The Calumet news., 1912-02-21
LOSS SIX TO TEN MILLIONS
Burned Area Seven Blocks Wide
and Over Mile Across City
Fierce Wind Drives Fire From One
Building to Another-Number of
Manufacturing Establishments
Also Destroyed.

Houston, Tex, Feb. 21.-Twenty-fiv
squares in the residence district here
We're destroyed by fire that broke out
shortly after midnight. No casualties
are known Thousands of people are
homeless.
The weather was cool. but there is
little suffering The fire burned
through a large district that COM
prised the cottages OF workmen. Sew
eral manufacturing plants We're de-
stroyed. The homes and stores burned
numbered more than $50.
The wind was blowing at the rate of
thirty-fve miles an hour, and the
burned area extended a mile and a half
across the town and seven blocks
wide.
Starting among the cottages near
the Southern Pacific railroad tracks.
and impelled by the fierce wind. the
flames leaped from house TO house in
the populous district, while the fire.
men worked without effect
At O'clock this morning IL appear
ed that the fire was controlled, al
though Il was still burning in the out
skirts of the destroyed area.
Firemen Are BaffIed.
The losses are now conservatively
estimated at six 10 ten millions. the
greater part of this being confined to
the lumber and cotton industries. For
ty-hve thousand bales Of cotton. val
ued at two millions, were burned. The
fire spread so rapidly that flremen for
a time abandoned attempts 10 check
the flames instead devoting their en-
ergies to saving householders. POSSIBLE
loss Of life was thus avcrted but many
persons were hurt. Relief work at once
was set under way. however and food
and clothing provided for the refugees.
Hundreds OF persons, giving no
heed TO their night attire. rushed from
their homes as they heard the roar Of
the fire. Women carrying babies. and
women at whose skirts small children
clung, gathered at the homes of near
by neighbors for refuge. only TO be
driven out few minutes later by the
further progress of the fire. Homes
were quickly provided for these peo-
pie in other residence sections of the
city. i,rs
An hour after the flames began the
firemen organized for final stand at
Buffalo Bayou. a small stream that di-
vides the eastern part Of the city
from the main section. Every piece of
fire lighting apparatus was stationed
along the banks of the stream, which
IL passed by the fire. meant the de-
struction Of the entire city AS the ad-
vancing columns of fire came toward
the Bayou banks hundreds of streams
of water were hurled into them,
checking their progress.
The burned area, at least a mile and
half long, and at points a quarter
OF a mile wide, embraced rows OF cot
tages and solid streets or manufactur-
ing plants.
Among the mills factories and
plants, either destroyed or seriously
damaged. are:
McFadden Southern Compress &
Warehouse Co; Dew Brothers syrup
mill: Houston & Liggett Lumber Co.;
ROGERS Palnt Co., HUDSON rem
ell factory; ed. II. HarrelL
lumber yards; Standard Com
press Co.; Cooperative Manufactur-
ing Co; Acme mill: and st. Patrick's
Catholic church and Catholic school
operated in conjunction with tho
church.
Bio Fire in Iowa.
Charles City, Ia. Feb. 2i.--The busi-
ness section of Floyd burned today.
The loss is $4,000.