The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-07-31
FlRE IN BALTIMORE.

BALTIMORE, July 25.-AboHt 1880
O'Clock this morning q fire broke out
IN the extensive four story brick
steam planning mill and sash and door
factory, owned and occupied by Jo-
seph Thomas & Son, and situated on
the south side of Clay street, near
Park. Clay street is q narrow street,
beginning at Liberty street, about
midway between and parallel with
Saratoga street on the north, and
Lexington street on the south, and
extends west, interseeting Park and
Howard streets, and terminating at
Eutaw street. Thomas planning mill
was in shape like letter l., having q
front ON both Clay and Park streets.
The fire broke out in the engine room.
near the center of the mill, and in a
short time the building was enveloped
in flames, and the boilers of the en-
gine exploded.
In the meantime the fire alarm was
sounded, and 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. on Clay, and
Park streets. A general alarm was
sounded, calling out the entire Fire
Department. The fiereeness and heat
of the eonfagration 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 suh-
coating smoke were borne eastward,
hurling in every direction blazing Gin
ders, which fell on dry, parching roofs.
In short time Park street on each
side, from Lexington street on the
south across Clay street to Saratoga
street on the north, was sheet of fire,
nearly every building being in flames.
The heat was so intense that all the
firemen were driven from the street.
The four blocks bound by Liberty
street on the east, Saratoga to North
Howard on the west, and Lexington
on the south, and intersected by Park
and Clay streets, were each abiaEe,
and several fine buildings on Mulber-
~ street had taken fire from burning
brands hurled by the wind.
About II a. m. q general conflagra-
ton seemed imminent, and the Fire
Department at Washington was tele-
graphed to for assistance. The great
est CONSERVATION prevailed. The
roofs of several buildings as far of as
Calvert street became ignited, as also
the doom of the Cathedral, and the
steeple Of st. Alphonso's Catholic
Church, corner of Park and Saratoga
streets. In every direction women
and children were fleeing from their
burning houses, and for blocks around
every article of furniture was being re-
moved pell nell, and thrown from the
windows. The streets were impassa-
BILE from blocking by furniture wagons
and every kind of vehicle that could
be brought into requisition. B. I.o
While the fire was raging the entire
was nobly at work bat
Ting against its progress, assisted by
an army Of citizens, who crowded. the |
roofs of buildings on every side and
many blocks off, quenching the fall
ing, blazing brands with buckets OF
water, and preventing ignition by
wet BLANKETS. The dome of
the Cathedral was covered with blank |
cts, and thus saved, as also st. Alphon-
so Church. The finemen, driven from
Park street, between Lexington and
by the intense heat, aban-
doned this section to its fate, and
their main efforta to prevent
ing the spread of fire beyond the four
blocks named. a.g afs.s. 4
Shortly after / O'Clock p. H., two
engines arrived from Washington,
and rendered valuable assistance. The
fire ragged till P. NJ, but by O'Clock
was completely under control. d 4
The loss was between $500, 900 and
81 ,000, 900, with an insurance of $780,
D0O. sda