The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1904-02-10
THE WORST ON RECORD.
PROPERTY LOSS IN BALTIMORE FIRE
GREATER THAN THAT OE:
CHICAGO.

CHICAGO.
Business Section Of the City Is In Ruins
But No Lives Were Lost.
BALTIMORE, Feb. "A fire which
broke out . few minutes before II
O'Clock this morning in the wholesale
dry goods house of John E. Hurst s.
Co., has ragged with unrestrained fury
continuously ever since and at mid
night it is still unchecked, but Is
steadily eating its consuming way
eastward on Baltimore street, after
having destroyed almost all of the
large stores and warehouses in the
district around Hopkins
Place. The property destroyed in
cludes about 20 blocks of the most
modern and substantial buildings in
Baltimore, involving loss which
cannot now be estimated but which
has certainly already exceeded $780,
000, 900 or $40, 100000.
Ever since about O'Clock when
d darkness came, the fire department.,
aided by engines from Wash
ington, Philadelphia, Wilmington and
surrounding suburbs, has been utterly
powerless to make any effective resis-
tance 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 dense
and sutfocating the volume of flying
sparks and burning cinders, that it
was difficult for the fremen to stand
long within fighting distance of the
flames, while early in the afternoon
several trucks and engines were hope
lessly disabled by timbers.
At 7 O'Clock the situa alton was so
desperate that Chief Horton decided
tn at the only thing left to do was to
dynamite the buildings at threatened
points and thus prevent, as far as
possible, the spread of the flames. De-
tachments OF the Fourth and Fifth
regiments have been called out and
are patrolling the streets in the vicin-
ity OF the fire, guarding property and
keeping order.
Fortunately, thus far, the conaag-
ration has not reached the residence
portion of the city, but fires are break
ing out in East Baltimore and the in
dicatiOns are that the residence streets
are doomed to he invaded.
BALTIMORE, Feb. 8.-There was lit
tie sleep for the 100000 residents of
Baltimore last night, because of the
terrible conaagration that started
Sunday forenoon. While there were
no lives lost, the monetary loss will
probably reach 100000, 900. Acres of
the most valuable property in the
wholesale dry goods, produce, lumb Der,
shipping, railroad and financial dis
trict have been destroyed. About Is
squares or l4O acres are in ashes, ex.
tending from Lexington street on the
north, to Pratt street on the south,
from Liberty street on the west, to
Jones Falls on the east, $500 build.
ings being burned. The territory
burned by the Chicago fire of October
8, 1871, amounted TO 2,lOO acres, in.
volving loss of Sl90,0O0,000.
To describe in detail the fire, which
will go down in the history of the
world as one of its greatest disasters,
is simply an impossibility, just as it
is impossible at this time to give an
adequate idea of the amount of loss,
the number of buildings destroyed or
the firms that have gone out of busi-
ness. These are facts that will not
develop for days to come. Baltimore's
equipment of % engines was almost
useless. Reinforced by five compa-
MES from Boston, as many from Phila-
delphia, two from Wilmington and
two from Chester, Pa, it was still un-
able to check the progress of the
flames. Great billows of fire 200 feet
high would dart from the buildings,
and sweeping from side to side, would
blot out of existence sky scraper as
though it were box of matches.
Dynamite was proved almost useless
last night when building after build
ing in the neighborhood of Charles
and Baltimore streets were blown up
in order to stay the flames. 1t seemed
as if the fire fiend laughed at such
paltry efforts, for the flames simply
jumped these vacant spaces and licked
up the buildings on the far side.
The city was early placed under
N artial law, and thus all danger of
looting in the doomed district was
Word was received to-
night that General Corbin of New
York would be here tomorrow to take
command of the federal troops. The
presence of two regiments of militia
as an adjunct to police, which were