The Brunswick news., 1912-02-22
THIRTY-FivE MILE WIND TANNED
RoARlNe FLAMES OVER EAs-
:: TERM HALF OF TEXAS CITY. +
Fireman eattied With confiagration
Six Hours Before It Was Gotten I'm
der controt-Most Disastrous Fire
in History of State.

Iore one Of the coolest Texas north
ers' OF the winter, fire early today
burned huge irregular strip through
the eastern residential and manufac-
turing section Of Houston. It swept
over mllllon-dollar plants and flimsy
frame structures with equal ease,
until from $6,O00,0ee to S10, 0,e0O, 900
damage had been done. Although no
hves We're lost, more than a score of
persons were injured, while thousands
We're driven from their homes and
suffered the sting of the freezing tenn
perature.
The burned area by daylight was
a mile and half long and from a
city block to a quarter of mile in
width.
buHalo Bayou, a narrow cofee-col-
ored stream, was the scene of the
hattle royal against the flames. Here.
after the fire had swept ON without
a semblance of control for hours. the
nrenen made a desperate stand. and
although the fire leaped the bayou at
places, the confiagration was anally
checked. 80
The fire started in two story
frame structure near Hardy and Ope-
ionsas streets and spread to a feed
store. Then it jumped Simultaneous
ly TO three more frame boarding.
houses, and the roar of the flames on
a 35-mile nothwest wind began to
no nminnuC Tho
hotel, a brick structure, next caught
fire.
Beyond Control Early.
From that moment the fire seemed
beyond control. Driving ahead with
frightful rapidity it swayed from side
TO side and tongues of sparks, some
times seeming to reach out three
blocks ahead, all the time eating
steadily toward the more thickly pop
ulated section OF the city, across the
Buffalo bayou.
At times bolts of flames would be-
come detached, alighting on some
houses perhaps two blocks distant
and firing them.
A score of times women had just
time to seize their babies and dash
madly to the streets.
With hundreds it was a race for
ife and these made no effort TO save
property.
AS the flames advanced a perfect
army of night clothes-clad men, wo-
men and children formed and dashed
on and on, being driven from one place
of refuge to another by the progress
Of the flames. Cool heads finally real
1zing the danger, assumed charge of
the situation and in short time COM
PEELED refugees to go to the rear Of
the destructive flames
Helpless Were Cared For. ..
The small houses to the northwest
Of the outbreak were soon flied with
the helpless an Impoverished. Even
before daylight work of placing them
in other sections of the city was be-
gun. With the advent of day organ
lied relief was begun. Practically ev-
cry home in Houston was opened to
the refugees.
ANCHCI OOlOlS udu
been confronted here, and in many Of
the burned homes there were cases
Of illness, but the sick and afflicted
alike were forced to get up and run
for their lives.
AS evidencing the ferceness of the
fire and the luridness of the scene,
instances are known in which famil-
les calmly sleeping at points five
miles distant were aroused from their
slumber by the glare and sprang up
in the belief that their own homes
were afame.
The fire was raging over at least
five blocks before it was an hour old.
At one time the sky line appeared to
be solid sheet of flame mile in
length Gradually the fire ate it's way
through the residential section OF the
Fifth ward and then struck out on a