Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-02-24
BIG FIRE SWEEPS
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Flames Destroy Is Blocks OF
Buildings.
THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS
Scores Of Residences, Stores and In.
dustriaI Plants Burned - Loss MAJ
Reach sio,ooo.ooo.

Impelled by gale that swept 10
with one OF the coolest "northers oi
the winter. flames swept through the
eastern section OF Houston. Tex.
At least twenty-five blocks of the
city have been destroyed. More than
$50 residences and stores are In ruins.
Several big manufacturing plants were
burned. Thousands OF persons are now
homeless.
The losses are conservatlvely esti.
mated AT from sG.0OO.00o TO 100000.
600 The greater part OF this Is con
fined to the lumber and cotton indus
tries. Fifty thousand bales OF cotton
stored in warehouses and congresses
were burned. This item alone means
loss of s2.000,000.
The fire started in a cottage neal
the Southern Pacific railroad tracks
It's origin has not been definitely es
tablished. A roaring wind picked W
the llames and hurled them TO neigh
boring cottages and boarding houses
In a fash these ignited, spoutine
great columns Of sparks. Selling these
the lorty.mile gale carried them two
and three blocks Within half an houi
after the fire started a great area oi
small residences was in flames.
The fire spread rapidly 10 manufac
turing plants that bordered on cot
tages and boarding houses where hun
dreds of workingmen lived. II spreao
so rapidly that firemen for the time
abandoned attempts to check tht
flames, devoting their energies T.
warning homseholdcrs Possible loss o.
life was thus averted.
At the big manufacturing plants and
cotton congresses city fremen anf
volunteers lad organized to fight ih
onrushIng flames. Walls and roofs OF
the plants were water-soaked. Thi
water was licked up In the fash o
an eye by the advance guard OF sparks
however. and when the great column
of flames reached the factories the
succumbed as easily and with less re
slstance than rows Of the cottages.
An hour after the flames began theii
advance the fremen organized for 8
final stand NJ Buffalo Bayou, a sma
stream that divides the eastern par
OF the city from the main section
Every piece Of fire fighting appa-atu
was stationed along the banks Of this
stream, which. II passed by the fire
meant the destruction of the entire
city. As the advancing columns of frt
hacap IN hfSs toward the bayou bank.
hundreds of streams of water were
hurled into them. checking little b.
little their progress.
At some of the narrower portion
OF the stream the flames leaped across
but the more substantial building
they reached did not afford the tindei
like fuel heretofore encountered. TIC
hre was checked after seven hours.
The thousands of persons who were
driven from their homes In the colo
of the norther suffered slightly from
exposure. Relief work was immediate
iy set under way. however. and foof
and clothing provided for the refugees
Many persons were hurt during tn
Are. but so far as can be determine
there weer no serious casualties.
The burned area is at least mill
and n half long. and at points quar-
ter OF n mile wide. II embraced Iona
rows Of cattages and solid streets OF
manufacturing plants. II was swep'
clean by the flames. Nothing wa:
saved