Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-30
The Baltimore Fire.

Baltimore was visited Friday by destruc-
tive fire that, were it not for the confagra-
tions which, within the last two years, have
visited Chicago and Boston, would create
much comment, owing to the extent of ground
burned over. The loss was not great consid-
ering the number of buildings burned. Yet,
thirteen acres were burned over and the loss
is estimated in the neighborhood of a million
of dollars. As the centre Of the burned dis
trict was mainly occupied with small tene-
ment houses, great number of families are
made homeless. The fire department seem
to have acted promptly and with commenda-
BILE energy, though the Washington steamers
which came over in about fifty minutes from
that city, largely contributed to control the
fire during the afternoon, SO that a night
confagration was averted. Two churches
the Central Presbyterian and the First En-
glish Lutheran-were burned but the fine
Cathedral happily escaped, as did the Catho-
lie Church of St. Alphonsus, although the
orphan school attached to the latter was al
most entirely destroyed.
The casualties were of no importance, ex-
cept in the case of the death of Sister Rinal-
d. a nun in the Convent of St. Alphonsus
church, who died from fright. Mr.. Coonin,
Chief of the Washington Fire Department.,
was hurt by being driven against by a wagon
but his injuries are not serious. Two fire.
men were injured by an explosion of steam,
but they will probably recover.
The boundaries of the burnt district -
are Howard street on the west, Lexington on
the south, Liberty on the east and Mulberry
on the north. Mulberry and Lexington
streets are exactly parallel, and Howard
crosses both at right angles, but Liberty
street runs dagonally from Howard street at
a point somewhat less than half mile south
of the fire, across Lexiugton to Saratoga
street, which lies midway between and par
allel with Lexington and Mulberry. Charles
street is parallel with Howard, and if 1t, TO-
stead Of Liberty, formed the eastern bounda-
ry Of the fire, the district would form Il per-
tect piralelogram. The longest line OF the
Ere is on Mulberry street, where it extends
about three-sixteeDths of a mile the other
three boundary lines will measure each about
one-eighth of a mile. This makes an area of
about one-6fth the size of the district burned
in Boston last November.
The burnt district in Baltimore was Just
outside to the north of what may properly
be termed the business centre OF the city, ~
ing between it and the fine private residences
on the hull. IL is about quarter OF mile
southeast from the Washington monument:
\ mlle and half northwest from the Presi-
lent street railroad station; half mile
northwest from the Camden street station
,nly n single block from the Ford's opera
house, where Horace Greeley was nominated
Ior the Presidency; one block from the Lex
ington market and TWO blocks from Barnum's
Hotel.
The destruction of the Maryland Academy
Of Arts Is the most serious loss which the
city as a community meets by this fire. The
academy was organized few years ago by
number Of the wealthier citizens, and several
valuable donations of statuary were supple
mented by purchases by the society IN Eu-
rope from which the students copied. The
most notable work, and probably the most
was a copy of the frieze of the
Parthenon, brought to this country at great
expense. The works of value were mostly
statues, and the materials of the directing
artists. There was also fue collection OF
re jected designs by Baltimore architects.
The academy was just in the dawn OF Its sue
cess, the valuable aid and costly gifts of the
past year having provided all the requisite
means of study.