Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-08
l BAL I T|MORE ABLAZE
Worst Fire In History of
 Monumental Citv.
EXPLOSIONS ADDED TO FIRE FEARS

1 EXPLOSIONS ADDED TO FIRE FEARS Fire Broke Out In Heart of Business
 section-whole District In Ruins.
 Hundreds of Warehouses and
 Stores Dcstroyed-Banlks, Hotels
 and DtstilIeries Gave Way Before
 the Flames.
 BALTIMORE, Feb. S.--The most de- structiye conflagration in the history i of Baltimore has occurred here, raging practically unchecked during many hours, completely destroying scores of 1 the largest business houses in the wholesale district, involving losses which cannot yet be estimated, as the l fire was, still burning fiercsly when night fell Owing to the wide extent of the calamity it will be a long time be- 1 fore even an approximate estimate can be made, though 1t Is certain that it has already exceeded S50,O00,O00. 1 Wholesale houses, hotels, banks and other buildings have been destroyed to the number of 150. Having fed on houses in the wholesale district to sR- tiety, the greedy flames turned next to the financial district, which is now menaced with destruction. 1 Although re-enforced by aid from Philadelphia, Washington, New York and other points, the fire department seemed to be helpless.
 i Realizing that the flames were win ming the fight, Mayor McLane gave or ders that buildings in the path of the fire be blown up with dynamite. l Chief Horton of the fire department was injured while directing the fight, i and ex-Fire Chief McAfee took charge. 1 Appeals were made to New York and 1 to other cities even as far distant as l Altoona, Pa, for assistance. Special ] trains rushed in the needed help, en- zines aud apparatus.
 !, Every newspaper office in the city has been burned out.
 1 The telegraph companies have been driven out of their offices, and com munication with the outside world is almost entirely broken off.
 The fire broke out shortly before Il o'clock in the morning in the whole sale dry goods store of John E. Hurst & Co., on Hopkins place, in the heart of the business district, with series of loud explosions which were heard in remote parts of the city, and spread with fearful rapidity.
 ] In a half hour there were a dozen E,9r .nt~z@ Sxx 1AIA IA goods and notions district burning fercely. The entire city fire depart ment was called out, but was utterly powerless to check the spread of the flames, which were aided by high winds, and soon there were savage fires in at least thirty big warehouses, and the conflagration was steadily eat ing it's way into blocks east, north, l west and south.
 1 Building after building fell prey to the flames, and apparently there was no check to the onward sweep of de- struction.
 On Baltimore street the block be- < tween Liberty and Sharp was soon ablaze, then came the next block east to Hanover, and after that the block
 
 broke out into flames, the Consolidated Gas company's building and Oehm's Acme hall burning fiercely.
 Meanwhile there were stores north ; of Baltimore street being similarly consumed. Mullins hotel caught and other buildings near it. West of Liber- ty street, on the south side of Balti- more, the block was doomed, and the big Baltimore Bargain House also caught.
 Down in Hopkins place, where the confagration started. Hurst's building and the other wholesale houses on both sides of the street crumbIed and l fell.
 r The big dry goods houses of Daniel Miller & Sons and R. M. Sutton x Co., were soon afiame, and along German, east and west from the Hurst building, there were dozen buildings burning and scores more threatened The spec tacle of ruin and destruction from any point in these doomed blocks was something appalling
 Mass &c KemDer's big wholesale store on Baltimore street quickly succumbed to the flames. and the walls fell with a l crash that was heard for squares. The ] Hurst building was utterly destroyed, not even n wall ten feet high being left standing and apparently the center of the caldron, from whence the flames ratliated over the doomed neighbor- 1 hood.
 On Hopkins place the Hopkins Saw 1 ings bank and the National Exchange bank were gutted by flames. the few 1 streams of water that the firemen were able to turn on them proving utterly intellectual sH even halt the destruction. Here acre Q street were the ruins of John E. S Co.,, and next to it s. Hecht, Jr Sons were in flames. Ad- joining was the large building owned by the William Koch Importing com pany, which was also quickly destroy ed
 AePoss fhn sfraet tho Ctan1ou <,