The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-07-26
Destructive Fire :!
Nearly a Mile Square of
Baltimore Burned
The Loss Immense.
Particulars of the COnfiagratiOn.

BALTIMORE, July 25.-To-day fire broke out
in the planning mill of Joseph Thomas & Co.,
and soon after general alarm was sounded.
The fire extended to three adjoining buildings
and an immense confagration is now raging.
A stiff southwest breeze is blowing and great
cinders are waited several blocks off and in the
vicinity of the Cathedral. The locality of the
fire is in the immediate vicinity of the Presby
terrain church of Rev. DIR. Smith, corner of
Liberty and Saratoga streets, where the Pres
byteran General Assembly was held. The
entire southwest corner of this block is burned.
Second Despatch.
1.3O p. m.-The fire here is still raging.
Park street from Lexington to Saratoga, is in
flames, every house being on fire. The fire ex-
tends on Clay street from Park to Liberty
streets; and the rear of Liberty and Saratoga
and st. Alphonso's School, on the south side of
Saratoga street, running back to Clay street, is
gone. Stewards stables on Lexington street
Will be lost On Saratoga street, west from
Park street, every house is in flames. Up Park
from Saratoga to Mulberry street, at intervals.
tbs roofs on both sides of the street are burn
ing. On Mulberry street, the fine row of
houses on the northwest corner of Park street,
extending east to Cathedral street, is on fire.
BALTIMORE, July 25.-About 130 this morn
ing "a fire broke out in the extensive four-story
brick steam planning mill, sash and door fac
tory owned and occupied by Joseph Thomas q
Son and situated on the ssuth side OF Clay
street near Park
Clay street is narrow street beginning at
Liberty street bout midway between and paral-
Ell with Saratoga street on the north and Lex
lngton street on the south and extends west,
lntersecting Park and Howard streets and
terminating to Eutaw streets. Thomas plan
ing mill was in shops like the letter IL. =" hav-
ing front ON both Clay and Park streets The
nre broke out in the engine room near the CEN
tire OF the mill and in a short time the building
was enveoped in flames and the boilers of the
engine exploded. In che meantime a fire alarm
was sounded and steamers were on the ground
and playing on the fire. A stiff breeze from
the southwest was blowing, aud owing to the
heat and dryness Of the materials the flames
Don communicated with adjoining buildings on
each side on Clay and Park streets. A general
alarm was sounded, calling out the entire fire
department.. TIE ferceness and heat of the
conflagration increased and the breeze fed the
flames, which leaped across Clay street to the
north side and soon each side of Clay street
east of Park was on fire. The flames shot
high above the burning buildings and dense
volumes of suffocating smoke were borne
northeastward, hurting in every direction,
blazing cinders which fell on the dry roofs. In
short time Park street on each side from Lex
lngton street on the south across Clay street to
Saratoga street on the north, was sheet of
nre. Nearly every building being in flames.
Inc heat was SO intense that all the tiremen
Were driven from the street. The four blocks
Donnd by Liberty street on the east side, Sara
tosa on the north, Howard on the west and
Lexington on the south and intersected by
Park and Clay streets were each blaze and
several fine buildings on Mulberry street had
taken fire from burning brands hurled by the
wind
About II a. m, general confagration seem
ed imminent, and the fire department at Wash
ngton was telegraphed to for assistance.