Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-11-19
GALVESTON GUTTElJ
An Enormous C0nflagration il
Texas Metropolis.
Nearly $4,000 900 Worth Of Property
Burned.

A destructive fire broke out in the eastern
part OF Galveston, Texas on the morning oil
Nov Is, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth
streets. About4 o'clock the fire begans 10
spread to the east and 10 the west OF Sixteenth
and Seventeenth streets, the wind rose toe
gale and pandemonIum reigned. For a TIM
II seemed as though the entire eastern half OF
the city was doomed. The fire spread rapidly
to the southwark, licking up the blocks o
elegant residences hastily abandoned by Their
inmates. By O'Clock II had reached Broad
way, which treads the center of the island
running eat and west, and by o'clock the
fire had eaten its way to avenuesO, where at
0 o'clock II seemed to exhaust itsef an | the
firemen coming up checked further ravage at
this point, or within two blocks of the
gulf The burned district covers SO blocks,
seven of which are not swept entirely clean.
1t is is blocks in depth, and averages width
Of three blocks. From the housetops the
smoking burned district resembles huge blacN
half-opened fan lying across the island from
the bay nearly to the gulf. The Island at that
point Is 10 blocks, or one mile and a quarter
wide. The fire started on the north side OF
avenue A, better known as the strand. which
is one block from the bay, and ii stopped with
In two blocks Of the gulf. From avenue A to
avenue L, for four squares, the burned dwell
ings were occupied almost entirely by the
poorer classes, and several families were
crowded IN a single house In this strip. From
avenue G, however, the burned
district includes the wealthiest
the city One hundred elegantly furnished
mansions are In ruins. Many of these resi-
| dences had beautiful gardens attached, and the
moneyed loss does not represent over bali
their value. All manner OF estimates are to
be heard at this time. The city assessor says
the taxable value of the dwelling burned is
| S65o,00). his makes the actual value Of the
property Sl.500,000, which perhaps represents
| the loss in money. The insurance is esti.
mated at 100000 although some insurance
| men who have walked over the district place
the insurance at SsO0,000 So far as can: be
learned not a single accident occurred. The
scene during the progress Of the fire was
simply rightly frightful, so filled with misery
and terror that whoever witnessed 1t must
bear its vivid impress for lifetime. Tn,
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 Gin
ders high mp In the air and raining them down
| mile distant over the wooden city and its
panic striker inhab tants. The entire east
| eud of the city scarcely contains dozen bricl
| dwellings. All is wood-Texas pine-and Il
burns with an Undesirable fury. Five min.
L ,,to sff had ha
wrapped In one mighty flame. Tie al eyways
and streets for 10 squares on either side of tn,
| burning belt were filed with the blanched faces
Of helpless men, women and children who
could do nothing In such gale but crouch
down for shelter aud watch the larues lick W
the fruits of lifetime.
| Although the victims number many Of the
wealthiest residents Of the city, whose
| individual wealth runs up near the
| millions, yet the great major.
| ity of those burned out lost the better por-
lions Of their fortunes and their little all.
Some families saved good deal OF furniture;
others were left with only the clothes on their
backs, SO confident were they that tine fire
would not reach them. The loss in personal
and household property can never be estimat.
ed, and is not included In the previous esti-
mate.
Already the rich men Of the city and the
well-to-do, even those who have lost their
elegant mansions, have determined TO look
after and provide for the poorer people and
Galveston wilfpr badly make no appeal to the
| outside world.
Following clos. on the heels of the great
strike, which inflicted moneyed loss on the
business men OF Galveston Of fully 100000
this calamity Is the climax to the woes and
sore Affections Of the city. With the excep-
ton OF hall dozen grocery stores and the
iron and car-repairing foundry, where the fire
started, no places of business wire destroyed