The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-08
WORSE THAN CHICAGO.
Baltimore News Editorial Describing
the Couhagration.

Baltimore, Feb. S.-The News-Union
in its editorial today says:
Acres of buildings covering territory
more than half a mile in length and
from three to six blocks in width were
destroyed in Baltimore's great fire,
which started yesterday morning. The
fire Is still burning and considering the
nigh wind and inf7amma BILE nature of
the buildings and material in front of it,
may continue to burn for hours yet.
No one can tell today the extent of the
disaster, which now has reached pro-
portions far in excess of the Chicago
fire of 1871. hitherto the greatest fire in
the United States.
No end can be seen at the present
writing and to estimate the total loss
is the merest folly.
The wholesale drv goods produce
lumber, shipping, railroad and financial
interests have been destroyed, notwith-
standing heroic efforts on the part of
the fire department, reinforced by al
most numberlesS firemen from Wash
ington, Philadelphia, Wilmington, New
ark, Harrisburg and New York city
Starting in the wholesale section, the
fire burned out every wholesale house of
note in the city, swept along through
the Baltimore and Fayette street retail
sections, destroyed all the prominent Of
fee buildings, levelled banks and brok-
erage offices as we'll as the chamber of
commerce and stock exchange in the
financial section, then spread on through
the wholesale and export trade sections
centering about Exchange place. 1t
finally brought up at the Falls where it
invaded the lumber district.
This morning the fire was burning
fiercely along Pratt street from Light
street to point not yet determine Bile.
It had Quilted the old and new build
ings along that thoroughfare and on
the wharves, which housed hundreds of
firms doing business all over the world
1t had swept away the bridges over
Jones Falls and burned into the great
freight terminals of the Pennsylvania
and Baltimore & Ohio railroads on
President street. Millions of feet of
lumber have gone up in smoke and the
fire, still burning, with the f1egceness
which has chara it since it
started. threatens the vast manufac-
turing district, falling the harbor lines
toward Canton.
To describe in detail the fire, which
will go down in the history of the world
as one of its greatest disasters. is sim
ply an impoSSibility just as it is i'm
possible at this time to give an ade-
quate idea of the amount of loss, the
number of buildings destroyed or the
firms that have gone out of business.
These are facts that will not develop
for days to come.
Baltimore's equipment of "a en-
gineS was almost useless. Reinforced by
four companies from Washington. as
many from Philadelphia, two from Will
mington and another from Chester, Pa,
were still unable to check in any way
during the night the progress of the
flames This morning a half dozen of
New York City's most powerful steam
ers arrived by special train and their
companies gave new impetus to the eff
forts to check the flames by putting
fresh men into the fight, the Baltl.
more firemen, as we'll as the out of
town men who arrived earlier, having
been exhausted by their all night strug-
gle against such terrific odds.
All electrical power has been de-
stroyed and no street cars are run
ming. About midnight the wind, which
had been blowing strongly from the
southwest with a tendency to switch
to the westward began to come in
gale from the northwest. At this hour
the flames were headed directly for the
tenement districts. across the Falls.
where frightened foreigners were work.
ing like demons to save their house
hold effects.
Temporary change in the wind saved
them for the flames were driven tow
ard the water front. and all buildings
from Baltimore street down to Pratt
street soon were a roaring mass of fire.
From then on Pratt street became
the center of the fire which burned
block after block of business structures
on that thoroughfare from Charles
street eastward to the Falls.
Roughly speaking, the f1re IN It's
course described a half circle on its
northern and western edges. curvfng
frora Lombard and Liberty streets to
Fayette and st. Paul street and then
sweeping around toward Market space
and Lombard streets. The whole effect
of this course of the fire was to de-
scribe an immense question mark
Jacog Ilginfritz, of the Laurie fire
company of York, Pa. was killed to-
day at baltimore and Frederick streets
by falling wall.