The San Francisco call., 1904-02-09

timore streets the fire apparently made
an oblque cut through to the corner
of Lexington and Charles streets, de-
stroying everything in its path.
At the corner of Lexington and
Charles streets O'Nen's big retail dry
goods store, while dana ged. was still
intact, but Schlessinger's shoe store.
adjoining, was entirely destroyed
While J. w. Puts & Co. and ]. ].
Jenkins & Co.. on Fayette street. We're
burned. the large new factory recently
erected next to jenkins & Co. by Gems
Bros. was spared.
The Gas Appliance Company. the
Goodyear Rubber Company, Bryant &
Stratton Business College, a cigar store
and ]. S. McDonald's jewelry store. all
on the Charles street block between
Baltimore and Fayette streets, were
destroyed. as was every building on the
north side of Baltimore street from
Liberty to Charles streets and diagon-
ally across TO Lexington and Charles
streets.
The center of Baltimore street is in
some places ten feet deep with brick
and debris.
The buildings on the west side of
North Liberty street, with the excep-
tion of NJ. c. Stout & Co., taiIors, were
all untouched. Those burned on the
east side of North Liberty street were
Bergunder Bros. and c. Y. Davidson
& Co.
C. c. Steiff's piano factory adjoining
Davidson's was damaged by water. but
it was said to-day that no great dam
age had been done.
Surrounded by fire on all sides, the
Merchants National Bank. on South
street, was the last building in its
neighborhood to succumb TO the flames.
1t was not until the roaring furnace
started by the burning of the wooden
house OF James A. Garry & Son had
swept UP Water street, carrying before
it banks, wholesale houses and stores,
that the building caught. 1t soon was
a mass Of flames. Until the last mo-
ment a group Of employees Of the bank
were 10th to leave. When finally the
firemen ordered them to leave each
bent,oyer and kissed the heavy granite
blocks that form the doorway and then
took up his stand several blocks below
to ''sAe the last of her.
swept to /she towering United Trust
building From here the blaze spread
to Junker's, on East Fayette street. and
quickly enveloped the hotel. Lemmert's
tailoring establishment. the Herald and
Law building, whence the flames licked
about the. courthouse. Although the
granite stood the heat well and did not
crack. it was scorched and frightfully
dis1gured.
On the south side Of Fayette street
the flames destroyed all the buildings
down to and including the Calvert
building, at st. Paul and Fayette
streets.
The nine-story Central building OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, Calvert and Baltimore streets,
caught about the same time as the
Equitable building, from which 1t was
separated by an alley. The flames made
short work of the enormous structure.
and all that remains Of 1t are sections
Of the towering brick walls.
Next to the horrible fascination of
the flames. the exodus from the burn
ing district was the most impressive
sensational feature of the great fire.
Out of all the streets leading to the
northern annex pathetic procession
made its way as early as last night.
the vanguard Of the retreating army
reaching North avenue and Charles
street. This first detachment consisted
of a body OF Russians and Poles carry
ing their household goods. To-day the
homes Of those who fled are in ruins.
Between the marching throng were
heavy trucks. carriages and carts car
rying valuables to places of safety.
During the early stages Of the fire 1t