The Osceola times., 1888-09-08
A BALTIMORE BURNING.

A Sunday Morning Blaze In the Monu-
mental CITY Involving Loss Of 81 $780,
go In Property and the Lives OF Seven
brave Firemsn By Failing Wails-Two
Others Seriously Injursd.
BALTrnoRR, Nd, Sept a-0ne OF the
most disastrous fires both TO life and
property that has occurred In this city
for many rears, broke ont at half-past
four O'Clock yesterday morning at No.
100 South Sharp street, and spreading
with great rapidity on either side, de-
stroyed seven fine four story iron and
brick front buildings on Sharp street and
the back buildings Of nearly the whole
row Of houses on Pratt street between
Sharp and Hanover. The north wall Of
building No. l09 Sharp street collapsed
about $3.50 a. m. and buried nine of the
hremen. Two Of them, A. l.. Eek and
John Kelly, were taken out alive but
very badly injured. Seven were killed.
Their names are George Bowers, Thomas
Wagner, Perry Ryan and John A. Comb,
OF No. truck company, and Harry Wall
ker, James McFee and George Kerins, o
No engine company.
The losses will aggregate about 81 80 =.
600, upon which there is an estimated in.
surance Of 100000. The heaviest losses
fall on John King, president Of the Erie
Railway Company; Edward A. Prior &
Co., j. II. Winkelman g. Co., N. =. Levy
e. Son, Dobbs, Nudge & Co., Tatb Bros.
& Dimmock and Henry s. King g. Sons.
The fire continued until about eleven
O'Clock, when it was gotten under control.
The engines are still throwing streams on
the smoldering heaps Of ruins, however.
The buildings on Sharp street from No.
105 to No. III were swept clean, nothing
being left standing except the front. The
rear building Of the Maternite, on Lom-
bord street, was torn down to prevent the
fire from spreading further. The inmates
OF the institution were all removed
quietly. rs.
The firms Of Tabb Bros. & Dimmock
and Prior & Co. had large supplies OF
gun and revolver cartridges In stock.
About $3.50 a m. ney began to explode,
and for a quarter Of an hour kept up a
fusilade, the bullets going through the
windows on all sides, but fortunately no.
body was shot, with the exception Of one
man, who was slightly wounded near the
left eye. Shortly before SIX o'clock the
members Of No. engine company and
No. 2 truck enteret Tabb Bros.' building,
intending to cut holes through to No. 100.
Those In the street saw that the side wall
OF No. 100 was beginning to sway, and
called to them TO come out. All Of them
were Fastening out, when the treacherous
wall fell over, and crashing through the
floors Of No. 107, buried the unfortunate
dremen under Its great weight Then all
efforts were concen trated upon the pile OF
ruins under which nine human beings were
writhing In torture. The groans Of the
mon could be heard from this living vol
canic tomb, for 1t had now taken fire and
was belching forth Jets Of fame. Half a
dozen strong streams we're turned on the
pile, and the flames within a short time
were subdued.
In few minutes John Kelly was res
cued. His loft eye was burnt out Of its
socket and his head badly mashed, but
the surgeons say he will recover. Then
AL Eek was dragged from the ruins. His
right arm was broken aud his side badly
injured. The others, however, were be.
yond hope, and their dead bodies were
taken out one by one, all mangled, torn
and burnt the last one being recovered
late last night.
All of the seven dead hremen whose
names are given above, leave families to
mourn their untimely end, except Harry
Walker, who was single man.
1t Is impossible to get any thing like q
correct list of the losses aud insurance.