The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-21
COnfIagratiOn Destroys p
Blocks in Houston, Tex.
Thousands of People Have Been
Rendered Homeless.
PROPERTY LOSS SIX MILLION
A Number of Manufacturing
Plants Burned.
Starts Near Midnight and Is
Driven by Fierce Wind.

Houston, FEB. 21--Impelled bv ga 9
that came in with one of the coldest
NJ rthers of the winter, flames swept
through the eastern section OF Houston
early today. wiped out % blocks and
caused a lyss estimated at $4,000 900.
Scores of cottages were destroyed, as
we'll as many big manufacturing plants
and thousands of persons were made
homeless.
The greater part of the loss is con-
fined to the lumber and cotton indus
tries.
F'orty-fve thousand bales of cotton
stored in warehouses and congresses
were burned. This item alone repre-
sents loss of $4,000 600.
The fre started in a cottage near tn
Southern Pacific railroad tracks soon
after 1 might It's origin has not been
definitely established. A heavy wind
picked up the flames and hurled them
to neignDorlng cottages and boarding
houses. In a flash these were ignited-
The 40 mile gale carried sparks many
blocks away and within half an hour
great area of small residences was burn
ing The fire then spread to nearpy
manufacturing plants so rapidly that
fremen abandoned attempts to check
the flames and instead devoted their
energies to warning householders- POS
sible loss of life thus was avoided
At the manufacturing plants ana
cotton congresses fremen and Nolun-
teers had organized to night the
flames Walls and roofs were water
soaked This water was evaporated
quickly by the advance guard of
sparks and when the flames reached
the factories these succumbed as
easily as the rows of cottages
F'ireInen Make a Stand.
An hour after the flames began
their advance the tremen organized
for q final stand at Buffalo bayou,
small stream that divides the eastern
part of the city from the main section,
and every piece of fire fighting ap-
paratus was stationed along the banks.
If the fire Ieaped the bayou, it meant
the destruction of the city. As the
advancing flames began to reach the
bayou banks thousands of streams of
water were hurled onto them, checking
little by little their progress At some
of the narrower portions of the stream
the flames Ieaped across. but the more
substantial buildings did not afford the
tinderlike fuel heretofore encountered,
and the spread of the fire was pre-
vented.
Thousands of persons were driven
from their homes. In the cold of the
norther they suffered from exposure
Relief work was at once set under
way, however. and food and clothing
provided
Many persons were hurt during the
fire, but so far as can be determined
there were no casualties.
The burned area is at least d mile
and half long and at points a quarter
of a mile wide. 1t embraced the
ashes of long rows of cottages and
solid streets of manufacturing plants
1t was swept clean.
Two Hotels Burned.
One of the first of the more preten-
tious buildings attacked was the brick
star and Crescent hotels Inmates had
been warned and all escaped without
injury. The flames roar gave warning
and hundreds of persons, giving no
heed to the cold dashed from their
homes clad N their night clothes. Wo-
men, carrying babies; women al whose
skirts small children clung, gathered in
homes of neighbors for refuge. only to
be driven out a few minutes later by
the oncoming fire
Firemen appointed leaders among the
men of the hame-swept district and
they, marshalling the refugees, led
them out Of danger Homes quickly
We're provided in other residence sec
tions Of tie city. Clothing and food
We're furnished by a relief committee
and there was little suffering.
Factories Destroyed.
Among the mills, factories and
plants either totally destroyed or Sc
riously damaged by the fire are Nc
Fadden Compress and Warehouse
company, Dew Brothers syrup mill,
11puSLcu anu Li6SSlA 4AuAIbtI cOHl-
pany. Rogers Paint Co, Hudson Pencil
factory, Houston Packing company.
Slightly damaged: Ed H. HarreH
lumber yards. Stone compress. the CO.
Operative Manufacturing company
Acme mill. St. Patrick's Roman Cath
olic church and school operated in
conjunction with the church.
Cleveland Compress and Cotton ware
house, McIlhenney Cotton pickery, Tex
as Timers Supply company. Industrial
Rice Milling compan's plant, South
western Rice company s mill Hoosier
Vinegar conlpany's plant and a number
of lesser mills.
Besides the $4,000 bales of Gotten de-
stroyed with the Standard compress.
80 ScutherG Pacific cars loaded with
cotton bales were burned.
The number of homes and stores
burned Is more than $50
The heaviest single classification of
losses is involved in cotton. The es-
innate on cotton congresses and the
stored staple reaches two million dol
lars.
Relief work is under way and there
is no lack of food or shelter for the
homeless.
Lumbermen Suffer.
When the flames veered out of the
eral manufacturing plants that afford
ed tinder-like fuel Ore of the first
factories that burned was the plant of
the Houston Cooperative ManufaC-
turing com my, a lumber conc, Tn. It's
block of buildings was quickly cC,.iSula-
ed Then the fire destroyed the Ed
H. Harrell Lumber company covering
three blocks. Both lumber plants were
operated by Abel Brothers.