Evening journal., 1904-02-08
BAL TIMORE FIRE.
HAND OF PROVIDENCE
ALONE CAN SAVE CITY

Publishers Press Special.
Baltimore. Feb. S, II a. m.-When day
broke over the stricken city Of Baltimore
the connagration which had been rag
Ing from 10 o'clock on Sunday morning.
worked with irreprossible determination
to wipe out the entire city.
Mans Aid Useless.
No effort OF man to stem flood Of fire can
avail.
only the hand OF Divine Providence can
silence the fearful scourge.
All night long people crowded around
fire limits. They hardly realized the hor-
ror Of the situation All. evea policemen
and firomen are exhausted from their
fourteen hours steady Gre lighting.
The militia and regulars who we're called
out 10 preserve order and to guard stores
from possible pillage were spellbound by
the grandeur Of the mighty flames that
licked building after building into ruin.
Estimate of Loss.
The loss Is estimated to be from one
hundred TO two hundred million dollars.
No one can exactly tell. The heart Of
the city has been laid IN ruins. Reinforce
ments from Harrisburg. Philadelphia
Wilmington and Washington had arrived
during the night.
The infusion Of new men into the con-
laict. however. was without avail. They
were completely helpless and as building
after building fell fire fighting apparatus
had TO be constantly shifted in position.
Started in Centre.
John E. Hurst & Co.'s wholesale dry
goods establishment, on the northwest
81
lwhere the fire started. is almost in the
centre OF ne wholesale section. II was a
lsix-siory brick structure packed from
basement to roof with dry goods and no.
dons. much Of which was Of a light and
nimsy nature.
The first warning that the place was
Iafire came when an alarm was received at
headquarters over the wires OF the auto
matte system which were connected with
the store, and this was about ten minu-
ties before II o'clock. When tho depart
ment came Il was Immediately seen that
a FIRE Of considerable magnitude was
burning behind the closed and shattered
doors and windows Of the establishment.
Before they succeeded In getting az the
blaze an exp osion came, which shook All
that pant Of the city and was heard FOR
miles outside. The supposiuon Is that the
Explosion resulted from the contact Of the
flames with a quantity Of gasoline in the
cellar which was used 10 run an engine.
! This IS merely conjecture which could
not o. confirmed last night
The firemen and the pedestrians who
were casually watching the outcome OF
the fire say that the explosion seemed "a
blow out every window in the building and
flames burst out in all directions.
: Masses Of burning Goth laces and frag'
; ments Of what had been stacked on tn,
; shelves AMI floors Of the building wer,
2 hurled high In the air. The force Of th'
E Explosion seemed to rend the roof. an,
q from the interior was vomited a volcanl
I OF brands and embers.
Amazing swiftness Of Blaze.
The winds caught these up and whiske,
them 70 and fro, until they were ethel
saught by the currents Of the gale tha
whipped the housetops or fell upon IN,
roofs and window lodges OF the near
by buildings. Each seed Of fire terminated
and produced woeful fruit with amazing
celebrity.
Ase the fremen were st7ll recovering
, from the shock and consterna lion bred b,
the upheaval in the first building th,
stores on the opposite corners Of Hopkins
+ Place and German street started TO burn
EXPLOSIONS Add Terror.
At o'clock a tremendous explosion o
2 about $50 barrels OF whisky. stored In tn
upper floors OF "a Hanover street. hurle,
tons OF burning matter across the stree
onto roofs Of the buildings opposite
which the fremen were drenching will
water in a vain hope TO make Hanove
street the eastern boundary iine Of tn
conhagration. The flames quvered for
few moments under the water. but sooi
ate into the buildings on the east side.
Two truck wagons caught fire and wer
/, consumed. and an engine was buried b.
! ! a failing wall, the iremen fleeing for thei
lives.
The whole city was notified Of the con
migration by a terrific explosion, whicl
. occurred not long after II o'clock. !
sharp splitting roar went up with re
verberating thunder. This was followe
! by a peculiar whistling noise. like tina
made by a shrill wind. The Churches Il
the central section Of the city were file
with worshipers, many OF whom becam
!, frightened and, while no panics ensued
hundreds OF men and women left thei
seats, and went outside TO see what hai
happened. In a few minutes streets an
: lpavements all over the city were crowde
p with excited people.
Another deafening crash occurred. an
; dense columns Of cinders AMI smoke sho
= up over the central section OF the city
and IN a huge brown column moved rap
[. idly toward the northeast. Borne on IN
strong southeast wind. the column o
I smoke. blazing cinders. and even piece
S lof tin roofing spread over the centre o
J. the city, and rain OF cinders fell. com
peliing pedestrians TO dodge red-hot piece
K lof wood.
j SOME OF FIRMS BURNED