Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-09-08
A FATAL FIRE.
Seven Firemen Killed, and
Many Injured.
Baltimore Experiences tho Largest
Fire Ever Known in Her His
tory-Ovcr $1,O00,o00
worth OF Property
DESTROYED.

Fire destroyed about 81 ,UUU,uUU worth ol
property Sunday in the block bounded by
Sharp, Lombard, Hanover and Pratt streets,
Baltimore, and the following named mem-
ters Of the fl. Q department were killed while
in the discharge of their duty:
Patrick j. Ryan, aged 81 years.
Hiram a. McAfee, aged &c years.
Harry D. Walker, aged Sc years.
George Bowers, aged 81 years.
John Acomb, aged 81 years.
Thomas Wagner, agel so years.
G: orge Kerns, aged 81 years.
Shortly after four O'Clock in the morning
the fire was discovered in the warehouse OF
Edward a. Prior s. Co., importers OF toys
and fancy articles, No. 100 South Sharp
street, near Lombard.
Alarms were Immediately sent out, and
the engine and hook and ladder companies
quickly responded, but Chief Engineer Hen
nick, noting the serious character OF the fire,
turned in the general alarm Of four twos,
and the whole department were upon the
ground in short time. Stream after stream
chemical engines did valuable service in pre-
venting greater losses by extinguishinS the
large sparks which settled here and there
upon the surrounding property, particularly
OH houses south of Pratt street.
Fiercely tile names roarcd through the
five stories OF th. ron-fronted Prior build
ing, and then spread to the straw nat manu-
81. rf,f NJ ~ nd I'm ~
hardware establishment OF Tabb Brothers DC
Dmmock The buildings, with the paper
warehouse of Dobler s. Nudge, the hard
ware house of Henry S. King, the warehouse
of j. H. Winkelmun & Co., which ran back
about $50 fert to Cypress alley, were the
centre of the fire, which worked It's way
southwark TO No. III, occupied by several
families, to the houses on the north side OF
Pratt street between Sharp and Hanover
an towards the north INTO the dry goods
commission house Of Wyle, Brustcr &c Co.
In few hours little remained of the seven
big warehouses on the east side oil Sharp
street, and SOME of the grea est ornaments OF
Hopkins Place, but the front walls Of iron
or brick, and smoking ruins behind.
Though water was poured from the front
and rear, the fire, famed by northwest
breeze, increased in volume and intensity.
Signs, cornices aud shutters OIL the west
side OF Sharp rect were blistcrel and win
dowpancs were shattered by the heat, and
showers of sparks, scattered towards the east
and south, conveyed the fire to the rear OF
the warehouse OF Hirshberg, I1olander Il
Co., dealers in panis, oils, ETC., and tho
clothing store OF Samuel Brafman,
FIremcn worked vigorously on all sides in
their battle with the fire. They were some
what impeded by tho largo number Of
telegraph and telephone wires stretching
along the south side of Lombard street, but
these wero soon cut, and after escaping the
entangements of tho wires lying loosely on
the pavement the firemen were nblo to stay
the progress of tho flames towards the north.
Members of No. 2 hook-and ladder com
pany and of No Z engine company entered
the fourth floor of Winkemann's warehouse
and by cutting hoes through the heavy
division walls endeavored to extinguish tile
flames in No. l07, occupied by Tabb Bros. d
Dimmock. They had been in the Winkel-
mann building but few moments when a
tremendous explosion, OF cartridges 1t IS
slpposed. occurred in Tabb Bros, and the
division walls fell with great crash. carry
ing down the upper stories with their con
tents. and burying nine brave men under o
beap of bricks, plaster and spintered wood,
from which rolled a sitting yellow smoke
md dust.
Tho fact that the men had been crushed in
creased the excitement of the thousands of
persons standing impatiently outside the
ropes. and the police were busy for time i'll
keeping the space about the burning build
ines clear for the iiremcn. Tile latter, as
soon as possible begun the work OF trying to
rescue their companions, seven OF ~hon,
while facing duty had met death. Details
from the various companies were put to work
upon the pile Of ruins, and tho other iiremcn,
dceplv affected at the sal calamity, re-
doubled their efforts to save valuable prop
erty.
A ready ear was kept by the firemen for
my cries of distress that might come from
the ruins but nothing human was heard
At 80 in the afternoon the body OF Patrick
J. Ryan was found among the debris, thirty
feet from the front of tho building and
about six feet from the south wall He was
lying with his face down, aud in his dying
agony had bitten his tongue OF.
The next body found was that OF Henry D..
Walker. 1t was inan upright position, about
n foot from the north will. cameo ring
shone on the little finger Of his right hand,
which was burned to crisp. Both arms
were broken. His legs were horribly burned
and swollen ,.
George Bowers body was shortly after
wards discovered near the wall His hand
was over his mouth, and both knees reached
his chest Both arms we're broken ana
twisted-the right above the elbow, and
the left below The right leg was broken
below the knee. All the hair was burned OH
his head.
Tile body of Kerns was found early in the
evening in the cellar, a few feet in front OF
the positions occupied by the others. Inc
lead was down. 1t was horribly burned.
the face being charred beyond recognition.
The remains of McAfee were found directly
beneath those of Kerns. They, too, were
scorched and burned being worse than those
of Kerns.
The total loss of property amounts to over
one million of dollars, and it is the largest
fire that ever listed Baltimore.
R(OTaIN CLEVELAND.