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
made by members of the news
paper stats 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 70
another, sometimes by the flames. then
by falling buildings, by deluges Of
water and by broken wires, represent
atives Of the press. with 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
ire. 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 confagration.
Driven Out by Flames.
In the very middle Of a message
would come 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
a time IL looked as II 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 were a score or more newspaper
men, and they stayed until driven out.
one of the staff representatives Of a
newspaper sent the following note
with an uncompleted dispatch:
Fire on every side of this office.
Will 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 lineman discovered a few
wires that seemed to be IN working or
der. Up the pole he went. and soon he
had half 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 fire-belt they
rushed. In a little Office in Charles
street, which was then seething caul-
dron Of fiames some good wires were
found on q pole. and connections were
made there. In a minute half a dozen
instruments vera clicking. and more OF
the story Of the fire came. Then, with
out warning, rhere was a break. From
the operator this message came 10 the
operator:
/ Pole burning and WI.
That was all The pole had fallen,
carrying the precious wires with IT,
Undeterred a search was made for
other wires. Some were found not far
away. Again the linemen made con-
Injections. This time the messages were
being sent from a doorstep of store
in Light street The wires were work.
ing 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. VIII get another wire
somewhere else soon as possible"
His Hair and Beard Gone.
This message. came fifteen minutes
after midnight. Up to that time the
stories had come in only a few words
at a time. Both the Postal and the
! Western Union suffered. and both COM
panies were unable to get wires work.
ing into this city. From fifteen min
utes after midnight until 5 minutes tc
1 o'clock this morning not a word
further than that already received
reached this Office. Then a Western
Union operator said thar one Of the
stan men had a wire and that II rar
from pole at the corner Of Fayettt
and Light streets. where many builc-
ings were burning. BY this wire more
news came in, and after fifteen minutes
the clicking OF the telegraph instru-
ment stopped. After a moments pause
this message came:
Have to get out. Op. (meanins
operator) hurt"
Almost at the same time that thi,
note came another wire was opened
This It was learned came from a con-
fectionery store I'm South street. neal
Baltimore street. II was a Postal wire
In very short time about 1000 word.
were taken, and in the middle Of a sen.
tence the operator read:
Wall next door fell. Getting out
Dangerous
And so II went all through the might
and through the early morning. Wire.
came and went like breaking icicles
None could be depended on.
Linemen were ineessantly at worl
fearing for the wires and getting then
circuited into Washington, so that ths
news could get out Any wire would
do so long as it would run to Wash.
lington and be relayed. A message al
1 o'clock was forwarded by a wire dang.
ling from a pole at Liberty street anC
Park avenue. Calling the operator
connections were made. and il wa.
found that the wire was answered ii
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 M
llet up in the attempt to get all the new:
Into this city. Finally, shortly after
O'clock both telegraph companies hat
their sub Offices working in fair shape
but even then the news came by devi.
Gus routes. One me'6.sge that came
into the city travelled thousands o
lmiles.
From Baltimore the massage wa.
lsent to Washington. Wires to Phila.
ldelphia and New York were so over.
worked that this message was sen
from Washington to Richmond, then {,
lCincinnati. then 10 Pittsburg and from
there TO Philadelphia by way Of Harris
burg.