The Portland daily press., 1885-11-14
PANIC STRICKEN CITY.
Galveston, Texas, Terribly Scourged
by the Fire Fiend.
over One Thousand Families Rem
dered Homeless.
The Total Loss Said to Exceed
So, 700, 900.

GALVESTON, Tex, Nov. ia destructive fire
ragged here today. 1t broke out at LAO O'Clock in
small foundry on the north side of Strand street.
near the corner of Sixteenth. The flames spread
rapidly under a stiff north wind, and immense
clouds of sparks were carried four and five
squares over the roofs of wooden houses The
entire fire department was on the ground, but
they seemed paralyzed and unable to fight the
flames because of the fierce wind and suffOcating
smoke.
AT $40 a. III. the fire had spread seven squares
and had become great confiagraton. Fully fifty
dwellings were burning fiercely, and the path of
the fire as it progressed southwark was filed with
the finest residences in the city all Of which are
wooden. For five squares south the fire was con-
fined to the width Of one square between 10th and
18th streets, but when it crossed Winnie street,
six squares from the starting point, It jumped di-
agonally to the southeast into the next block.
The firemen were powerless to stay the progress
of the flames, ana at IL IN the fire had reached
the beach, which is distance of about mile and
half from where it started In some places the
path Of the fire is six or seven blocks wide. Over
70 residences have been burned. The wind is
blowing terrific gale The fire is still burning
tiereely and Is not yet under control.
[sECoND DEsPATcH.]
GALVESTON, Nov. 13.-The burned district COW
ers 81 blocks, seven of which are not swept en-
ages width of three blocks. From the house top
the smoking burned district resembled huge
black half opened fan lying across the island from
point is 8 blocks or one mile and 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 it stopped within two blocks of
the Gulf at 10th street nine blocks west of the
extreme inhabitable end OF the island, the first
street of residences being 9Th From Avenue A
to Avenue d the fire was confined to strip
bounded on the east by 10th street and on the
west by 18th. The business part of the city be-
gins at goth street and runs west ten squares.
This outline locates the fire, which began to
spread rapidly after it had passed Avenue d. BY
the time it had reached Avenue J, or Broadway,
it was sweeping nearly three blocks in width,
from the west side of 18th street to the east side
of 14th.
About 300 houses were burned, which were oc-
cupied by fully 800 families. From Avenue A to
Avenue L, four squares, the burned dwellings
were occupied almost entirely by the poorer
classes, and several families were crowded in
single house in this street.
From Avenue however the burned district in
cludes the wealthiest and most fashionable por-
tion of the city. One hundred elegantly furnished
mansions are in ruins. Many of these residences 4
had beautiful gardens attached to them, and the
loss of money does not represent over half their
value.
time as TO the total loss caused by the fire. The
city assessor says that the taxable value of the
dwellings burned is $650,0oo This makes the
perhaps represents the loss in money. The in
surance is estimated at 100000.
SO Tar as can be learned not q single accident
occurred The scene during the progress of the
fire was simply frightful. The wind rose to
screaming gale in the vicinity of the fire, and
swept through the burning belt in terrific Swirls
carrying millions of live cinders high up in the
air and raining them down a mile distant over the
wooden city and its panic stricken inhabitants
The entire east end of the city scarcely contains
dozen brick dwellings. All are wood Texas pine,
and it burns with an indescribable fury, and in
five minutes after a house had caught it would be
wrapped in mighty flame the centre OF the burn
ing pile giving out a white heat while the flames
on the edges were tfully splitting high and far on
every side Aley-wayS and streets for ten squares
on either side of the burning belt were filled with
blanched faces of women, children and helpless
men.
great majority of those burned out lose the
better portions of their fortunes or their little ALL
and the loss in personal and household property
can never be estimated and is not included in the
previous estimate.
The hotels are filed with homeless people, and
citizens committee is now at work apportioning
families to rooms and premises vacated for their
use and every dray and vehicle in the city is at
work carrying the strewn furniture, bedding and
pictures to secure places Thousands of people
haunt the burned district looking among the
smoking ruins for valuable keepsakes or jeWelry
vaguely hoping to find something left. But all is
black and barren as the desert Of Sahara. Even
huge wooden water tanks and fences and side
walks and telephone poles are burned to white
ashes.