The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-02-12
BALTIMORE
SWEPTBYFLAMES
Cut Their Way Through IS
Blocks, Destroying Twen-
ty-Five Hundred
Buildings.
Loss Cannot Be Accurately ESti-
mated for Weeks, But Will
Probably Reach $780,
100000.

Baltimore. Md, Feb. S.-The city
of Baltimore is staggering under II
fire loss which no one has the temeri-
ty to put in figures. The important
commercial district Is blackened in
ruins, laid bare by a couhag cation
which ragged without a momentary
check from Io:45 a. m. Sunday until
late in the afternoon today. At
O'Clock the city officials agreed that
the flames were under control.
The residence section OF the city es-
capped, and this phas OF the situation
relieved the city officials from any
thought other than that of saving
property.
Throughout the terrible contest in
which the firemen and fire waged for
supremacy, humanity was handi-
capped by gale which carried the
burning brands over hotels. workers
and beyond the reach of hundreds OF
streams OF water which poured into
the raging furnaces, and but for the
work of the volunteers In seeking out
and extinguishing these embers, II Is
almost certain the burned area would
be twice larger than 1t is.
The insurance companies have
opened temporary offices in the Lex
ington hotel, but decline to estimate
the loss. The answer of one is typ
ical of all
ITS too big. We have no figures
to describe 1t. Make 1t above one
hundred million. That's the best we
car do"
The same decision Is true in regard
to the estimates concerning insur-
auce. The city was early placed under
martial law. Thus all danger OF loot
ing in the doomed district has been
eliminated.
The dynamite explosions were con-
slant today. The program adopted
last night In blowing up buildings in
an attempt to stay the progress of the
flames continued until the fire was
under control. Then the dynamiters
turned their attention to razing OF the
tottered walls which threatened to
collapse. With the fire under control
the blackened waste, which lies In
the wake of the sea of flames, presents
a view terrible In Its pyrotechnic
grandeur. 1t can be likened to oceans
of great coke ovens, each shooting
out Its thousand tongues of flames
from pyramids of brick. stone and &C.
ment. The loss cannot be accurately
estimated for weeks, for business men
who were prosperous Sunday morning
are poor today. The loss will proba'
bly, reach $500, 900, 900.
1t Is estimated the number of per
sons thrown out of work will reach
fifty thousand. Inspector of Building
Preston, placed the building loss a,
$Iso, 900, 900. All over the burned
district the fremen are still fighting
the fierce flames, still alive In large
piles of ruins. The absence of disor
der and confusion Is remarkable.
This dire fact Is because the burned
territory hes been placed under mill
tary control.
The policemen sent here from
Washington, Wilmington and Phila
delphia, have been relieved. All o.
the saloons were ordered closed, and
there Is no drunkenness Of men. The
fire was remarkable In the lack o.
casualties. So far only one person
has been killed, and the number
treated In the hospitals will not be
more than fifty. The dead man was
fireman, crused by falling wall
No one else was seriously injured.
The water and food supply is caus
ing uneasiness, and it Is believed a.t