removed dur
ing the conHagration, and many people
are Frustrated by the terrible excitement,
A meeting OF citizens is now in progress
at the Cotton exchange to provide imme-
d;ato rol;ef f,r tba pooror Victims Fol
- L. 90 ,ha hoals IS ,ho nroa,
49, ,rhiob ;na;otod , mor;od Lass on
49, kus,aoss man ~ Calros,on 81 I'M,
ooo 900 ,hio ooIon,i,r L . oErov :,
~ al sorrous or ,bo o;,;,ons 81
AZ. 49,. VIII ,ho ovoon,io, 90 bale .
dozen grocery stores and the car repairing
49,. H. h ero s,ar,o1 No rl,cs,
90 - 49, dos,rorod Tolonroms
- - al IT, g ala ,ro lid,
nonr;na in from sister cities in Twas
Aoonra,o cbar,s or Tho burnt d;str;c