The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-08

n ALTLNORE AID, Feb. THE fire
ID which broke out at a few minutes
before IL O'Clock this morning in
the wholesale cry goods house of john
IT. Hurst q Co. has ragged with un-
restrained fury continuously ever since,
ana at midnight it is stiu unchecked,
but is steadily eating its consuming
way westward on Baltimore street aft
er having destroyed almost ali the
large stores and warehouses In the
wholesale district around Hopkins
place and all the buildings on both
sides of Baltimore street from Howard
10 Holiday street, ana Charles ana
Baltimore TO Charles TO Lexington, and
on Lafayette street TO Charles 10 Hol-
liday including d total of about TWEEN
~ blocks of the most modern and sub
stantial buildings IN Baltimore, in
volving a loss which cannot now be
astfma ted. but which has certainly
already reached $50, 000, 900 or $4,000, 600,
Firemen Powerless.
Ever since about 6 O'Clock. when
darkness came. the fire department,
although aided by engines from Wash
iugton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and
the surrounding suburbs, has been ut
terIv DoyverIess to make any effective
resistance 10 the consuming element
though for hours as many as 900
streams of water were thrown into the
flames. Indeed. so terrific has been the
heat ever since the FIRE started, and
SO dense and suffOcating the volume
Of fving sparks and burning cinders
that il was difficult for the firemen to
stand long within fighting distance Of
the flames, while early in the after
noon several trucks and engines were
hopelessly disabled by timbers.
Desperate Remedy
Att O'Clock the situation was so des-
perdte that Chief Horton decided that
the only thing left to do was 10 dyua-
mite buildings at threatened points,
and thus prevent. as far as possible
a. further spread Of the flames. In pur-
suance of this plan. a number Of build
ines on South Charles street between
German and Lombard were blown up
Subsequently the splendid structure OF
J. w. Putback notion dealer, at
Charles and Fayette streets. was dy-
namited, and then the Daily Record
building, Ross drug store and others.
However, this heroic remedy merely
DELAYED but did not seriously impede
The onward march of the coniagration,
and for two hours or more the fire de-
partmpnt was practically helpless and
Tesourceless in the face of the roaring
furnaces. which sent their fierce
tongues 200 feet into the air. and
which filed the heavens first with a
pail OF black funeral smoke and then
with Iivid sheets of sparks and lurid
cinders.
Licked Up By Greedy Flames.
Following the rapid destruction OF
the palatial commercial buildings in
the wholesale district. the cyclone OF
roaring flames hurst into Baltimore
street licking up within few min
1ltes the seven-story Mullins hotel like
some monster and rapidly rolling with
irresistible force both east and west.
cutting down wholesale and retail
houses, manufactures, shops, Jewelry
stores, furniture depots and restau-
rants.
AZ Charles street the rem0rseless
tide swept on down Baltimore street,
bat also turned into Charles street.
zvhere il quickly engulfed the eleven
story Union Trust building. At
o'clock occupants Of the Daily Herald
building, at Fayette and St PAU
street. and Of the Record building op-
Posite were compelled to vacate by the
flames. as were the occupants of the
Calvert and Equitable structures tive
bf the most massive Office buildings in
Baltimore.
Down Baltimore street "A parallel
wall OF rearing. cracking flames swept
consuming everything in its course
speedily reaching the Evening News
building. from which, the employees had