Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-11-20
A Great ConAagraiion.

Last Friday morning the city of Gal
weston, Texas, was swept by terrible
fire, and when the flames were stayed
one hundred acres of houses, or fifty
two blocks, were in ashes. Several mill
lion dollars worth of property was con-
sumed by the flames, and about four
hundred houses destroyed. A patrol
man, passing along Strand street about
half-past one o'clock in the morning,
noticed bright light in small iron
foundry near Sixteenth street. Closer
investigation showed that the rear OF
the foundry was in flames. An alarm
was quickly given, but that part of the
city was like a Undertook. All the
houses were wooden. In few minutes
the entire foundry building was blazing.
A strong gale was blowing from the
north, and house after house and block
followed block in the terrible work Of
destruction. The sky over the city was
of timbers. The entire fire department
went to work. but the firemcn were alb
solutely powerless to check the progress
of the ire. In three hours after the fire
started seven blocks of buildings had
been burned. People were compelled
to fly from their homes without even
saving their clothing. Women and
children in their light clothes ana bare
footed ran from their houses and wall
dered about until carried 70 places of
shelter. BY three o'clock all the people
in the city were out OH the streets or
carving out their furniture and cloth
ing from houses, as the entire city APP
peared doomed. The firemen became
panic-strcken, and could DO little or
nothing. Onward swept the fire. For
while no further effort was made to
check its furious pace, but all work was
directed to saving life and household
effects and valuables.
About four o'clock the fire began to
spread to the east and west Of Sixteenth
and Seventeenth streets, the wind rose
to a gale, and pandemonium reigned
For Il time it seemed as though the entire
eastern half of the city was doomed.
The fire spread rapidly to the southwark,
licking up the blocks of elegant resi-
denccs, hastily abandoned by their in
mates. At seven O'Clock the wind gave
signs of dying away, and shortly after
it began to shift, then to decrease, until
by eight o'clock only fair breeze was
blowing. But by this time the fire had
eaten its way to Avenue o, where, at
$50 O'Clock, it seemed to exhaust itself,
and the firemen coming up, checked its
further ravages at this point.
The burned district covers fifty.two
blocks, seven of which are not swept
entirely clean. 1t is sixteen blocks in
depth, and averages width of three
blocks. From the house top the
burned district resembles huge
black, halt-opened fan lying across the
island from the bay nearly to the Gulf.
The scene during the progress of the
fire was simply frightful-sO filled with
misery and terror that whoever wit
messed it must bear its vivid impress for
a lifetime. The wind rose to screaming
gale in the vicinity of the fire, and
swept through the burning belt in ter
rife whirls, carrying millions of live
cinGers high up in the air, and raining
them down a mile distant over the
wooden city and its panic-stricken in
habitants.
Some score of sick people were hur-
riedly removed during the conflagra-
tion, and many women are reported
Frustrated by the terrible excitement.
The insurance on the property de-
stroyed amounts to over $l,000,O 900, less
than one-half of the value of the prop
crty destroyed.