Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-19
Big Blaze at Galveston.
Four Hundred Houses are
Burned and One Thousand
Families are Homeless.
The Money Loss Estimated at
a Million and a Half.
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN THE
HISTORY OF GALVESTON,

HISTORY OF GALVESTON,
At 1 40 o'clock Friday morning the
most destructive fire IN the history of
Galveston, Tex, broke out In small
foundry and car repairing shop on the
north side of Avenue A, known as the
strand between 10Th and 18th streets.
A fierce gale from the north was blow
ing at the time and the flames spread
with lightning rapidity to both of the
adjoining buildings, one being a gro
Gerry store and the other humble
dwelling. Ia a twinkling the long
fiery tongues had crossed the street
and two more dwellings were In
flames, the inmates barely escaping
with their lives. At this moment the
fire department got two streams going
but they were of no avail as the heat
became so intense that the fremen
had to abandon their position and the
wind arose and carried myriads of
sparks to the premises of east Avenue
A.
a general alarm was sounded, but
IN half an hour two blocks were burn
ing fiercely, and by 8 o'clock it was
seen that a great confagration was
upon the city. The people for squares
around on either side of the burning
blocks became panic stricken, and the
piercing cries of the frightened women
could be heard above the din of the
fire and the mournful wind. At half
past three the fire had leaped three
blocks distant from its starting point,
but in perfectly straight line, being
confined to the blocks bounded by 10th
and 18th streets.
THE AREA BURNED.
The burned district covers ffty-two
blocks, seven of which are not entire~
ly swept clean. It is sixteen blocks
in depth, and has an average width of
three blocks. From a house>top still
smoking, the burned district resembles
a huge black, half opened fan lying
across the land from the bay to the
gulf. The island, at that point, is
nineteen blocks, or a mile a half
wide. The fire started in 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.
From Avenue A to avenue E the
fire was confined to strip bounded on
the east by 10th street and on the west
by 18th street. The business part of
the city begins at goth street. and runs
west ten blocks. This outline
LOCATES THE FIRE,
which began to spread rapidly after it
bad passed Avenue E, and by the
time it had reached Avenue ], or
it was sweeping nearly
four blocks in width from the west
side of 18th street to the east side of
18th street. About 800 houses were
burned which were occupied by full Y
500 families. From Avenue A to
Avenue E for four squares the burn
ed dwellings, were occupied almost
by the poorer classes, and
several families were crowded in a
single room on this street.
From Avenue E, however, the burn.
ing district includes some of the
wealthiest portion of the people. One
hundred elegantly furnished mansions
are in ruins. All manner of estimates
are to be had. The city assessor says
the taxable value of the dwellings
burned is $65O,OOO. This makes the
actual value of the property 81, $780,
900, which perhaps represents the loss
ia money. The insurance is estimate
ed at 100000 although some place it
at 100000 So far as can be learned,
not single accident occurred.
Later advices from Galveston state
that accurate charts of the burnt dis
trict show that the course of the fire
was in southeasterIy direction. Be-
ginning at the foot of 10Th street on
the strand, the fire crossed Avenue @, |
D and E. Here it worked its way to
the east half of the same block on
which stand the postoffce and y. S.
court house. The flames threatened the
postoMce IN rnost aggressive manner
and the building was hastily cleared
of mail matter, and all valuable mail
was placed In the vaults. Fortunately
the flames spared the government |
building and passed onward to the
gulf. At Avenue |, the fire fend rev. |
elled in the stateliest mansions of the
city. One of the first Of these splen~ |
did houses to succumb was that OF
Mrs. Magale, valued at $40, 600
When the fire started the gale was
blowing at the rate of thirty miles an
hour. At two o'clock the signal OBJ
server estimated the velocity of the
gale in the vicinity of the fire at sixty
miles per hour, and this velocity was
until nearly six o'clock,
when the fire gave signs of exhaus-
lion. The fire swirled through its
path as though it were gigantic fun
mel, and for two squares on either side
the heat was suffocaling, and the
clouds Of cinders binding. The fire
department had become utterly help |
less, and the water works gave poor
satisfaction.
The only public building consumed
was the second district school build-
ing, frame structure which was ONLY
recently built at a cost of twenty
thousand dollars.
Then in rapid succession went the
residences of Julius Runge, of the
house of Kaufman 6 Runge; Leon
Rum, of 81. Blum; Mcritz Lasker, A.