Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-14

The City 81 GaBvessss sweeps BY Ter.
Ffbte CssaaGrafisas
GALvxsTos Texas, Nov. BAT lao
o'clock this morning the most dss.r1c-
tive FIRE IN the history Of Galveston
broke oos In . smsl foundry and car
repairing shop on the north side OF the
avenue known as the strand. bssveen
Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets A
herse gale from the north vas blowing
at the time, and the flames spread With
lightning rauidity 10 both of the sdI0sn-
ing buildings. one being q grocery store
and tue other a humble dwelling. In q
tvfnkllne long Aery tongass bad cross
ed the street and txo more dvellinRs
we're ia flames, the inmates barely e.
gaping vith their lives At this mo
msnt the Are department got two
streams going, bat they were OF no
avail. The heat became 30 int nse that
the firesaen had to abandon their posi-
tons. and the wind rose and carried
xTKIADs OF SPARKS
To the premies east Of the avenue. A
general alarm was sounded. In half an
nour two blocks we're burning hercefy,
~
great couA.Rration was upon the city.
People for squares around on either
side Of the burning blocks became
psnicstricken. and she piercing cries OF
frightened women could be heard above
the hoarse din of tbs FIRE and the
m onrnful signing Of the wind.
At $50 the fire had leaped three
blocks distant from its starting point,
bat 10 Q perfectly straight line, being
confined 20 toe blocks bounded by Six
tenth and Seventeenth streets. About
4 o'clock the fire began to spread TO the
East AND WEST
OF Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
The wind rose to gale, and pandemo-
mum reigned for the time. IL seemed
a. though the entire eastern half of the
city was doomed. The IRE spread rap
idly TO the southwark, licking up blocks
Of elegant residences, hastily abandon
ed by their inmates. By O'Clock u
bad reached Broadway, which threads
the center Of the island, running east
vest. At 7 O'Clock the wind gave signs
Of dying away, and shortly 1t began to
shift, then 10 decrease until at O'Clock
only fair breeze vas blowing, but by
this time the fire had eaten Its way 70
Avenue .. where al 7 o'clock IL seemed
10 exhaust itself. and the firemen check
ed its further ravages az this point,
within two blocks OF the gulf.
THE BURNED DISTRICT
Covers fifty two blocks, seven Of which
are not swept entirely clean. IL 10 SIX
teen blocks in length and averages a
width Of three blocks. From house tops
the smoking, burned district resembles
q haee, black, half opened pan, lying
across the island from the bay nearly to
the gulf. The island at that point is
ninsteeu blocks, or one mile and quar-
ter, wide. The Strand, where the FIRE
started, IL one block from the bay, and
IL stopped within two blocks Of the golf.
sixteenth street 10 ninety blocks west OF
residence street being Sixth. From ave-
to the strip bounded on the east by Six
tsenth and on the west by Seventeenth
street. The business part OF the city
begins at Twentieth street, and runs
west ten tlooks. This outline locates
the fire, which began to spread rapidly
after II had passed Avenue ID. BY the
time IL had reached Avenue ], or Broad
way, IL was sweeping nearly shree blocks
In width. From the west side OF Sew
enteentb street to the east side Of Four
teenth street about 800 houses were
burned. which we're occupied by fully
800 families. From Avense A to Avenue
E, for four squares the burned dwellings
we're occupied almost entirely by the
poorer families, and several families
we're crowded in . single house in this
strip. From Avenue Z, however, the
burned district includes the wsalthiest
and most fashionable portion Of the
city. One hundred elegantly furnished
mansions are in ruins. Many Of these
residences bad beautiful gardens at
tached, and the money in buildings
does not represent half their value.
THE SCENE
Daring the progress of the fire was
simply friRhtful. II was so filed with
misery and terror that whoever witness
ed 1t must bear its vivid impression for
a lifetime. The wind rose to a scream
ing gale in the vicinity Of the fire, and
swept through the burning belt in ter
rife whirls, carrying millions Of live
cinders high in the air, and raining
them down mile distant over the
wooden city and its panic stricken in
habitants- The entire east end Of the
city scarcely contains dozen brick
buildings. All are wood. Five minutes
after house had caught fire, il would
be wrapped In one mighty flame. Al
leyways and streets for ten squares Oh
either side OF the burning belt, we're
filed with blanched faces OF helpless
men, women and childreH. who could do
nothing in such gale but crouch down
and watch the flames lick mp the fruits
of q lifetime. The great majority burn
ed out lose the better portion of their
fortunes or their little all. The loss in
personal and household property can
never be estimated. The hotels are
filed with homeless people, and oiti
xens' committee Is now az work appor-
tioning families TO rooms and premises
vacated for their use. Business is en-
tirely suspended. The calamity IL 30
speaking Of 10. some scores Of sick
people we're harriedly removed during
the confiaerstion, and many people are
Frustrated BY the terrible excitement
when the Ere started gale was blow
ing at the rate Of 80 miles an hour. Al
2 O'Clock the Signal Sc vice observer es-
timated the velocity In the vicinity Of
the IRE at 60 miles an hour. and this
velocity Vas maintained until near s
o'clock, when the are gave signs Of ex-
haustion and the cyclone vacuum seem
ed broken. The Gre ssirled through its
path ~ thoueh ID we're gigantic fosnel.
and fee tvo squares on either side the
heat vas sufIsoating and the clouds Of
cindsrs blindine. The Are department
became utterly helpless and the water
works gave poor satisfaction-
rHx LOSSES.
Accurate charts OF the burnt district
we're completed this evening. showing
that the course of the fiFe vas IN Z
southessterly direction. Beginning al
the foot Of Sixteenth street on the
strand. the IRE crossed avenues @, L
and Il. Here II worried ice way TO ths
east half OF the same block on vhict
a.. s.ds tha p.,ss flf3.a ard tina Initial