Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-10
to Its regular guardians under normal


conditions.
: Fears had been entertained that the
far-spreading fire would be taken ad-
vantage of by the disorderly and Grim
inal element to attempt to maugurate a
/ season of loot and disorder. The COM
plete sweep which the flames made
of the fire area however, left little of
value unconsumed for possible plum
derers and the strict police regulations
have combined to keep law breakers
in practical complete restraint.
! But one case of theft has been re-
the culIrit being arrested while at
tempting to make off with few boxes
of cigars which had passed undam-
aged through the flames.
| In the midst of the flames swept area
were the vaults of the many safety de-
| post companies and safes of the dozen
or more banks and trust companies
| containing rich treasures which needed
no guard beyond the heaps of ruins in
| which they were buried and their own
flames warped and distorted walls. 1t
is believed that the highly valuable
contents of these safes and vaults
PASSED unchanged through the flames,
but in most cases it will be an eX-
tremely difficult task to open them and
ascertain the condition of the contents.
With the falling of night began the de-
parture of outside firemen who had re-
sponded to the call for assistance from
Baltimore. the flames being SO COM
plately under control that Fire Chief
Horton believed he could safely dis
| pcnse with the battalions from other
towns.
In order to give the Baltimore fire.
men an opportunity for a little rest be-
fore continuing work, however, Il num-
Der of outside companies remained at
work during the night, notably the de-
tachment from the New York fire bril-
gade which had been demonstrating
it's efficiency throughout the day and
nine companies, half Of the Baltimore
brigade, We're ordered back to their
houses before 1 o'clock in the morning.
Others of the wearied Baltimore fire
fighters We're relieved during the late
afternoon and night by members of the
volunteer department from Atlantic
City, who, leaving their apparatus at
home, took charge of the Baltimore en-
gines and directed the streams upon the
blazing ruins. The outside fremen de-
There was little work for the firemen
during the night, all apprehension of
any further spread of the flames being
removed before night fall, but the en-
gines pumped streams on the smould-
ering ruins throughout the night. The
work required the service of but two
or three men to an engine, the men,
bers of the crews taking turns on duty.
In most cases the hose nozzles were
simply propped up in position and the
streams left to play without other di-
rection for hours.
The telephone systems Of the city
were badly crippled, their central ex-
| changes being located in the danger
zone, but, today, they We're giving SER
vice through branch stations. The
street railway service was almost par
alyzed by the fire. the great central
power house having been entirely con-
stunned. Service was maintained on
parts of some of the lines, however
power being obtained from the outly-
ing plants and, today, cars We're run
ming on several lines.
A cOnllagration in the residential
section of East Baltimore was avertetd
only by the prOmptness of some of the
young men of the city. Yesterday af-
ternOOn, sparks were carried from the
fire to roof of a church on Canton
avenue, two miles from the scene of the
trouble.
Young men found an old volunteer
hand reel, pulled it to the church. The
cracked old hose of other days was I'M
wound and attached to a city plug. The
city pressure was enough to carry the
| tn no nf no ~, ;t
vas saved. In the meantime the fire
Rad spread to adjoining buildings. but
il was promptly put out by the volun-
tcer fire fighters.
During the night the Young Mems
Christian Association building, the
Maryland theatre and all of the leading
clubs put their shelter and accommo-
dations at the service of the firemen
and militia from other cities and of the
Guardsmen when not on duty.
kilograms were received during the
night by Mayor McLane and other city
officials. rendering the sympathy of the
people of many sister cities.
The editor of the Daily Illustrated
Mirror of London, Eng, telegraphed
sympathy and asked IL funds were
needed.
Throughout the burned district the
only light during the night was that of
the fitfully burning piles of combusti-
hles and the flare Of gas from broken
mains.
During the early morning hours how
ever, consumers of gas in the residen-
tial section were warned of the danger
of leaving gas burning, owing to the
probability of explosions in the ruined
! district.
! Checked and bounded by the harbor on
tie south end and by Jones Falls on the
east. the fire could spread no further, last
night. and the work of the firemen was
in the main to prevent the reawakening
OF the flames The high wind made con-
slant vigilance necessary in the eastern
section of the city. Occasionally sparks
would be waited across the Jones Falls
stream to endanger the lumber on that
side of the stream, but the piles were so
thoroughly watersoaked that these flames
were quenched in their incipency.
| The New York engines were massed at