Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-02-10
BALTIMORE HAS }5Q,OOl,OOO FIRE
City Suffers Most Disastrous Blaze in the His.
tory of the South

Front Street Theatre at least half
mile from the main confagration
which shows to what distance th
fiery rain fell. The blaze was ex
tinguished by the firemen. assisted b.
citizens.
For time considerable alarm wa
felt at the City Hospital. The Sisters
OF Mercy in charge of the institutio.
were all at their posts, and an efor
was made to keep the fact of the ccn
few cinders fell on the roof OF the hos
ftasration secret from the patients. 4
pital, but were extinguished by The
! physicians of the house staff.
Eighteen women. two babies ant
seven nurses were taken from The
Maternity Hospital on West Lombard
street. in police ambulances and given
quarters at the city hospital. A woman
who was i'll in bed with typhoid fever
was taken to the city hospital
CITY TERRIFIED BY EXPLOSION.
At 8 o'clock tremendous explosion
of about 15C barrels cf whiskey stored
in the upper floors of No. 24 Hanover
street hurled tons Of burning matter
across the street onto the roofs of the
buildings opposite which the firemen
were drencning with water in vain
hope to make Hanover street. the east
ern boundary line of the conflagration.
Here an engine was buried by falling
wall. the fremen fleeing for their
lives.
The whole city was notified of The
confagration by terrific explosion,
Which occurred some minutes after IL
o'clock. A sharp. splitting roar went
up with reycrberating thunder. This
was followed by peculiar whistling
noise like that made by a shrill wind.
The churches in the central part of
the city were filled with worsiippers,
many OF whom were frightened. and,
While no. panics ensued hundreds Of
men and women went outside to see
what had happened. In few moments
the streets and pavements all over the
city were crowded with excited people
Another deafening crash occurred. and
iense columns of cinders and smoke !
shot up over the central section of |
.hc city, and in a huge brown column /
ncTed rapidly toward the northeast.
Borne on the strong southeast wind
he column Of smoke blazing scinders.
4 sce;ilnders fell, compelling pedestrians
q doge red hot pieces of wood.
PEOPLE DoDGING FIRE BRANDS.
Two more explosions followed, and
thousands of people hurried to the
Gene of the fi.e. Of all the specta-
ors. comparatively few saw the hre
tself. They could not get within half a
block of it. Even the policemen guard
ne the approaches to the Ere had TO
shift their positions repeatedly and
lodge falling cinders. Pieces OF tlh
, hy S feet square were lifted into the
air by the terrific heat, sailed upward
ike paper kites, and when they
reached a point beyond the scene OF
the most intense heat. fell gathering
10 the streets.
RAGING WITH uNABATED FURY.
s:2e o. rr.-The fire is still raging
with unabated fury. The fire depart
mcnt is helpless with the flames stead
liz travelling eastward on Baltimore
ami Fayette streets. The, Union Trust
building has fallen in. The Carroiltoh
Hotel is on fire. The Herald building
Is apparently doomed. and the occu-
pants have moved out. The sun Is
preparing to move. Clouds OF burning
cinders cover the whole city.
FIRE NEAR COURT HOUSE.
10. 90 D. m.-The fire sweeping east
ON Fayetteville street is within short
distance of the court house, which oc-
c,pies the block bounded by Fayette,
Lexington and Calvert streets. oppo-
site is the postoffice adjoining this
is the temporary custom house and
oprosite to this is the city hall. The
Calvert office building, at Fayette and
st Paul street, is afire, and the Equit-
able building, which adjoins it, is now
threatened. The main office OF the
Western Union Telegraph GsZspas.y is
located i, the Equitable building. AID
the force is leaving for branch OF
fee. A number of buildings are being
dvnamited in an effort 70 esGD she
fire.
11:45-The fire is still eating iss |sy
eastward on Baltimore street end on
South and German streets. inc'udlaG
the financial district Mayer EcLsne,
who has been on the scene all day and
night, says it is utterly impossible &c
make an estimate of loss. Ehe Ere
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