Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-08
The Whole Southeast Section of Balti-
more Was Menaced.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD GIGANTIC TASK
TO COPE WITH THE SITUATION-AID
FROM OUTSIDE

once thrilling, pathetic and narrowing.
This district is fully two miles square, and
it is two miles square of utter ruin and
desolation. Scores and scores of which
were palatial, modern and so-called fire
proof buildings yesterday are today so
many shapeless piles of grimy and black
ened debris smoudering and smoking and
a mere CHASTITY mockery OF their vanished
splendor.
The devastated portion of the city is close
ly patrolled by the police of this city, aided
by policemen from Philadelphia and Wash
ington, state militiamen and four COM
panies of regulars from Fort McHenry.
No one is allowed to enter the prohibited
lines except by special permission. Out
side this line tens of thousands of eager
and anxious people are cOngregated, and
in directions there are moving multitudes
of men and women looking curiously on
or vainly seeking for more and definite in
formation about the great con1agration.
Serious Blow to the City.
Everywhere there is in evidence feeling
of awe and terror over what has happened
and of solemn apprehension of what may
follow. The common remark of citizens is
that Baltimore has received blow from
which it cannot recover for years Mayor
McLane is among those who are optimistic
and today while expressing his sorrow and
horror over the calamity which has befallen
. this city expressed the hopeful conviction
that the city will quickly rise phoenix like
from its ashes.
1t is anticipated that there may be much
suffering and deStitution following upon the
heels of the destructive visitation, and
Mayor McLane and other city officials are
already discussing the most ready means
of relief. 1t is estimated that many as
20,O ,OG0 persons will be thrown out of en-
ployment and many of these and their
families will be without resources
Brigadier General Riggs. commanding the
national guard. who has charge of the
street patrol, has issued strict instructions
| to guard against any possible looting of
partially destroyed or abandoned houses
| So far there have been no instances of loot
ing reported
| City to Be Placed Under Martial Law.
Gov Warfield has called extra ses-
| sion of the legislature to meet this evening
| at o'clock to empower him to declare the
| city under martial law and suspend all the
| business for ten days The action was
| taken after conference with Attorney
| General Bryan. when the governor was ad-
| vised that he did not have authority to re-
| lieve the city authorities of responsibility
| without the authorization of the legisla-
ture.
Today has been declared a legal holiday
| In order to give the clearing house chance
| to Straighten out. Gov. Warfield stated
today that every safe deposit box and vault
in the various institutions was absolutely
safe. that the records were preserved, and
that it Was next to impossible for serious
danger to happen to the documents con-
tanned therein
The governor made this statement be-
cause his offices in the Fidelity building had
been besieged since o'clock this morning
by numbers of women who had interests
of valuable nature there.
Body of Fireman Found.
The blackened remains of fireman were
t. h.
morning, where he had rushed in in an eff
fort to get line of hose to the roof
Chief Engineer Horton. who was over
come during the progress of the fire yester-
| day afternoon, was reported as resting
easily this morning.
District Chief Dmrich is temporarily in
command of the department.
"he lumber yards all along West Falls
avenue from Pratt street to the waters
edge are in ruins Cracking flames are leap
ing high in the air, sparks falling all over
the neigEborhood. There is absolutely 10
nope for any of this section. At this morn
Ing there was terrible crash in the neigh
borhood of Pratt street near Jones' Falls
and from every section huge bolts of iron
! and sheets of metal careened through .he
air 1t was the tremendous power house Of
| the United Railway Company and United
Electric Light and Power Company. In
hfteen minutes the gigantic structure was
heap of ruins. and the expensive ma
n
| wreck This was the largest and one of
the most expensive plants for generating
| electricity in the country
| All night a guard of men was working
| guarding the gas main across Jones' Falls
| which supplies the business section of the
| city with gas from the Canton reservoirs
| At O'Clock this morning the main was still
! all right and the indie 3tions were that the
| supply would be saved.
| 1t is likely that Union dock on which the
| Old Bay Line is located will go up in
] flames. The tremendous business storage
| and warehouse section in this vic nlty he
| tween South street and Jones Falls from
| tayette TO Pratt. is a mass of ruins
Buildings Being Dynamited.
The dynamiting of buildings has been
| continued today, but the necessity for such
! heroic preventative was not SO urgent
/ today as yesterday.
The fire is now, at 11:30 a. m., raging
| along the lumber yards packing houses ana
| warehouses east of Jones' Falls and south
| of Baltimore street. 1t is thought that
| the flames can be confined TO this DIS
| trict as the falls at that point are several
| hundred feet vide
| There is danger, however, of flaming
| brands being blown across the stream, IN
| which case the whole southea Stern sec
| ton of the city probably VIII be swept to
| the city limits, as the wind is blow rg
| strongly from the west Freight cars are
| being removed from the President street
! sta ation of the p, w & h. railroad on the
| east side of the falls, south of Eastern
/ avenue.