The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-02-11

whose building is a complete loss. The
building used boy tine German consul
late. ON this square. is also in ruins.
Custom House Ruined.
The costly United States custom
house. in course of construction. is said
To d. ruined. The marble blocks are
badly damaged The cornices on the
north side are destroyed. and abe mar
bic d. cracked in number OF places.
The only other federal building dam
aged was the United states storehouse.
No. /. diagonaily opposite. Here the in
terror sustained serious damage. bur
the outer walls are intact the only
building in that section whose outer
structure was preserved. Westward
alonl Pratt street Is only debris from
which flames leap and play
Down Pratt street, west from Gay
for several blocks. the oil in the wreck
OF the Standard on company's build
ings ignited and there was a success
sion of explosions, with the bursting
ont of flames Al times the smoke
rolled mp and threw great black clouds
over the ruins Pratt street for many
squares is almost impossible by reason
of hugs piles of masonry and the water
with which the fire companies flooded
that section The electric wires are
tangled network, and the trolley wires
are down in every direction. At O'Don-
nelrs wharf, where a freight station
OF the Northern Central railroad is 10
Gated. the flames fed all day ON the in
nammable trimmings of the ahnex To
the power house of the United Street
railways The walls 81 both buildings
remain intact
Many of the o,cupenls of ill-fated
Pratt street were saloOnkeepers and
dealers in secondhand goods. There il
nothing today 90 indicate that these
places ever existed save for brick piles.
All the buildings az Dugans wharf.
nearby. were destroyed. Stretching
from here down East and West Falls
avenue We're number OF business es-
NdNNAr IAltlf lAtF. ahttANAs NtAf 90 hAA' A%ttA'
and Cement companys plant and the
Cochran Joe house were burned. The
large fOur-story building of the Me
Cormick Drug company. at East Falls
avenue and Pratt street was ruined
The William Tell house. a saloon and
hotel. at East Falls Avenue and Pratt
street. the Hoffman house. another hO-
tel nearby. the T. j Myers large five
story packing plant and the w. w.
Boyer packing plant were destroyed.
The Commercial building, a six
story building at the corner Of Lom-
bard and Gay streets. stretching over
half a block, is destroyed, but the
vaults are safe.
Buildings sprang into living fame
before fire touched them. and brick ana
mortar crumbled Ike chalk. The at
mosphere quivered. and in it. surround
ed by fire. the hremen Of this ard other
cities fought doegedly.
The Fayctte Street Episcopal church,
one Of the oldest buildings in the city.
has nothing but the outside walls left
On Gay street. between Lombard and
Water streets. two wholesale liquor es-
adjustments. the Jarrett Williams
company. a fiye-story building. and tho
Wilson Distilling company. also five
story structure. are reduced to ashes.
while front wall is all that is left Of
the Gye-story wholesale liquor plant
of Kuhl & Son. The innammable char
acter of the contents OF these buildings
will give an idea OF the fierceness Of
the blaze Spirits fed the wood. and
the heat was terrible.
There were hundreds Of other build
ings destroyed, including many Of con-
siderable commercial importance, but
their complete list would be but a bust
ness directory OF the burned area.
Many Daring Feats.
While there were no casualties to
speak Of. the great army OF fire fight
ers performed many daring feats ID
their desperate attempt to stay the on
ward march of the flames. Many times
they were driven out of close and hot
places just as walls came topping
down. The last large building to fall Il
prey to the flames down along Jones
Falls nearly caught five men. They
we're on the roof and directing their ef-
forts to an adjoining structure. when
warning shout was sent mp that the in
terror of the building on which they
were standing was a mass of flames.
They found their way to a tin gutter,