Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-04
A FEARFUL FIRE.
SEVEN rIRrMEE KILLED Ann Sysoo
600 DESTROYED IN BALTIMORE.
A Valuable business Block swep, On Sun
dsy-How Brave Men Perishsd-.
Scenes and incidents.

the valuable business block bounded by
Sharp, Lombard, Hanover, end west
rratt streets, and during which seven
bravo fremen lost their lives We CLEAN
the following details from the baltimore
papers Of Yesterday
shortly after o'clock in the morning
the fire was discovered in the warehouse
az Edward A. Prior \ Co., importers Of
toys and fancy articlcs, No. 1903 south
Sharp street, near Lombard. Very soon
thereafter general alarm was turned in
ANA the whole department, including two
or three OF the chemical engines, were
upon the ground in short time. Stream
sitter stream OF water was turned upon
the fire and the chemical engines did
valusbie service in preventing greater
losses toy extinguishing the large sparks
which settled here and there upon the
surrounding property. particularly ON
houses south of Pratt street.
TIKI BIG WAREHOUSES;.
ficrcely the flames roAred through the
Eve stories of the iron-fronted Prior
1ulding. and then spread 10 the straw
hat mandatory OF Nj. S. Levy & Sons,
No. III south Sharp street, and 10 the
hardware establishments Tabb Brothers
. ilmmoek, No l07 south Sharp street.
The buildings, with the paper warehouse
a. Dobler d Nudge, No. ll3. the hard
uare house of Henry S. King. No. l15.
fe warehouse of J. II. Winkleman a
Co.,. No. lO5 south Sharp street. which
riu back about $50 feetto Cypress alley,
where the centre of the fire, which
worked It's way southwark to No. III, oc-
cupied by several families. to the houses
Du tie north side OF Pratt street between
Sharp and Hanover, and towards the
north into the dry goods commission
.oaSe of Wyie. Bruster & Co.. No lob
south sharp street In q few hours little
i.maincd of the seven big warehouses on
tac east side Of sharp street, and some
ut the greatest ornaments of Hopkins
Place. bat the front walls, Of iron or
iuck. ami smoking ruins behind.
Though water was poured from the
front aud rear. the fire. famed bv
northwest breeze, increased In volume
and intensity. Signs, cornlccs, and shut
tors CA the west side Of Sharp street were
lI.terci aud window-panes were shat
i.rel 10y the heat. and showers Of sparks
s.arered towards the east and south con-
house Of Hrshberg Hollandcr a Co.,
dealers in paints. oils, &C., Nos. 106, los,
and 100 west Pratt street. and the cloth
,.e store OF Samuel Brafman, No. l04
west Pratt street.
IMPEDED by WIRES.
Ircmen worked vigorously on all
sides ia their battle with the fire. They
sore somewhat impeded by the large
number of telegraph and telephone
wires stretching along the south side of
omnard street, but these were soon cut
..i after escaping the entanglements of
-.. wires living loosely on tie pavement
re frcmen were able 10 stay the pro-
.ress Of the flames towards the north.
DEATH n THE RUINS.
Members Of No. Hook-and-Ladder
Company and OF No. EnPiue Company
entered the fourth floor Of Wiukelmann =
warehouse, No. lO5 Sharp street, and by
.atung holes through the heavy division
walls endcavored to extinguish the flames
I'D No l07. occupied by Iabb Brothers
Dimmock. They were clouded in
coke. breathing became painful, yet
lacy labOred and swung thciraxes. The
lanes, and the snorting OF the tire-cn-
rues made it almost impossible TO hear
the explosions in the neiChbOung ware
houses. caused 10y the rapid discharge OF
thousands of cartridges of the largest
calbre like musketry fire in the adIoin-
ing hardware store. Were not they
comparatively safe ? The building was
"a fine four-story iron-iront structure.
The flames had not yet reached them.
TOO LATF.
Rut the men on the outside were
better able to Judge the danger The
,H.cers having charge concluded to with
Iraw the force in the building.
Come out, men /" was the cry that
went up.
lhe brave little band heard it. They
dropped their axes and rushed for the
.uirs. Too late A loud crash was
l.ard-louder than any Of the previous
.1p.o-iOns. The side wall Of Winkel-
mnlu's building had fallen. The con-
.as-ion shook the ground and could be
heard SQUARES away. Down came the
tr, Of brick and mortar and iron,
-ushing through all the floors and carry
Iar the frcmcn with them, and upward
Iaaped the flames all the more tierccly
rom that great funeral pyre, and a
Lover of sparks fell upon The roofs OF
tHe neighborng houses, setting fire to
.uldlngs sGuar, away. Several eX-
posions followed shortly aiterward.
hey seemed 10 be in the Prior building.
= cry of horror escaped from the
crowd which had gathered. Helping
hands there were many, hut what could
human aid avail III The engines IN
t.e city and several chemical machines
from tine Relt we're there, and dozen or
morc strcaAs of water were thrown upon
tle ruins. Mi II took long time to cool
t.e raging furnace Of fire sufficiently to
puroach the building III which the fire.
i-,n were.
WONDERFUL ESCAPES.
One Of them-A. J.. Eek, the daring
c.lmber-was dug ont after over two
urs herculean work. He WAS badly
lr,. hut the doctors say he will be able
tA more l2htning-rods.
Another. John a. Kelly, had been
cor the front wall on the second floor
aaen the crash came, and falling tlmbers
IA formed IA bridge and thus shielded
.u. lie managed to extricate himself
% half an hour aud crawled along the
.oulce 10 the next house but one, where
D.. Was pulled through window when
courletely exhausted and about to fall.
lbs ewes we're burned and his head was
tn-htfully cut and bruised, but he is ex,
rected 20 live. Seven men were buried
s, deep that they could not be reached,
ad al their comrades could do was to
sand by and wait until the flames could
ue slodued. The death Of the untortu-
mates must have been quick. as no one
could have lived more than an instant IN
tlcn place.
Bat the falling walls had also wrought
nun elsewhere. ia Cypress alley, IN the
l. - ~. nj