Evening journal., 1904-02-08
FIGHT TO SEND
OFF THE NEWS
Reporters Driven From One
Building to the Other by
Flames
LONG TRIP Of SOME MESSAGES

"Fire driving US out. VIII hunt for
another wire"
This. in brief, tells the story of the
struggle made by members OF the news
paper staffs of the papers TO send the
complete story in detail OF the fire that
is devastating the heart OF the city of
Baltimore. Driven from one place to
another. sometimes by the flames, then
by falling buildings, by deluges Of
water and by broken wires. represent
atives of the press, with a telegraph
operator at their heels. never gave up
in their endeavor to send the news.
In itself this story Of promptitude
and Of danger forms a thrilling feature
in the terrible tale of the Baltimore
fire. Every means at command. every
effort that could be made. was brought
into play in order that the public
might know this morning the full ex-
tent Of the great coniiagration.
Driven Out by Flames.
In the very middle of a message
would come a note that the fire was
driving them out, and that some other
place must be found from which the
news could be sent. The main offices
Of the Western Union. as well as the
Postal Telegraph. Companies were al
most in the heart of the fire belt For
time it looked as IL they would be
saved but the Inevitable flames came
driving all before them. The main
trunk lines OF the telegraph systems Of
Baltimore run through Baltimore
street the centre of the fire belt. These
wires soon fell into twisted. valueless
strands Of metal. At midnight the op-
orators IN the Western Union office at
Calvert and Fayette streets were in
danger Of losing their lives. With
them We're a score or more newspaper
men, and they stayed until driven out.
One of the stan representatives of a
newspaper sent the following. note
with an uncompleted dispatch:
Fire on every side Of this office.
VIII have to get out IN a few minutes.
VIII get another wire somewhere"
Out Of the building tumbled news
paper men and operators. A few
blocks away a lineman discovered a few
wires that seemed 10 be in working or
der. Up tho pole he went, and soon he
had halls a dozen Of them "connected
up" The operators had sent about a
score Of words when the service sud
denly ceased.
Then back toward the fre-belt they
rushed. In a little once in Charles
street, which was then a seething caul-
dron Of flames. some good wires wer,
found on A pole, and connections wer,
made there. In minute half a dozel
instruments were clicking. and more o.
the story Of the Ere came. Then. with.
out warning, there was a break From
the operator this message came to thg
operator:
Pole burning and Wis
That was all. The pole had fallen
carrying the precious wires with it
lUndeterredl a search was made foi
other wires, Some were found not fal
away. Again the linemen made con-
nections. This time the messages were
being sent from a doorstep of a store
in Light street The wires were work
ling badly. Word after word came in
slower and slower. Then came another
mote Of trouble. II read.
Have to abandon this place. now
fire next door. Will get another wir,
somewhere else soon as possible"
His Hair and Beard Gone.
i This message came fifteen minutes
after midnight Up to that time tn,
stories had come in only a few words
at a time. Both the Postal and thi
Western Union suffered. and both com.
panies were unable TO get wires work
ing into this city. From fifteen min
utes after midnight until minutes t.
4 o'clock this morning not a wore
further than that already receive,
reached this Office Then a Western
Union operator said that one Of tn
stan men had a wire and that it RAJ
from a pole at the corner of Fayett
and Light streets, where many build
ings were burning. BY this wire NOR
news came In, and after fifteen minute
the clicking Of the telegraph instru
ment stopped. After a moments paus
this message came:
Have to get out Op. (meaninl
loperatorl hurt"
Almost at the same time that thi
mote came another wire was opened
This it was learned came from a con
fectionery store in South street, nea
Baltimore street. 1t was "A Postal wire
In a very short time about 1000 word
were taken. and in the middle of a sen
tence the operator read:
wall next door fell. Getting oui
Dangerous"
And so it went all through the nigh
land through the early morning. Wire
; came and went like breaking icicle.
: None could be depended on.
; Linemen were necessarily at worl
caring for the wires and getting ther
} circuited into Washington, SC that tn
, news could get out. Any wire woul
do so long as it would run TO Wash
) lington and be relayed. A message a
J IA o'clock was forwarded by a wire dang
: ling from a pole at Liberty street an
: Park avenue. Calling the operator
fccnnections were made. and il wa
] found that the wire was answered il
Z Washington. Then. by the light of tn
] flames, more of the story was sent.
Long Trip of One Message.
And so it kept up all through tn
, early morning hours. There was n
. let up in the attempt TO get all the new
into this city. Finally shortly after
{. o'clock both telegraph companies ha
their -ofiices working in fair shape
but even then the news came by devi
Gus routes. One me6,sge that cam
into the city travelled thousands o
miles.
From BalUsaore tSe massage wa
sent to Washington. Wires to Phila
delphia ana New York were so over
worked that this message was sen
from Washington to Richmond. then I
g Cincinnati. then 10 Pittsburg and fror
there TO Philadelphia by way Of Harris