The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-02-11
BAL |MORE's AWFUL
CONFEDERATION.
Business Section Of MaryIand's Chief
City Swept by Fire.
LOSS WILL FOOT UP $12O,0OO.OOO
Fire Burned From Early Sunday Morn
ing Until Late Monday Night
Territory Burned Over Mile Long
and Half as Wide.

Acres OF buildings covering territory
more than half a mile in length and
from three to six blocks in width,
were destroyed in Baltimore's great
fire, which started Sunday morning.
No one can tell the extent of the dis
8ster, which now has reached proper
tions equal to the Chicago fire of 1871,
hitherto the greatest fire in the Unit
ed States. No one can be seen at
present, and to hazard an estimate of
the total loss is folly.
The wholesale dry goods, produce,
lumber, shipping, railroad and finan-
cial districts have been destroyed,
Notwithstanding heroic efforts on the
part of the fire Department. reinforced
by almost numberless fremen from
Washington, Philadelphia, Whining
ton, Newark, n. j., Harrisburg and
New York city.
Starting in the wholesale section,
the fire burned out every wholesale
house of note in the city, swept along
through the Baltimore and Fayette
street retail sections, destroyed all the
prominent office buildings, leveled
banks and brokerage offices, as we'll
as the chamber of commerce andsto
exchange in the financial section, then
sped on through the wholesale and
export trade sections, centering about
Exchange Place. 1t finally brought
up about Jones Falls, where it in
vaded the lumber district.
Monday morning the fire was burn
ing fiercely along Pratt street. 1t had
Quilted the old and new buildings
along that thoroughfare, and on the
wharves, which housed goods of hun
dreds of firms doing business all over
the world. 1t had swept away the
bridges over Jones' Falls and b Irned
into the great freight terminals of the
Pennsylvania and Baltimore and
Ohio railroads on President street.
Qualification is expressed that the
city hall, the court house and post
office escaped the fury of the flames.
Streams are still playing on some of
the Quilted buildings in the financial
section but that quarter is almost de-
serted, the fire having passed far be-
yond that point.
Millions of feet of lumber haye gone
up in smoke. Baltimores equipment
of % engines was almost useless. Re-
inforced by four companies from
Washington, as many morefrom Phil
adelphia, two more from Wilmington
and another from Chester, Pa, it was
still unable to check the fire in any
way during the night,
Meantime half dozen of New York
city's most powerful steamers arrived
by special train and their coming
gave new impetus to the efforts to
check the flames by putting fresh men
into the fight, the Baltimore firemen,
as well as the out-of-town men who
arrived earlier, having been exhaust
ed by thei, struggle against such ter
rife odds.
All electrical power has been de-
stroyed, and no street cars are run
ming.
Jacob llgenfritz, of the Laurie fire
company or York, Pa, was injured at
Baltimore and Frederick streets. He
was terribly crushed by the falling
walls of the Schuler Clothing COM
pany's building.
Firemen are dynamiting buildings
in the burning area, and the intona-
lions of the explosions and the shrill
whistles of the fire engines add-to the
indescribable horror of the scene.
Every few minutes the fall of walls
or parts of walls can be heard.
The streets in the burned and burn
ing district present scene at once
thrilling and pathetic These dist
ricts presentan area, two miles square,
and utter ruin and desolation. Scores
of what were palatial, modern and So
called fire proof buildings Yesterday
are only piles of derbis, The COM
mon remark of citizens is that Balti-
more has received blow from which
it cannot recover for years. Mayor
McLane is among those who are OPP
timistic, and today while expressing
his sorrow and horror over the calam-
ity expressed the conviction that this
city will quickly rise like Phoenix
from it's ashes.
Much suffering and restitution may
follow the fire, and Mayor McLane
and other city officials are already dis
cussing relief measures. 1t is estima-