The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-09


 broke the flames were raging fiercely
 along the wharves and focused about
 the great power house of the United
 Railways company, which furnished the
 power for all the street railways of the l city.
 Then the flames ate their way with un- 1 diminished force southward. but were | finally checked near the waters edge at l West Falls avenue In the southeast sec | ton of the city.
 l The burned area is a scene of complete devastation. Numberless buildings that
 were the pride of Baltimore, costly and
 stately, and occupied for divers purposes. were gutted and only smoudering debries or walls or remnants of walls, remain to mark the site.
 The Baltimore American building, one
 of the finest in the city is now but a | smouldering debris Across South street | where stood the Baltimore Sun building
 only the pillars that marked the front
 remain. Entire blocks just below there
 are wiped out, without, in some cases, a wall left standing
 Not Building Left. From Fayette street down Holiday street as far as German street, there l is no building left save the shell of the l Corn and Flour exchange at the corner of 1 German street. Like a grim tower in the ruins, stands the walls of the fif- 1 teen-story Continental Trust company building. The walls of the Baltlomre and Ohio | building are also standing, but the Penn l sylvania railroad building directly across 1 Calvert street, is razed. Only the walls
 remain of the once stately Equitable | building. Only remnants of one wall are l left of what was the National hotel No buildings are left standing as far as the
 eye can see down Baltimore street from l this point.
 The costly United States custom house, 1 in course of construction, Is said to be ruined. The marble blocks are badly
 damaged. the cornices on the north side
 are destroyed, and the marble Is cracked 1 in number of places The only other | federal building damaged was the United
 States store house. diagonally opposite Westward along Pratt street. is only de-
 brs, from which flames leap and play. Oil Is lgnited. | Down Pratt street west from Gay for | several blocks, the oil in the wreck of the
 Standard oil buildings ignited. and there
 was succession of explosions with the l bursting out of flames. Pratt street for
 many squares Is almost impossible by
 reason of huge piles of masonry and
 water with which the fire companies food l ed that section. The electric wires are a tangled net work and the trolley wires
 are down in every direction. The main
 power house of the street railway was gutted early this morning l The large buildings of the Miller Ferti-
 lizer company. the Bragenor Oil company; l c. A. Rininson, dealer in seeds, and the
 Martn-Wagner company, canners and | packers, opposite the street from the power house. were destroy ed and the
 ruins burned throughout this evening.
 Many of the occupants of ill-fated Pratt street were saloon-keepers and dealers in
 second hand goods. All the buildings at Dugan's wharf nearby were destroyed l Stretching from here down east and | West Falls avenue, were number of
 business establishments. Among these,
 the Lime Cement company's plant.
 Cockran's ice house and others, were burned.
 Big Buildings Are Ruined. | The large four-story building of the
 Mccormick Drug company at East Falls
 avenue and Pratt street was ruined. The | Hoffman house and Manor hotel nearby.
 the J. Myers f1ve-story packing plant.
 and the E. w. Boyer packing plant. were | destroyed.
 The Commercial building. a six-story | building at the corner of Lembard and l Gay streets. stretching over half block,
 Is destroyed, but the vaults are safe Only Church Walls Left l The Episcopal church. one of the oldest | buildings in the city, has nothing but the | outside walls left. On Gay street between Lombard and Water streets, two whole | sale liquor establishments, the Garrett I Williams company, a five-story building
 and the Wilson Distilling company, also ! a five-story structure, are reduced to ash l es, while front wall is all that Is left of i the seven-story wholesale liquor plant of Kuhl X Sons.
 The Cummins and Melville disullery, another five-story building, the whole
 sale liquor establishment of Broadheck & l Co.. and other similar establishments