The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-08
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS A MYSTERY
SWEPT In FIERCE FURY
OVER THE DOOMED CITY
Efforts of Firennen and Resort to Dynamite
Futile to Stay Progress of Ruin.


origin OF the great fire is not now
known. and perhaps never will be
definitely ascertained. At this time
IL is only known that the blaze started
in the big wholesale dry goods house OF
John z. Hurst & Co, at the corner of
German Street and Hopkins Place. 1t Is
supposed that the fire orr ginated I'm the
basement of that structure
It was ten minutes before IL o'clock
yesterday morning when the automatic
fire alarm box in this building rang in
the alarm. The building Is in the heart
of the wholesale section. and as is usual
on Sundays there was a comparatively
small number of people I'M the vicinity.
Hundreds OF Baltimoreans were at
tending divine services fri the churches.
and thousands OF others were at their
homes. entirely ignorant and unmindful
of the terrible disaster to their city and
themselves which was Impending. The
first alarm caused only the ordinary
amount of excitement as the engines,
trucks and hose carts In the vicinity
rushed TO the scene. The Changing of
their bells did not for the moment
seriously disturb the Sabbath solemnity.
Streets Were Deserted.
Only those within the Immediate
neighborhood were at that time in any
way disturbed. 1t was only a Sunday
morning fire, and people in the residence
portion OF the city had little concern.
for they had no way of knowing Of the
great pail which hung over them, that
within few hours the great CONNER
ciai heart of the city Of Baltimore would
be lying in ruins, destroyed by the
greatest confiagration, except the Chi
cago disaster Of generation ago. which
visited a ,, lrfrz
The church bells continued to ring.
calling the people to religious service.
almost as II were in unison with the
measured strokes of the fire bells. and
out of tune with the. harm changing OF
the gongs on the putting engines as they
rushed in response to the calls which
came in thick and fa;t following the
signal of fire in the Hurst building.
Engine No. Is and truck No. 2. which
have their stations but a few blocks
away from the scene Of the incipiency
Of the eonfagration. were the first to
reach the corner of German Street and
Hopkins Place Even before they had
gotten into place and could get a stream
of water playing upon the rapidly
spreading flames. there was heard
gigantic explosion, which shook the big
structures for blocks around, and in a
measure awoke the city from its Sab
bath lethargy. Everyone at the scene
then knew what had happened. The big
gasolene tank in the basement of the
Hurst structure which was used to feeo
the gasolene engine in the building had
caught Ere and exploded. Instantly the
flames shot upward. reaching every part
of the structure. The stock being for
the most part Of highly combustible
material. was devoured like tissue paper
a urhf ha AZ
licked up the woodwork like finder.
Engulfed Fire Apparatus.
Following the explosion the walls
swayed and shook and in an instant
with terrific crash and roar fell almost
before stream Of water could be got
ten TO play upon the burning building.
Engine No. IS and truck No. were
buried beneath the debris. but for
tunately the fire fighters were able to
make good their escape SO close were
they to danger that the horses which
had been removed from the engine and
truck had their hair singed.
AS the walls fell shower OF fiery en-
bers and sparks few upward and the
whole building presented the spectacle
OF a roaring furnace The heat was so
intense as 70 interfere with the opera
lions Of the firemen. who were. by rea-
son OF the loss Of the first engine 20
reach the scene. temporarily disabled
and the blaze was enabled thus TO get
a good Roadway before 1t was possible
even TO moisten the burning embers with
a spray OF water
As the walls OF the Hurst building fell
the flames were Immediately communi-
Gated to the surrounding buildings on
each of the three other corners The
building occupied by ithe Daniel Miller
Company, and the structure occupied by
r. III. Sutton & Co. Immediately adj
Joining the Hurst property, were the
first TO catch fire after the destruction
OF the Hurst Building, which was so
sudden that II was doomed almost be-
fore anyone had time 10 realize what
was happening
Across Narrow Streets.
The streets being narrow the flames
easily leaped across German Street and
the still narrower thoroughfare known
as Hopkins Place TO the building Of the
Merchant Manufacturing Association
the bank on the opposite corner. and the
little old frame saloon. almost a century
old. on the remaining corner
In less time, it seemed. than is required
10 Write IT. all four corners were a
mass OF seething flames. The ;ittle
F'e+' tffQAAfu the names In
mere passing, leaping as they did TO the
larger and more stately structure. as
II they were bent upon doing all possible
damage In their wild fury OF desoIation
and destruction II all happened in such
an incredibly short space of time that
tne entire city seemed deinoraIized before
X awoke to the awful calamity which
was just then only In it's beginning
Alarms were sent I'm in rapid suo-
cession' and I'm a short time every fire
nghting machine in the city was I'm serv
Ice and every man in the department
was exerting every effort to stay the
fury OF the flames. but with scarcely
anything OF success The fire fighters
were utterly pOwerless. The more water
poured upon the roaring flames the
more they seemed to laugh at their
freedom. and their roar Knocked all at
tempts to stay their devastation.
Flames Everywhere.
East, west, north. south, in all direc-
tons the flames spread. few minutes
after the fire started Chief Engineer
Horton. Of the Baltimore department.
was seriously injured by an electric
evgI