The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-08
200 MILLION
DOLLARFIRE
Biggest Blaze in the History
of Baltimore.
FIRE BRIGADE POWERLESS
Several Severe Explosions Added
to the Dangers Attend
ing the Fire.
FIRE BRIGADE POWERLESS

BALTIMORE, Feb. s.-The most de-
structive conhagration in the history
of Baltimore has occurred here raging
practically unchecked during many
hours, completely destroying scores Of
the largest business houses in the
wholesale district, involving losses
which cannot yet be estimated, as the
fire was still burning fercely when
night fell Owing to the wide extent Of
the calamity it viii be long time be-
fore even an approximate estimate can
be made, though it is certain that it
has already exceeded $500o0000.
Wholesale houses, hotels, banks and
other buildings have been destroyed to
the number of 15O Having fed on
houses in the wholesale district to sa
tiety, the greedy flames turnedR next to
the financial district which lis now
menaced with destruction.
Although REINFORCED by aid from
Philadelphia, Washington, New York
and other points, the fire department
seemed to be helpless.
Realizing that the flames We're win
ming the fight, Mayor McLane gave or
ders that buildings in the path of the
fire be blown up with dynamite.
Chief Horton of the fire department
was injured while directing the fight,
and ex-Fire Chief McAfee took charge.
l.. "a 70 Norxy Npfslr n nj
to other cities even as far distant as
Altoona, Pa, for assistance. Special
trains rushed in the needed help, en-
gines and apparatus.
Every newspaper office in the city
has been burned out.
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 Il. 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 half hour there were a dozen
big warehouses in the wholesale dry
goods and notions district burning
fiercely. 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 confagration was steadily eat
ing its way into blocks east, north,
/ west and south.
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
on the south side to Charles street
broke out into flames, the Consolidated
Gas cOmpany's building and Oehm's S
Acme hall burning flercely.
Meanwhile there were stores north
Of Baltimore street being similarly
consumed. Mullins hotel caught and
other buildings near 1t. West of Liber.
ty street, on the south side of Baltl-
more, the block was doomed, and the
big Baltimore Bargain House also
caught.
Down in Hopkins place, where the
conhagration started, Hurst's building
and the other wholesale houses OIL
both sides of the street crumbled and
fell.
The big dry goods houses of DAME
Miller & Sons and II. NJ. Sutton & Co
were soon ahame, and along German
east and west from the Hurst building
there were dozen buildings burnn!
and scores more threatened. The spec
tacle of ruin and destruction from an!
point in these doomed blocks wa
something appalling.
Mass & Kemper's big wholesale stor
on Baltimore street quickly succumbet
to the flames, and the walls fell with
crash That n.a hard FOR squares. Th
Hurst hu'h''g ~ utterly destroyed
not even "a wall ten feet high bein
left standing and apparently the cente
of the caldron from whence the flame
radiated over the doomed neighboI
hood a
liz. a as~ -.