The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-02-12

proaches to the fire had to shift their
positions repeatedly and dodge falling
cinders. Pieces of tin 8 by s feet square
were lifted into the air by the terrific
and. when they reached a point beyond
the scene Of the most intense heat. fell
Gathering to the streets.
Raging With Unabated Fury.
9:20 D. m.-The fire is still raging
with undated fury. The fire depart
ment is helpless with the flames
steadily travelling eastward on Balti-
more and Fayette streets. The Union
Trust building has fallen in. The
Herald building Is apparently doom
ed. and the occupants have moved
out. The Sun is preparing to move.
Clouds of burning cinders cover the
whole city.
Fire Near Court House.
1920 p. m.-The fire sweeping east
on Fayette street is within a short
distance of the court house, which
occupies the block bounded by Fay
cite. Lexington and Calvert streets.
Opposite is the postoffice and ad-
joining this is the temporary custom
house and opposite to this is the city
hall. The Calvert Office building, It
Fayette and St. Paul street, is afire.
and the Equitable building, which
adjoins it, is now threatened. The
main office of the Western Union
Telegraph Company is located in the
Equitable building, n the force is
leaving for a branch office. A mum
Der of buildings are being dynamited
in IN effort to stop the fire.
11:45-The fire is still eating its
way eastward ON Baltimore street
and on South and German streets,
including the financial district. Mayor
McBdne, who has been on the scene
all day and night, says it is utterly
impossible to make an estimate Of
loss. The fire officials say that thus
far it will aggregate $40.00O,0 600.
Crash after crash could be heard
within the burning district, but even
the firemen could not tell from what
buildings they proceeded. In the
seething urnace of flame all sense
of the direction or location of build
ings was lost.
Hundreds of merchants and bust
ness men with offices on the threaten
ed district were notified by watch
men and police. Many took steps to
have their books removed to a place
of safety.
A. c. Meyer & Co. and the Carroll
ton Chemical Company removed
boxes containing explosives to a point
several squares away from the fire.
Fire Unchecked at Midnight.
Baltimore. Md, February THE
fire which broke out a few minutes
before II o'clock this morning in the
wholesale dry goods house of John
E.. Hurst & Co. has ragged with I'M
restrained fury continuously ever
since and at midnight it is still I'M
checked. but is steadily eating its con-
Stunning way eastward on Baltimore
street. after having destroyed almost
all of the largest stores and ware
houses in the wholesale district
around Hopkins place and all the
buildings on both sides of Baltimore
street from Howard to Holiday street,
from Charles and Baltimore to
Charles and Lexington, n on Fay
cite street from Charles to Holiday,
including a total about twenty blocks
Of the most modern and substantial
buildings in Baltimore, involving a
loss which cannot now be estimated.
but which has certainly already
reached $780, Oo, 900 to $40, 900, 900.
Fire-Fighters Powerlesa
Ever since about 6 o'clock. when
darkness came the fire department.
although aided by engines from
Washington, Philadelphia, Whining
ton and the surrounding counties and
suburbs. has been utterly powerless
to make any effective resistance to
the consuming element, though for
hours as many as 400 streams of
water were thrown into the flames.
Indeed SO terrific has been the heat
ever since the fire started and so
and s~uffocating the volume of
flying sparks and burning cinders,
that the firemen could not stand long
within lighting distance Of the flames,
while early in the afternoon several
trucks and engines were hopelessly
sable by flying timbers. At Z
O'Clock the situation was so desperate
that Chief Horton decided that the
only thing left to do was to dynamite
at the threatening points, and thus
prevent. as far as possible, a further
spread OF the flames. In of
this plan a number of buildings on
South Charles street. between Ger
man and Lombard. were blown up.
Subsequently h splendid structure
Of j. w. Puts & Co., notion dealers.
at Charles and Fayette streets, was
dynamited and then The Daily Rec
ord building and the Ross drug store
n others. But his heroic remedy
merely delayed, but did not seriously
impede the onward march of the con-
f1agration, n for two hours or more
the fire department had stood prac-
tcally helpless n resourceleSs.
Associated Press Driven Out.
At 10:40 O'Clock the roof of the
building occupied by the Associated
Press took fire. n the employees
were compelled to vacate. though
they had time to take away all
their equipment They found refuge
in a branch office OF the Western I'm
ion Company on Gay street. The
prospect is that this office will have
TO be vacated in a few minutes, as
the flames are now breaking west and
east n volumes of sparks and bIaz-
ing cinders and splinrers are flying
in every direction.