The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-22
THOUSAND PEOPLE
NJ A D E HOMELESS
More Than 200 Buildings Laid
in Ashes, While Fierce Gale
RACES and Renders Futile
Efforts of Firemen-Busi-
ness Section of City
Saved.

wake of the most destructive fire in
the history of Houston. smouidering
wrecEage tonight covers AN area
about one and n half miles III length.
and varying in width from 200 yards
| TO half mile in the northeastern sec
| ton of the city. More than II dozen
! of the city's most important Industrial
| enterprises are i'll ruins: 700 OF more
dwelling houses and store buildings
arc in ashes. and approximate: 1000
| persons are homeless The most con
| servative estimate OF the monetary
| loss is that II VIII reach at least ST.
| 100000 The Insurance carried Will
not c%caed 40 per cent. No casualties
| attended the fire.
Breaking forth without warning in
! an untenanted roolninS house, known
locally as the Mad House" shortly
alter / O'Clock TINS morning. wnlc n
! fierce gale was raging, the flames
made rapid Roadway. Lcaping from their
PLACE Of origin the flames pounced upon
adjoining structures, and from them
| swept toward the southeast. generally
| making clean and dcsolatc their routes
but occasionally sparing II siructurc.
sometimes Il mere shanty ami again a
| place of pretension. Four hours later
| the area of destruction had been de-
| iiaed. but the work OF tho fire-fghtcrs
was not then ended, nor is it ended
] yet. for all over the charred ami
biackened district arc piles OF debris,
the consuming of which is a slow pro-
cess
Iinc of Destruction Ends.
buffalo Bayou divides the city, run
ming east and west, and II was not
until the conflaGration had reached its
banks that the slightest Roadway
could be made toward checking it. EN-
| ccpt for an occasional dip across the
| stream the line Of destruction ended
| here.
| In the early morning hours the guit
continued nerce'y, and AT times hurled
clouds OF burning shingles and tirt
great distances, and threatened among
others the plants OF the Texas Com.
pany and the Houston Packing Com
pany, The latter was damaged con.
| siderably.
Within half an hour yafter the nr,
broke out Il great area OF small resi-.
dences was in flames
II spread rapidly TO manufacturing
plants that bordcrcd on cottages an,
| boarding houses where hundreds
| workinsmen reside
C"nfnc Efforts To Warning.
| me fire spread 50 rapidly that nrc-
men for tho time abandoned attemnt.
| ~ ehech the names. instead devotiui
their energies to warning household
avcrted
At tho big manufacturing plants and
! cotton congresses city fremen and
volunteers had organized to hcbt ,ha
onrushing flames.
| Walls ana roofs of tho nlap,s
water soaked. This water was ricked
up IN me fash of an eye by the adj
vance guard OF sparks. however aud
Wheh inc great columns OF DANES
re"cneu the factories they succumhed
as easily and with less Resistance than
rows OF the cottages.
An hour after the flames bcra, ,boi,
! irresistible advance the fironcn
canned for final stand nj Runoio
bayou. Every piece of fire fghtin., nm
raratns was stationed along the banks
~ TINS stream. which, If passed biz
| entire city nc
AS the advancing columns OF fire.
nrean to hiss toward the bayou bank
h""hre's OF streams of water v.crc
hurled INTO them. checking little hv
,, iI't'e' their progress. At some OF the
narrower portions of the stream tho
flames leaped across. but Tho NO.,
substantial buildings they reari,aI ala
not afford the tindcr-like iu,! hcrr.
I toiore encountered. The fire v,e
crecketl. 40
No Casualties Rrport.a.
thousands OF persons were driven
from their homes. In the cold Of th,,
horiher they suffered slightly from
eNp"2urc Relief work was imn.di
a'ely set under way. however. ana
! food aud clothing provided for ,hc
I refugees. Many persons were bnrt
during the fire but 50 fur q. can h..
"esSrmiNed there We're no casualties.
! The burned area is at least a milo
and "A half long. at points quarter Of
u mile wide and embraced long rows
OF cottages ana solid stiectS Of
manufacturing plants 1t was sN.rt
clean by the flames Nothing WAS
saved. Some thrifty coitascrs cnd
boarding housekecpcrs set their FUR.
nturo on TN" sidewalks before ,hc
flames reaches their homes. tut ns
sGon as tho lire came the piled m be
!ongings went the way OF the d.
stroycd homes.
One Of the first of the more nrctcnti.
Gus buildings attacked was Tho brick
Star and Crescent Hotel Occupants had
been warned of the oncomin2; lilmcsl
and all escaped without Injury
Ronring Flames Give WARTIME
The roar of The tiauc4 gave warn
iri; of their coming. Hundreds of per
sens. giving no heed OF their night nj
tire. rushed from their homes MS thcv
heard the road of the tir.. Women car.
lryins babies, women ut whose skirts
small children chung. gathered in homes
of nearby neighhnrs for refuge. only tn
he driven out few minutes later ~
tlat further progress Of ,lc fire Fire
Inen organized leaders among the men
cf the burned area aud these marshal
ing the refugees. lew t!fcm to the rcarI
OF the flames and out Of danger. Homes
Continued OH Eighth Pa8e.)