Smyrna times., 1885-11-18
The Extreme Danger from Fire.

ClOsely-built towns with wooden
houses are themselves an element of
danger and consequently anxiety to the
dWellers thereof at any time. but es-
pecially so when there is no adequate
provision to fight the fiery elements.
To such town water works become q
necessity to both peace of mind and
safety OF property. Where there is in
adequate means of protection the
greater an individuals amount of
property the greater the anxiety.
until 1t might well be conceived that
the rich would lie on an uneasy couch
whenever a blustery night prevails.
The experience of Galveston. Texas.
last week is an example of the extreme
possibilities that may happen to anv
clOsely-built, wooden town. The fire
broke out on Friday at Las P. NJ.
and lasted until $50 p. NJ, DESTROYING
iilty-twO blocks Of houses. burning 400
houses and rendering five hundred
families homeless. Loss, S2OOO.OOO
When the fire broke out the wind was
blowing at the rate of thirty miles an
hour but increased to sixty. The fol-
loving vivid description of the fearful
progress of the flames under the high
WIND IS thus given by the daily press
The fire broke out in small foundry
and car repairing shop A fierce gale from
the north was blowing at the time, and the
lanes spread with lightning rapidity to
both of the adjoining buildings. one being
a grocery store and the other n humble
dwelling. In twinking the long ferv
tongues had crossed the street and two
more dwellings were in flames, the inmates
q q ~ a. lfasnttn ia uHrTf 4. . l.
moment the fire department got two
streams Of water going, but they were of
n" avail. The heat became so intense that
the hre nen had To abandon their positions
ana the wind rose and carried mVriads Of
sparks to premises east of Avenue A. A
general fire alarm was sounded. In half
an hour two blocks were burning fercelv
ana by 3".clock every one saw that n great
contiagration was upon the CITY People
for squares around on either side of the
burning blocks became panic-stricken. and
the piercing cries of frightened women
could be heard above the hOarse din of the
hre and mournful wind. At $50 O'Clock
the fire had leaped three blocks from its
starting point, hut in a perfectly straight
me, oelng confined to the blocks bounded
Oy sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
About o clock the fire began to spread
To the east and west of Sixteenth and Seven
teenth streets the wind rose to n gale. and
pandemonium reigned For a time it
seemed as though the entire eastern half of
the city was doomed. The fire spread ram
idly to the southwark, licking up the blocks
OF elegant residences hastily abandoned bv
their inmates. By five O'Clock it had
reached Broadway, which threads the
centre of the island, running east and west
At I o'clock the wind gave signs of diving
away and shortly it began to shift, then to
decrease, until by 8 o'clock only fair
breeze was blowing. One hundred ele-
gantly-turnlshed mansions are in ruins.
. Inc scene during the progress of the
fire was simply frightful. The wind rose
to screaming gale in the vicinity of the
hre and swept through the burning belt in
terrible swlrls, carrying millions of live
clnders nigh up IN the air and raining them
down mile distant over the wooden citv
and its panic-strickened inhabitants The
entire east end of the city scarcely contains
n dozen brick dwellings. All is wood
Texas pine-and it burns with indescriba-
Die fury. Five minutes after house had
caught 1t would be wrapped in one mighty
lame, and the centre Of the burning nile
gave out white heat, while the flames ON
the edges were ftfully splitting high and far
on every side.
The hotels are filled with homeless peo-
pie Thousands OF people haunt the burnt
district looking among the smoking ruins
for valuable keepsakes OF jewerv. vaguely
hoping to find something left, but ali is as
bleak ard barren as the Desert of Sahara
Even the huge wooden water-tanks and
fences and sidewalks and telephone poles
are burned to white ashes"