Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1920 — $3,000,000 FIRE AT GALVESTON [ARTICLE]

$3,000,000 FIRE AT GALVESTON

Flames Originating In Sulphur Bins at Pier No. 35 Cause Heavy Loss. 3,500 BALES OF COTTON BURN Italian Freighter With Cargo of Wheat In Flames—-Several Other Veeeela Damaged—Troopa on Jot. Galveston. Tex., Oct. 1. —Fire originating In sulphur blns at pier 85 spread rapidly along the water front, resulting ip the complete destruction of pier 85, with its contents, partial destruction of the plant of the Cotton Concentration company just south of the pier, and complete destruction of 8,500 bales of cotton in the plant, along with other commodities. Forty freight cars on tracks at the sulphur plant and 15 cars loaded with cotton were destroyed. Estimates of the (pss ranged from $1,500,000 to SB.000,000. The Italian steamship Etna took fire while taking on coal and sustained a total loss of its cargo of wheat. Fire Wall Saves Pier. The loading devices of the sulphur plant, where the fire originated and bins in the neighborhood of pier 85, were destroyed. Some of the sulphur storage blns have escaped destruction so far. The fire wall on the east side of the pier 86 prevented the spread-* of the flames to that pier. Several steamships In the vicinity of the fire were moved to places of safety nA soon as It became apparent that the fire would be a serious one. These ships were the Hornby Castle, British ; Erken, Swedish, and the Ventura De Larringa, British. Fifteen Cars c* Cotton Burned. Railway switching crews were able to take a large number of freight cars! places of safety. It la reported that fifteen cars of cotton were destroyed. All the fire-fighting apparatus of the city, the fireboat Charles Clark and! several tugs responded to the alarm. Great difficulty was encountered In fighting the fire because of the high wind, which was blowing at about 80 miles an heur. For a time It appeared that the flames would spread from the water front across the railway yards to the residence section, but prompt removal of freight cars in the path of the flames enabled the firefighters to hold them In comparative! check despite the adverse conditions. National guardsmen on duty in connection with a strike of dock workers here were thrown about the fire sone, and spectators were not permitted 1 within a quarter of a mile of the scene.