The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-02
GREAT FIRE IN BALTIMORE.

On Friday forenoon, July 25th, fire
broke out in Baltimore, which rapidly
spread till four blocks Of buildings were
almost entirely consumed. We append
the following condensed account of the
conhagration. The entire loss is estimat-
ed at about 100000.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The fire began about half past ten o'clock
in the extensive four-story steam planning
mills, sash and door factory, owned and
occupied by Joseph Thomas & Son, stu
ated on the south side of Clay street, near
Park. Clay is a narrow street, beginning
at Liberty, about midway between and
parallel with Saratoga on the north and
Lexington on the south, and extends west,
interesting Park and Howard, and termi-
Mating at Eutaw streets. Thomas's plan
ing mill was in the shape Of the letter l.,
having front on both Clay and Park
streets.
The fire broke out in the engine room,
near the centre of the mill, and in a short
time the building was enveloped in flames,
and the boilers of the engine exploded. In
the meantime the alarm was sounded, and
the steamers were soon on the ground,
playing on the fire. A stiff breeze from
the southwest was blowing, and, owing to
the heat and dryness, the flames soon COM
muncated with adjoining building on each
side on Clay and Park streets. A general
alarm was sounded, calling out the entire
department. The ferceness and heat OF
the conilagration increased, and the flames
leaped across Clay street to the north side,
and soon each side of Clay, cast to Park,
was on fire.
The flames shot high above the burning
buildings, and dense volumes of suffocat-
ing smoke were borne northward, hurl-
ing blazing cipders in every direction,
which fell on the dry Park street roofs. In
short time, Park street on each side from
Lexington on the south, across Clay to
Saratoga on the north, was sheet of fire,
nearly every building being in flames
The heat was so intense that all the fire
mon were driven from the street.
Extending along Clay street eastward,
across Park towards Liberty street, on
each side, the fire sped it's way, taking
every building in it's track, and threaten
ing general destruction. The four blocks,
bounded by Liberty on the east, Saratoga
on the north, Howard on the west, and
Lexington on the south, intersected by
Park and Clay, were each ablaze, and sew
eral fine buildings on Mulberry street had
taken fire from burning brands hurled by
the wind.
About II A. NJ. a general confiagration
seemed imminent, and the greatest conster-
nation prevailed. The roofs of several
buildings, as far off as Calvert street, had
becom ignited, also the dome of the Cathe-
dral and the steeple of St. Alphonsus'
Catholic Church, corner of Park and Sara
toga.
While the fire was raging the entire fire
department was nobly at work battling Its
progress, assisted by an army OF citizens,
who crowded the roofs of buildings on
every side and many blocks off, quenching
the falling blazing brands with buckets OF
water, and preventing ignition by spread
ing wet blankets: The dome of the Cathe-
dral was covered with blankets and thus
saved, as also St. Alphensus Church.
The tiremen, driven from Park street,
between Lexington and Saratoga by the
intense heat, abandoned this section to its
fate and directed their main efforts to pre-
venting the spread of the fire beyond the
four blocks named. Shortly after P. NJ,
two engines arrived from Washington and
rendered valuable assistance. The fire
ragged until near P. NJ, but by 4 was
completely under control.
From the official report of Fire Inspector
Holloway it is learned that 113 buildings
were destroyed, as follows: 2 churches, 3
two-story and attic brick houses, GA three
story brick houses, IS four-story brick
houses, % two-story brick houses, two
story frame house, l three story frame
house, 1 one-story, making Ill all lib.
These buildings were occupied as follows:
Mills 2. silk factory l, carpenter shops A.,
stables 4, carver l, tobaconist and segar
G., , tot yar
3, schoolhouses 3, marble worker l, painter
2, shoemakers and dealers 6, sewing ma
chimes agency 1, dressmakers 2, machine
shop /, restaurants 4, tinsmith l, grocery2,
coal office l, plumbers and gas-titters 2,
hosefurnishing l, office 1, boarding houses
3, hat and bonnet factory l, hair dresser /,
confectioner1, leather dealer 1, academy of
art 1, university /, matchmaker /. These
buildings, with the exception of II, We're
also occupied as dwellings.
A MARVELLOUS CHANGE.-The extraor-
binary change that has taken place in
Japan in ten years is hard to believe. 1t
is but ten years since the country was
opened to foreign commerce, and already
IN Yokohama and Yeddo, there are many
hundreds of native shops, selling foreign
goods, besides those kept by foreigners.
In addition to this, it is also stated as a
remarkable fact, that large part of the
male portion of the middle and upper
classes dress entirely in our style. Even
old men, too old to sport the new costume,
look with delight upon their grandsons
dressed in hats, boots, and what belongs
between, and take pride to show off in the
streets their "young Japan" thus aPpar-
elled.
The army and navy are remodelled on
European systems in organization, arms
and uniforms, down to the common trum-
pet, drum and fife. They have stages,
steamers and telegraphs: and a contract
has been made for a railroad. There are
two extensive boundaries, with foreign
machinery, in the country, and several
docks. AS to matter of diet, beef, the
abomination of Buddhism, begins largely
to be consumed, and bread is much liked.
In the heart of the capital sewing machines
hum in the tailors' shops. A foreign col
lege in Yeddo has hundreds Of boys study
ing English, French and German. Eight
foreign physicians instruct i'll medical col
leges. Newspapers are published in sew
e:al places, with their columns OF " For
eign" and Telegrams," clipped and
translated from our standard papers,
Bookstores, selling English and French
books, are seen in many places; and the
quantity Of books imported is prodigious.
SIZE AND MODEL OF THE ARK.-A
writer in the Nautical Gazette discusses
the subject at length, taking both the
Bible account and that recently discovered
in Assyria for basis. He says that, reck-
oning the cubit at 10 inches, the ark was
$50 feet long, IS feet wide and 45 feet deep
and would register about $4,000 tons, if
measured as sailing ship, or about 12, 900
tons, if measured as steamer, by British
rules. 1t was thus smaller than the Great
Eastern. 1t had three decks, and was d.
vided into numerous compartments by