Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-09-05
BLOCKS BURN
INSHREVEPORT
1000 HOMELESS
Mysterious Break in All
Water Mains Delayed
Fire Fighters 5 Hours
While Flames Spread
(By the Associated Press)

SHREV EfORI 4 = Lid, OSpL. ..
Mine city blocks, embracing
more than $50 dwellings in which
lived more than 1000 persons,
were levelled here last night and
early today by a fire which
broke out shortly after some
mighty force had wrecked the
city water mains in three places.
Property loss was estimated
early today at upwards Of $780,
900 exclusive Of losses by. public
utilities.
Three blocks Of the fire swept area
| were occupied by homes of moderately
well -to-do persons, while the remaining
six blocks, which extended up to the
business district, houses poorer per-
sons and negroes.
six persons were injured, two Sc
! riously
The fire originated in the bathroom
Of the home of barber and whipped
| BY the heaviest night wind in many
weeks, quickly was beyond control.
Flmsy structures in it's path were pull
ed down and hundreds of persons form
ed bucket brigades in an effort to stem
| the rushing tide of flames.
For five hours the city was left vir-
tually at the mercy of the fire until
|. finally the breaks in the mains were
repaired and pressure was restored.
The breaks in the water mains re-
NAMED unexplained early today One
theory was that they were caused by
| dynamite used in nearby construction
work.
Plan Relief
! Mayor L. E. Thomas called a citizens
meeting for 10 O'Clock this morning to
plan relief measures for the homeless.
| The blaze, starting in the dwelling oc-
cupied by o. Childress, 1886 Garden
street, spread quickly and in few
| minutes nine houses in the 1900 block
of Garden street were ablaze.
George Monzingo's store at 1858 Gar
| den was the only structure left standing
in the 1900 block. Sparks carried across
| Garden street and ignited five resi-
dences and fire station number on
that side of the street and spreading to
the houses on Hamilton street, levelled
five of them.
| The brick walls of fire station num-
! Der prevented the flames from reach
ing buildings on Pierre avenue.
The fire spread from the 1900 block
of Garden street to the next block and
burned as far as the corner Of Allen
and Garden. The entire block bounded
/ by Garden, Hamilton, Ford and Allen,
avenues, were burned, 26 houses having
| being destroyed. The flames were ex
tinguished at the Allendale meat market
and BY tearing down fences and small
outhouses were prevented from cross
ing the Garden street alley to the
houses in 400 block of Garden street.
| Cause Is Mystery
BY constantly throwing water on the
roofs and sides, the Ivy Watson home
at 106 Allen Avenue and the f. G. Sny
der home at 122 Allen avenue were
saved but the flames destroyed the four
houses on the opposite side of the 100
block of Allen avenue and swept back
to the negro quarters destroying scores
Of shanties and cabins. Fourteen houses
in the 1400 block of Buena Vista street
were destroyed, the house at 1460 being
the only one in that block left stand
| ing. Spreading to Austin street from
Buena Vista 26 houses in the 1400 block
were destroyed, the flames sweeping on
to Clay street and razing eight houses
in the 1400 block and spreading back to
Allen avenue to the 800 block destroy
ing three houses but leaving a brick
store standing. The sparks were carried
across the Texas and Pacific railroad
tracks, destroying three houses in Baker
street. The fire was finally got under
control at Christian street two blocks
from the heart of the city.
Pray For Rain
I'VE might as we'll try to fix respon-
sibility for the breaking up of the
/ Shenandoah" the commissioner de-
clared.
"Oh, God, let it rain," one woman
cried frantically as she sat in the street
and witnessed the destruction of her
home and the homes of her neighbors
on both sides of her home.