Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-13

A SW0th over q Mile Long and Several
Blocks Wide Swept by the Flames
Over 500 Dwellings Burned and 500
Families Left HOmeless-A High Wind
Fans the Flames into Fury. and Rem.
ders the Firemen POwerless.
GALVESTON, TEX, Nov. Is, 2:15 ANA de-
structive fire is now raging in the eastern part
of the city, between 10th and 18th streets. The
fire broke out at LAO in a small foundry on the
north side of Strand street, near the corner OF
10th. The flames spread rapidly under a stiff
north wind, and the prospects at this time
that Galveston will suffer great loss. Six dwell
ing houses have already been destroyed, and
immense clouds OF sparks are being carried
four and five squares over the roofs OF wooden
the ground, but they seem paralized and unable
TO fight the flames because OF the fierce wind
and suHocatng smoke.
FIFTY DWELLINGS ABLAZE.
The fire at 3:45 am. has spread seven squares,
and has become a great conflagration. Fully
fifty dwellings are burning fiercely. and the
PAN pam SI i the 9e as II progresses 81 Is
of which are wooden. For five squares south
the fire was confined 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 diagonally TO the
southeast into the next block, and at the pres
emf writing gives evidence of consuming one
third OF the city.
sixty Blocks Burned Over.
9a.m.-The fire is still burning fiercely. 1t is
now about four blocks from the beach. II is
sides and has cut swarth of sixty blocks.
About sixty blocks have already been destroyed,
great distress prevails. The loss is placed by
some At -, OOO,OO
The Firemen Powerless.
10 a. m.-The fire has now reached point
within three. blocks of the beach, and Is still
spreading in that ERECTION. the firemen seem
powerless to check the flames
About four O'Clock the fire began TO spread to
the east and TO the west OF 10th and 18th
streets, the wind rose to a gale and pande-
monium reigned. For time it seemed as
doomed. The fire spread rapidly to the south
ward, licking up the blocks of elegant resi-
d nnssss hastily ABB aeando med. by, their
reached Broadway, which threads the
center of the island, running east and west. At
and shortly it began to SHIFT then to decrease,
until by O'Clock only fair breeze was blow
ing But by this time the fire had eaten its
way to avenue ., where at $50 O'Clock, it
seemed to exhaust itself, and the fremen COM
ing up checked its further ravages at this point
or within two blocks of the gulf.
The Burned District.
The burned district covers fifty-two blocks
seven of which are not swept entirely clean. 1t
Is sixteen blocks in depth and averages a width
of three blocks. From the housetops the smok-
ing burned district resembles a huge black half
opened fan lying across the island from the
bay nearly to the gulf The island at
and a-quarter wide. The fire started on
the north side of Avenue A, better known as the
stopped within two blocks of the guilt. Six
teenth street is nine blocks west of the extreme
inhabitabe end of the island, the first residence
street being 9Th. From Avenue A to
Avenue ID the fire confined TO
the strip bounded on the east by 10th
street and on the west by 18th street The
business part of the city begins at both street
and runs west ten squares. This outline locates
the fire, which began to spread rapidly after il
had passed avenue ID. By the time it had
reached avenue j, or Broadway, it was sweep
ing nearly three blocks in width, from the west
side of 18th street to the east side of l4th.
Three Hundred Dwellings in Ruins.
About 800 houses were burned, which were
to avenue f, for tour squares the burned
dwellings were occupied almost entirely by the
poorer class, and several families were crowded
in a single house in this strip. From avenue l.,
however, the burned district includes the
wealthtest and most fashionable portion OF the
city.
A Hundred Fine Mansions i'm Ruins.
One hundred elegantly furnished mansions
are in ruins. Many OF these residences had
beautiful gardens attached to them, and the
monied loss does not represent over half their
value. All manner of estimates are TO be heard
at this time. The city assessor says the taxable
value of the dwellings burned is S65O,ooO.
This makes the actual value OF the property
81 100000, which perhaps represents the loss
In money.
The insurance is estimated at 100000,
although some insurance men, who have
walked over the district, place the insurance at
$685. 900. So far as can be learned not a single
accident occurred notwithstanding the fear
full panic that prevailed.