Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-09

tautly drawn ire lines began to turn homeward. Unless the wind, which now blows brisl6ly from the northwest should change it Is felt that there is no further danger. But the tired fremen are taking no chances All over the burned district they are fighting the fierce blazes that still live in large piles of ruins. These fires are not men, actng. however, for they have nothing to feed upon outside their present linn it's. aa. t ,4G
 The wall of flame has consistently eaten it's way in a southerly and west erly direction toward tho water. Spo- radio fires sprang into existence and caused the withdrawal of apparatus and men from the line of battle. Build ings old and new, large and small; stores, shops-every imaginable class of buslness-vanished as the fire swept onward.
 There was q decided check to the forefront of tue fire as it neared Jones' falls, small stream that trends north S9fd south and divides Baltimore from that portion of the city known as East Baltimore. This little stream was the last barrier. n.~, .e& r< .
 If the conf1agration leaped 1t, if by flying embers or rush of flame the fire could cross and gain foothold it's extent could not be foretold. Tremen- dous efforts were made to block it. Dynamite was used freely. The fire apparatus was centered and all the skill of tho fire fighters called into play to defeat the element that had eaten up millions of dollars: And human skill and pluck and grit and unfalter- ing courage won. The fire was check ed. But behind if lay a great gutted waste of more than 140 acres in extent.
 Every street that led to the fire area was crowded with awestruck specta- tors Down the narrow ,gulch, like sheets, the black smoke hung densely, flame. The crash of falling buildings was lost in the roar of exploding dyna- mite as it was used to dernolish struc. lures as yet untouched by fire.
 The city is under the strictest of mil. itary control. All around the burned area was stretched cordon of soldiers, who held up all corners at the point of the bayonet Police brought from the neighboring cities patrolled the district, and on every street near the limits of the fire area paced armed sentinels, and the streets fairly teemed with police.
 In the early hours the army of fire fighters contended against the over. whelming odds, and when dawn broke the flames were raging fiercely along the wharfs and focused about tho great power houses of the United Rail- ways company, which furnishes the power for all the street railways of the city. Then the flames ate their way ; with undilninished force southward following the lines of Jones' falls, and were finally checked near the waters edge at West Falls avenue, in the southeast section of the city There the flames continued but only in spots and with diminishing fierceness. A dark gloom served to assist the watch ing thousands of spectators held be hind the lines many squares away tC locate the flames.
 The burned area is a scene of com
 plete devastation. Numberless build
 ings that were the pride of Baltimore costly and stately and occupied for dt yers purposes, were gutted. and only smoldering debris or walls or remnants of walls remain to mark their sites The Baltimore American building. one of the first, is now but smoldering de- brfs save for remnants and front and side walls. Across South street, where stood the Baltimore Sun building, only the pillars that marked the front re- main. Entire blocks just below there are wiped out without in some cases wall left standing. From Fayette street down Holiday street as far as German street there is no building left save the Corn and Flour Exchange, at the corner of German street That building, whose walls tower above the crumbling debris of what were adioin- ing structures, was gutted, and the standing walls formed caldron whose flames buSst at times through the windows, but could cause no fur ther damage. Ip numerous other wrecked buildings the flames played about tue debris and threatened to weaken the foundations of even what few walls were left. ... l1lKe SEun tower Tn the runs stand the walls of the fifteen storied Continental Trust company's building. The walls of the Baltimore and Ohio building are also standing, but the Pennsylvania railroad building, direct ly across Calvert street, is razed. Only the walls remain of the once stately Equitable building. At the corner of Baltimore and Holiday streets only remnants of one wall are left of what was the National hotel. No buildings are left standing as far as the eye can see down Baltimore street from This point All Mong South Gay street is the same picture of complete de struction. Here broken sign and tottering front wall is all that is left of the Maryland W. o. T. U, building. Adjoining this was the building occu- pied by the Iron Ship company and by the British consulate, whose building is complete loss. The building used by the German consulate on this square