Democratic messenger., 1888-09-08
Nine Piremen Buried.
z Crushed and Roasted
Under a Fallen Wall.
TERRIBLE FIRE IN BALTIMORE CITY.
Seven Fine Iron aud Brick business
Houses and Other Buildings Destroy.
ed-Firemen Work Midst . voliey
OF bullets From Exploding

Seven Fine Iron and Brick lsuslness
Houses and Other Buildings Destroy.
ed-Firemen Work Midst voliey
Of bullets From Exploding
Cartridges.
BALTIMORE, Sept. 3.-Thc most disas-
trous fire, both to life and property, that
has occurred in this city for many years,
broke out early yesterday morning at No.
100 South Sharp street. and spreading
with great rapidity on either side, soon
destroyed seven fine four story iron and
brick front buildings on Sharp street and
the hack buildings Of nearly the whole
row Of houses on Pratt street, between
Sharp and Hanover. The north wall Of
building No. 100 Sharp street collaps cd
and buried nine Of the frcmcn. Two Of
them--A. l.. Eek and John Kclly--werc
taken out alive but very badly injured
Sever were killed. Their names are -
George Bowers, Thomas Wagner, Perry
Ryan, and John Acomb, of No. truck
company; and Harry Walker, James Nc
Fee and George Kerins. Of No. z engine
Qmpany. The losses will aggregate about
1900 upon which there Is estimated
insuh.scc of $4,000. The heaviest losses
fall upon John King, president of the Erie
Railway company; Edward A. Prior d
Co. J. II. Winkelman & Co, NJ. s. Levy
& Son, Dobbs, Nudge Il Co., Tabb Bros.
Il Dimmock, Henry $. King Il Sons.
The fire continued until about II
o'clock when it was gP',eaS idcr control
The buildings on Sha FEET, from No.
lO5 to III, were sweps,. pn. nothing
being leil standing exec lthe fronts
The rear building Of the Matcrnitc. On
Lombard street, was torn down to pre-, mt
the fire from spreading further The in
mates Of the institution were all removed
quietly.
The firms Of Tabb BrothcrstE Dimmock
and Prior Il Co. had large supplies Of gun
and revolver cartridges In stock. During
the fire they began to explode, and for a
quarter Of an hour kept up fusilade, the
bullets going through the windows OH all
sides, but fortunately nobody was shot
with the exception Of ono man. who was
slightly wounded near the left eye.
While the fire was at its height the menu
bers Of No. Z engine company and No. 9
truck entered Tabb Bros building inicn.
ingto 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 the
men to come out. All Of them were has
tcning out, when the trcacllcrous wall fell
Oytr, and crashing through the floor of No
lo., buried the unfortunate tircmcn under
its grca, weight Then all efforts were
concentrated upon the pile Of ruins under
which nine human beings were writhing
In torture. The groans Of the men could
be heard from within this living volcanic
tombI ii has now taken fire and was
lelching forth jets of ilamc' lIalfa doz-
en- strong streams were turned on the pile
AMI the flames within were in short time
subduel. In few minutes John Kelly
was rescued. His left eye was burned out
Of It's socket and his head badly mashed,
bu, the surgeons say he will recover
Then AL. Eek was dragged from the ruins
with his right arm broken aud his side
badly injured. The other, however, were
beyond hope and their dead bodies were
taken one by one, all mangled. torn and
burnt, the last one being recovered late
last night. All Of the seven dead fircmcn,
whose names are given above, leave fami.
lies to mourn their untimcly end, except