davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
SOME OF THE BURNED
PROPERTIES NAMED


The Fayette Street Episcopal church,
one of the oldest buildings in the city,
at Gay and Fayette, on the border of
the fire district, has nothing but the
outside walls left. The hardware store
of John Brown, at Concord and Pratt
streets, was reduced to debris.
On Gay street, between Lombard
and Water streets, two wholesale liq-
uor establishments, the Jarrett Will
liams company, a five story building,
and the Wilson DistiIling company,
also five-story structure, are reduced
to ashes, While a front wall is all that
/ is left of the f1ve-story wholesale liq-
uor plant of Kuhl & Son.
The Cummings & Melville distillery,
another five-story building. the whole
sale liquor establishment Of Broad,
Beck & Co., at Water and Gay streets,
and other similar establishments on
Gay street were destroyed.
The wholesale candy mandatory OF
the Lauer & Suter company at Lombard
and Frederick streets, embracing three
houses on Lombard and two on Freder-
lex, each of them four story struc-
ture, went next. The inflammable
buildings will give an idea of the
ferceness of the blaze. Spirits fed
the flames and the heat was terrible
Buildings sprang into living flames
before fire touched them and brick and
stone and mortar crumbled like chalk.
The atmosphere quivered, and In it,
surrounded by fire, the firemen OF this
and other cities, fought doggedly.
The Sea Gull Baking Powder COM
panys plant is destroyed. 1t had three
warehouses on Lombard street. In
the same block the Merchants Coffee
company with five brick buildings, sus-
tanned a complete loss.
Only the front and side walls mark
the wreck of the O'Donnell office
building.
Other buildings completely destroyed
were the Renovs and Kleinley whole
sale brush company, where a solitary
pinnacle of brick stands guard, and
the Reiter 6, Co., wholesale grocery
which had two f1ve-story buildings;
Edward Bruce & Co., wholesale liquor
dealers; G. M. Lamb & Co.. wholesale
dealers in produce; B. T. Busby, glu-
cose and soap agents; ". J. Brown
wholesale grocers with two four story
warehouses; the Peabody office build
ings, whose vault escaped; a big bank
building on Exchange place; Martin
Gillett company; the Produce Ex-
change, at .Bowley's wharf; Walkers
warehouses, at the foot of Commerce
street; Spears wharf; station Of the
Baltimore & Ohio, with six four story
warehouses, together with the wharf;
c. A. Gambrills flour mills, at Spears
wharf; the New ork boat dock, at the
foot Of Frederick street, frame
structure; the wharves of the Boston
and Savannah boats of the Merchants
and Miners Transportation company, a
frame structure; the York River line
dock, at the foot Of Concord street
also frame, at the Baltimore Saw
ings bank.
There were hundreds of other build
ings destroyed, including many Of con-
siderable commercial Importance, but
their complete list will be but a bust
ness directory of the burned area.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
DARING FEATS OF
FIRE FIGHTERS

While there were no casualties to
speak Of, the army of fire fighters per-
formed many daring feats in their des-
perate attempt to stay the flames.
Many times they were driven out of
close and hot places just as walls came
topping down.
The last large building to fall prey
to the flames down along Jones Falls
nearly caught five men. They were on
the roof and directing their efforts to
an adjoining structure when warning
shout was sent up that the interior of
the building on which they were stand
ing was mass of flames. They found
their way to a tin gutter, where one by
one they hung on, stretched out their
arms and grasped telegraph pole,
which was planted close to the struc-
ture. They slid down and had not
reached the ground when the roof fell
in with a roar.
More than a score Of fire companies
were here from New York, PhiladeI-
phia, Wilmington, Washington and
small towns within a radius of fifty
miles Of Baltimore. Their duty was to
check the flames in their onward march
southwark. This was a rather difficult
task, as both sides Of Jones Falls are
lined with lumber yards and old build
ings.
At every street the stream is spanned
by a small bridge and on each bridge
two and sometimes three engines were
standing taking water from the creek.
Stationed at various points in the lum-
Der yards were other steamers also TAX
ing water from the stream. The lum-
Der yards on the eastern side of the
creek were saved.
The cordons of guards completely en-
circling the fire restricted the number
of spectators within to a minimum,
ropes being stretched across the enter
ing streets with the armed members of
the federal and national guard on duty
to keep back the crowds
In the crowds were found not only
the inhabitants of Baltimore, but many
visitors from Washington, Annapolis,
Wilmington and surrounding towns,
even as far away as Philadelphia. The
gatherings are remarkably quiet and
orderly and the sentries, so far, have
had no difficulty in controlling them.
Inside the lines the streets were en-
numbered with the debris of fallen
brick walls, but aside from this there
was little difficulty in penetrating any
where
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
TIRED FIREMEN
TAKE NO CHANCES

The cheering news that the confia-
grafton had been checked spread rap
idly over the city, and the great crowds
that all day had surged against the
tightly drawn fire lines began to turn
homeward. Unless the wind, which
now blows briskly from the north
west, should change, it is believed that
there is no further danger. But the
tired firemen are taking no chances.
All over the burned district they are
tonight fighting the fierce flames that
still live in large piles of ruins. These
fires are no menace, however, for they
have nothing to feed upon outside their
present limits.
During the afternoon the wall of
flame ate its way in a southerly and
westerly direction towards the wa
ter. Sporadic fires sprang into exist
ence and caused the withdrawal of ap-
paratus and men from the line of bat
tie. Buildings, old and new, large and
small, stores, shops, every imaginable
class of business, vanished as the fire
swept onward.
AS the day wore on the forefront of
the fire neared Jones Falls, a small
stream that trends north and south
and divides Baltimore from that por-
ton Of the city known as East Balti-
more. This little stream was the last
stand.
If the confagration leaped it, If by
flying embers or a rush of flame the
fire could cross and gain a foothold, its
extent could not be foretold.
Tremendous efforts were made to
block it. Dynamite was used freely.
The fire apparatus was centered and
all the skill of the fire-f1ghters called
into play to defeat the element that
had eaten up millions of dollars worth
of property. And human skill, grit
and unfaltering courage won. The fire
was checked. But behind it lay a great
Quilted waste of more than 40 acres
in extent.
Every street that led to the fire area
was crowded with awe-stricken spec
tators. Down the narrow, gulch-I like
street the black smoke hung densely,
split now and then by a red glare of
flame. The crush of falling buildings
was lost in the roar of exploding dyna-
mite, as it was used to demolish struc-
lures as yet untouched by fire.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
HOW NEWSPAPERS
TIDE OVER CRISIS

The newspaper situation in Balti-
more is temporarily arranged as fol-
lows:
The Sun will use it's job printing
plant, which was outside the fire line.
The Herald is being set by hand in the
office of the Catholic Mirror and will
be printed tonight on the presses Of
the Evening World, which was also
out of the burned district The Ameri-
can has established temporary quar-
ters in Eutaw street, and the Evening
News has headquarters in the offices
occupied some years ago by the Herald
at Eutaw and Baltimore streets, and
will send it's matrices to the Philadel-
phia Press, copy being forwarded by
wire and special messenger. The Ger
man Correspondent in getting out it's
morning edition at the office Of the
World
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
STRICT MILITARY
CONTROL EXERCISED

The city was under the strictest of
military control. All around the burn
ed area was stretched a Gordon Of SOL
diers, who held up all corners at the
point of the bayonet. Police brought
from the neighboring districts patrolled
the district and on every street near
the limits of the fire area paced armed
sentinels. In the early hours this
morning the army of fre-ighters
COPIED against overwhelming odds, and
when dawn broke the flames were rag
ing fiercely along the wharves and
focused about the great power house
of the United Railways company,
which furnished the power for all the
street railways of the city.
Then the flames ate their way with
undiminished force southwark, fol-
lowing the lines of Jones Falls. and
were finally choked near the waters
edge at West Falls avenue, in the
southeast section of the city There
the flames continued through tonight,
but only in spots, with diminishing
fierceness.
The burned area is a scene of COM
plete devastation. Numberless build
ings that were the pride of Baltimore,
costly and stately, and occupied for
divers purposes, were Quilted and only
smoldering debris or walls or remnants
of walls remain to mark the sites. The
Baltimore American building, one of
the finest, is now but debris, save for
remnants and front and side walls.
Across South street, where stood the
Baltimore Sun building, only the pill
lars that marked the front remain.
Entire blocks just below there are
wiped out without, in some cases. a
wall left standing.
From Fayette street down Holiday
street as far as German street there
is no building left save the Corn and
Flour Exchange, at the corner of Ger
man street. That building, whose walls
tower above the crunbling debris of
what were adjoining structures, was
Quilted, and the standing walls formed
cauldon, the flames Of which burst
at times through the windows, but
could cause no further damage. In
numerous other wrecked buildings the
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
TELEGRAPH COMPANIES
REGAIN FEET QUICKLY

The service given by the telegraph
companies has never been surpassed in
such an emergency. Within twelve
hours after the fire broke out both
companies were almost helpless. BY
daylight there were linemen on the
ground from Philadelphia, New York
and Washington, in charge of the SUI
perintendents and managers of these
districts, and i'm less than six hours
the Western Union company had es-
tablished three offices, one at Camden
Station, for the Southern circuit; an
other on North Eutaw street for the
western business, and third at the
corner of Saratoga and North streets
for the Northern circuit.
The Postal company, whose main Of
flee was in the Continental Trust build
ing, was forced to vacate its office ear
ly last night, but before daylight to-
day the company had established quar-
tiers at Orleans and Fort streets, where
business was handled almost as
smoothly as usual. The volume Of
business handled was enormous, con-
sidering the difficulty encountered by
both companies in repairing their
broken wires, the service rendered was
little snort OF marvellous. Never was
body OF finemen more handicapped. A
short time after the flames broke out
all the electric light wires were pros
trated. When darkness came on the
hnemen We're left in utter darkness.
This did not deter them in their per-
ilous work. The men mounted the
poles and literally felt their way
through the network of wires with
death near at hand. The men never
faltered in their daring work Their
remarkable work was rewarded later
by a complete Strengthening out of all
wires without single accident to a
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
PILES OF MASONRY
BAR ALL PROGRESS

Down Pratt street, west from Jay
for several blocks, the oil in the wreck
of the Standard Oil buildings ignited
and there was a succession of eXplo-
sions with the bursting out of flames.
At times the smoke rolled up and
threw great black clouds over the ruins.
Pratt street for many squares is al
most impossible by reason Of huge
piles of masonry, and water with which
the fire companies flooded that section.
The electric wires are a tangled net
work and the trolley wires are down in
every direction. At O'DOnnelrs wharf,
where a freight station of the North
Central railroad is located, the flames
fed all day on the infiammable trim
mings of the annex to the power house
of the United States railroad, the main
building of which was Quilted early this
morning. The walls OF both buildings,
however, remain intact
The large buildings of the Miller Fer
tilizer company, the Bragener Oil COM
pany, G.. A. Robinson, dealer in seeds,
and the Martin Wagner company, can
ners and packers, opposite the slip
from the power house, were destroyed
and the ruins burned throughout this
evening.
Many of the occupants of Inflated
Pratt street were saloonkeepers and
dealers in secondhand goods. There is
nothing today to indicate that these
places ever existed save for brick piles.
All the buildings at Dugan's wharf,
nearby, were destroyed. The Hutchin-
son feed concern at this point is also
in ruins. Stretching from here down
East and West Falls avenue were BUSH
ness establishments. Among these the
Lime Cement company's plant, the
Cockrans ice house were burned. The
large four-story building of the Nc
Cormick Drug company, at East Falls
avenue and Pratt street, was ruined.
The William Tell house, a saloon and
hotel, at East Falls avenue and Pratt
street; the Hoffman house, another
hotel nearby; the T. J. Myers large
hve-story packing plant, and the w. w.
Boyer packing plant, were destroyed.
The Commercial building. a six-storv
building at the corner of Lombard and
Gay street, stretching over half block.
is destroyed, but the vaults are safe
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
EXTENSION ON LEGAL
PAPER IS ASKED

Shortly after noon the board -of man
ayers of the chamber Of commerce. met
at the Hotel Rennert Manager James
Z. German, of the Atlantic Transpor-
tation company, called the meeting to
order and explained its object. After
discussion, it was unanimously agreed
that owing to the chaotic condition Of
business, it was necessary to ask the
governor to declare a legal ten-day
holiday, and to also ask for~a n exten
sion of thirty days on all legal papers.
commission, composed of John c..
German, Robert Ramsay; Blanchard
Randall, Charles w. Heuster and ]. M
Wharton, was appointed to wait on the.
governor and to ask. his cooperation
in having the matter carried to a sue
cessfu1 termination
While conferences between the nav
or and the heads of his departments
We're being held in the city hall, and
GOV Warfield was receiving @delega-
tons at his office in the Fidelity build
ing, a corps of engineers were dynaruit-
ing the towering and dangerous walls
OF the Law building, less than two
blocks distant
Early this afternoon Gov. Warfield
asking that a corps of dynamite ex-
perts be sent over. to superintend the
demolition of the walls of the Law
and Herald buildfngs9
Late this afternDosT Maj. Edward
Burr, Capt. @. E. Gillette Lieut. q r.
Pillsbury and Lieut. E.. G. Dent Of the
engineer corps, Second battalion and
a company of engineers arrived from
Washington. They brought several
hundred pounds of gun cotton and
dynamite. After firing three charges
work was suspended owing to dark
ness.
The destruction Of fthe power plant
Of the United Railway company, which
company furnishes electric power to
the Baltimore & Ohio Railway com
pany in its tunnel. caused serious in
conveniences to the latter companv
within the city limits Mayor McLane.
however, granted the company the
privilege of using steam as a motor
power until other arrangements can
be made
Scores of kilograms were received
by Mayor McLane proffering assist
ance to the citizens of Baltimore, who
have suffered as result of the awful
fire. They came from the mayors OF
cities, railways and other corporations
and from prominent citizens all over
the country.
President Ramsey, of the Wabash &
Western Maryland railway, sent xhe
following telegram:
The Western Maryland Railway
company tenders its service in han
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
POLICE AND SOLDIERS
DO EXCELLENT WORK

Notwithstanding the magnitude of
the catastrophe, the absence of disor
der and confusion was remarkable.
This was due to the prompt action Of
the state and city authorities, who. as
soon as they realized that they had a
calamity to deal with, took a tight
grip on the situation, and never for
an instant let go. Tonight the fire de-
partment and the territory Immediate
ly surrounding it is under the strict
est military control.
During the confusion of Sunday night
detachments of regulars from nearby
forts were sent to the fire district and
assisted the police in maintaining or
der and restraining the great crowds
from encroaching upon the ffremen
The Fourth and Fifth regiments of
Baltimore, ordered out by Gov. War
field, came on duty before daybreak
under the command of Brig. Gen. Riggs
The men, who numbered 1000. were
distributed about the fire district. and
no one, no matter who he was, could
get beyond the line established unless
he held military pass These were
issued personally by the brigadier gen
eral at his headquarters at the court
house.
In order to be on the safe side, Gov.
Warfield, after a conference with other
officials, decided early in the day to
order out another regiment, and ac-
cordingly orders were sent to the First
regiment, the companies of which are
scattered over the state, to assemble
and come to Baltimore at once They
arrived during the night, and after re-
ceiving orders from Gen. Riggs. the
soldiers were distributed around the
great area of desolation. The Mary
land naval reserve also was called out
There was some fear that with
nightfall looting would start. The line
Of troops around the ruins was so
tightly drawn, however, that it will
be impossible for thieves to enter the
fire zone without detection.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09

ing was done to protect them from
their folly, the policing being almost
entirely confined to the encircling lines
of guards.
The clearing away Of the ruins will
be an affair of months. Every stand
ing wall must come down, and the
whole vast accumulation of debris
carted away.
Along the northern edge of the burn
ed district the number of standing
walls is especially noticeable, some of
the largest buildings, such as the Con-
tinental and the Baltimore &. Ohio Of
fice buildings, still being erect.
The magnificent front of the Inter
national Trust company, on Baltimore
street, thanked by massive pillars,
stands firm and apparently solid, and
other buildings.
In the center of the burned region
the large power house of the street
railway company IS the most extern
sive ruin, the surrounding buildings
having been of less substantial con-
struction. The southern part of the
burned area, that last reached by the
flames, was occupied largely by lumber
and coal yards and the smaller build
ings Of the shipping district inter-
spersed with occasional warehouses
and canning factories.
One of the spectacular sights of the
district is the lofty iceberg, 100 feet
high, left standing after the destruc-
ton of the wooden walls of an ice
house of the American Ice company.
Long after the walls had been con-
sumed the firemen continued to play
several streams upon the berg, the
sawdust in. which the ice was packed
sending out dangerous sparks, until the
fire had been entirely quenched
Close by this are the extensive lum-
Der yards of Wilson & Co., a solid
block of highly infiammable material,
projecting into the burned area, which,
strangely enough, was saved by the
firemen.
The trolley car system of the city
was partially resumed this evening.
The main power house. however, is a
total wreck and 1t will require weeks
to replace it. The other smaller power
house is nct equipped sufficiently to
furnish power to more than a few of
the numerous lines.
The theaters made no attempt to
open tonight.
The Protestant Episcopal Church of
the Messiah, Fayette and Gay streets,
was destroyed. The roof fell in soon
after the building took fire and the
huge pillars on the Gay street side fell
across the pavement. The Church Of
the Messiah was one Of the most his
torical ecclesiastical structures in Bal
timore. 1t was built in 1928, and was
formerly Christ church before that con-
gregation moved to its present location
at Chase and st. Paul streets in 1872.
Bishop Dudley, who recently died, was
it's pastor at the time
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09
EXPLOSIONS OF
DYNAMITE CONSTANT

Dynamite explosions were constant
today The programme adopted last
night of blowing up buildings in an
attempt to stay flames was continued
until the fire was under control. Then
the dynamiters turned their attention
to razing lettering walls which threat
ened to collapse The result was al
most constant cannonading and the
decorating was heard in all parts of the
city.
With the fire under control the black
ened waste which lies in the wake of
the sea of flames presents a view, ter
rible in it's pyrotechnic grandeur. Where
the fire has died out nothing remains
but waste, from which rise hundreds
of towering, insecure shafts. These
are all that is left of what were once
handsome office buildings, storage,
wholesale and business houses of all
kinds.
The loss will not be accurately es-
timated for weeks.
Few persons explored fully even such
portions of the burned district as the
cooling ruins would permit. The high
winds made it nearly impossible for
anyone to pass through the streets
bordered by crumbIing walls without
grave danger to personal safety. Tan
gled masses of wires cross and recross
the streets and these were dashed so
furiously by the wind that they could
they been alive.
In the burned district men prominent
in commercial life were found. Many
with heat-blistered and smoke-be-
grimed faces had been up all night and
as the morning broke were taking the
first inventory of losses. And that was
only the trail of the fire king The
heat and the flames were then raging
beyond, square by square, until the
very walls at the edge We're reached.
AT 11:2O the northern limits of the
fire had travelled from Fayette street
to Eastern avenue. At that point half
a dozen fire companies were fighting
from the rear, while other companies
were thanking on the Jones Falls and
the Liberty street borders.
Sandwiches and hot coffee were
served from drays Many of the men
were almost famished from their long
and dangerous work, and the food was
therefore godsend.
The banks of Jones Falls were lined
with lumber yards and the piles on one
side were blazing constantly.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09

Mr. Henry Smith, chief clerk and in
spector of buildings, Room 81, Court
House, says: "A paralytic stroke left
me with weakened kidneys, and finally
rheumatic trouble set in. Despite all
my efforts to counterfeit the weakness
or check the rheumatism, was unable
to do so until / took a course of the
treatment prescribed by Doan's Kidney
Pills, getting them at F. M. Parkers
drug store, opposite the postoffice The
swelling of my foot had been so great
that was unable to put it to the
ground. This disappeared after l had
taken several boxes. 1t goes without
saying that I value Doan's Kidney
Pills very highly"
For sale by all dealers. Price. so
cents. Foster Milburn Co., Buffalo. N.
Y, sole agent for the United States.
Remember the name-Doan's-an
take. no other.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-09

ding or moving supplies of any kind to
aid Baltimore in her great calamity"
The mayor telegraphed his thanks
to President Ramsey, and said he would
cheerfully call on the company when
necessary.
Late this evening Mayor McLane Wis
tied the lower section Of the burned
district with the idea of familiarizing
himself with the conditions existing
there and also endeavoring to learn
what relief measures would be nee
accarrr