The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-26
A Full and Connected Account.

BALTIMORE, July 25-About 1880
o'clock this morning a fire broke out In
the extensive four.story brick steam plan:
ing mill and sash and door factory owned
and occupied by Jas. Thomas y Son, and
situated on the south side OF Clay street,
near Park. Clay street Is narrow street,
beginning at Liberty street, about mid
way between and parallel with Saratoga
street on the north, and Lexington street
on the south, and extends west, intersect-
ing Park and Howard streets, and ter
miuating at Eutaw street. Thomas u
Sons planning mill was in shape like
the letter L, having q front on both Clay
and Park streets. The fire broke out in
the engine room, near the center oil the
mill, and in q short time the building was
enyeloped in flames, and the boilers Of the
engine exploded. In the meantime the
fire alarm was sounded, and the steamers
were soon on the ground. A stiff breeze
from the southwest was blowing, and the
flames soon communicated with adjoining
buildings on each side OF Clay and Park
streets. A general alarm was sounded,
calling out the entire fire department.
The fierceness and heat increased and the
breeze fed the flames, which leaped across
Clay street TO the north side, and soon
each side OF Clay street east TO Park street
was on fire. The flames shot high above
the burning buildings and dense volumes
OF sutIoCating smoke were borne north
eastwards, hurliDg in every direction
blazing cInders which fell on the dry
parching roofs. In short time Park
street on each side, from Lexington street
on the south across Clay street to Saratoga
on the north, was q sheet OF fire, nearly
every building being in flames, and the heat
80 intense that all the flrGmcn were driven
from the street. The four blocks bound
ed bY Liberty street on the east, Saratoga
on the north, Howard on the northwest,
and Lexington on tho south, and inter-
sected BY Park and Clay streets, were
each ablaze, and several fine buildings on
Mulberry street had taken fire from burn.
inV brands hurled by the wind.
About II A. N. general conaagralion
seemed imminent, and the Fire Depart.
ment at Washington was tClegraphed
To, for assistance. Tho greatest con-
slernstion prevailed. The roofs Of sew.
eral buildings as lar OIL as Calvert street,
becafne ihhited, as also the dome ol the
Cathedral and the steeple ot st. Alphon-
ans Catholic church, corner OF Park and
Saratoga streets. In all directions, wo-
men and children were fleeing IRON the
burning houses, and for blocks around
every article Of furniture was being re-
moved pell.mGll and thrown from the
windows. The streets were impassibler
from being blocked up by furniture wag'
ons and every kind ofvebiCle that could be
brought into reQuisition while the fire was
raging, The entire fire department was
nobly at work battering against Its pro
gress, assisted by an army Of citizens, who
crowded the roofs Of the buildings on
every side, and many blocks of, ,quenching
the falling blazing brands with buckets O
water, and preventing Ignition by spread
inc wet blankets, The dome OF the Ca
ihedral was covered with blankets, and
Thus saved, as also st. Alphonsus church
The Iirenen were driven from Park stree
between Lexington and Saratoga by the
intense heat, They abandoned this sec
non 10 its fate and directed their main el
iorts 10 preventing the spread OF the tir'
bevond The four blocks named. Shortly
AMER one o'clock r. NJ, two engines arriv
cd from Washington and rendered VaIu
able assistance. The fire ranged I'LL 7
NJ, but by 4 o'clock was Completelyunde
I control,
' saws the burned district bounded by MuI
berry, Liberty, Lexington and Howar
e streets, and comprises ten blocks divide
z by Clay, Saratoga and Little Pleasan