Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-02-08

section-whole District In Ruins.
Hundreds of Warehouses and
Stores Destroyed-Banks, Hotels
and DistilIeries Gave Way Before
the Flames.
BALTIMORE, Feb. 9.-The most de-
structiye confiagration in the history
of Baltimore has occurred here, raging
practically unchecked during many
hours, completely destroying scores of
the largest business houses in the
wholesale district, involving losses
which cannot yet be estimated, as the
fire was stifl burning fiercely when
night fell. Owing to the wide extent of
the calamity it will be a long time be-
fore even an approximate estimate can
be made, though it is certain that it
has already exceeded $50,000,000.
Wholesale houses, hotels, banks and
other buildings have been destroyed to
the number Of $50. Having fed on
houses in the wholesale district to sa-
ticty, the greedy flames turned next to
the financial district, which is now
menaced with destruction.
Although re-enforced by aid from
Philadelphia, Washington, New York
and other points, the fire department
seemed to be helpless.
Realizing that the flames were win
ming the fight, Mayor McLane gave or
ders that buildings in the path Of the
fire be blown up with dynamite.
Chief Horton of the fire department
was injured while directing the fight,
and ex-Fire Chief McAfee took charge.
Appeals We're made to New York and
to other cities even as far distant as
Altoona, Pa, for assistance. Special
trains rushed in the needed help, ell
gines and apparatus.
Every newspaper Office in the city
has been burned out.
The telegraph companies have been
driven out of their offices, and COM
~munication with the outside world is
almost entirely broken off.
The fire broke out shortly before II
o'clock in the morning in the whole
sale dry goods store OF John L. Hurst
q Co., on Hopkins place, in the heart
of the business district, with a series
Of loud explosions which were heard i'll
remote parts of the city, and spread
with fearful rapidity.
In a half hour there were a dozen
big warehouses in the Wholesale dry
goods and notions district burning
fiercely. The entire city fire depart
ment was called out, but was utterly
powerlesS to check the spread of the
flames, which were aided by high
winds, and soon there were savage
fires in at least thirty big warehouses,
and the conflagration was steadily eat
ing it's way into blocks east, north,
west and south.
Building after building fell a prey to
the flames, and apparently there was
no check to the onward sweep of de-
~struction.
On Baltimore street the block be-
tween Liberty and Sharp was soon
ablaze, then CAME the next block east
to Hanover, and after that the block
on the south side to Charles street
broke out into flames, the Consolidated
Gas company's building and Oehm's
Acme hall burning fiercely. i
Meanwhile there were stores north
of Baltimore street being similarly
consumed. Mullins hotel caught and
other buildings nea it. West of Liber-
IN ctf.oaf on fhn cnl1th cjdn Of pO1fi-
more, the block was doomed, and the
big Baltimore Bargain House also
caught.
Down in Hopkins place, where the
confagration started, Hurst's building
and the other wholesale houses on
both sides of the street crumbled and
fell.
The big dry goods houses of Daniel
Miller & Sons and r. NJ. Sutton & Co.
We're, soon afiame, and along German,
east and west from the Hurst building,
there were a dozen buildings burning
and scores more threatened. The spec
tacle of ruin and destruction from any
point in these doomed blocks was
something appalling.
Mass & Kemper's big wholesale store
on Baltimore street quickly succumbed
to the flames, ans the walls fell with q
crash that was heard for squares. The
Hurst building was utterly destroyed,
not even a wall ten feet high being
left standing and apparently the center
of the caldron, from whence the fiamea
radiated over the doomed neighbor.
hood.
On Hopkins place the Hopkins Saw
ings bank and the National Exchange
bank were Quilted by flames, the few
streams of water that the firemen were
able to turn on them proving utterly
Intellectual to ever halt the destruction.
Here across the street were the ruins OF
John #. Hurst Il Co., and next to it 8.
Hecht, Jr., & Sons were in flames. Ad-
joining was the large building owned
by the William Koch Importing com
pany, which was also quickly destroy
ed.
Acroqa tha qtraat Tho Cfanlov &,