The daily sentinel., 1904-02-09

Z
Baltimore. Nd. Feb. s.-The burn
ed ditrsict is within the territory
bounded on rhe west by Liberty street
on the north by Lexington street. on
the east by Johns Falls and ON south
by the Basin.
Within this district were the big
structures ON Fayette, Cav, Lombard.
Charl es. Balderson. Elliott, Hollings-
worth and Oheapside streets.
Passing southwest along the basin
the following docks were destroyed.
McClure's, Patterson's. Smiths.
Frederick's. Long and Union. Smaller
thoroughfares which extend as far
north as Lexington street and which
were in the path of the flames are
Commerce. Frederick's and Mills SITS.
The district thus swept by the fire
| comprised rs blocks and nearly ,. 800
buildings.
Sweeping along with unabated fury
the greatest conflagration in the his
tory of Baltimore ragged in the harbor
section. A northerly wind was blow
ing, adding to the terrific odds which
the army of fire fighters were combat
ting with, the great fire still running.
The estimate say. ranging as high "a
5000. 900. 600. With the fierce wind
blowing. nothing could stem the tide
of the flames till all the property in
this section was burned to the water
edge. From the myriads of lumber
yards on thewestern side of Jones Fall
the little stream that flows through
the business section of the city, the
flames have leaped over to the other
side of the stream and were rapidly
eating into the mass of oyster and
fruit packing establishments and
these were rapidly crumbling into
ruins. One fireman was killed and
the changing of the hospital ambulan-
ces bore evidence of the minor casual
ties up to this hour approximated Sc
persons injured, including one fire.
man.
The city government has been en-
tirely suspended and the city is under
complete military control. The city
officials are adopting the most heroic
measures TO check the flames and
Governor Warfeld has telegraphed to
the secretary of the navy request to
Immediately dispatch a dynamite eX-
pert to work en- gutted buildings where
bare walls are tottering at every shift
of wind and threaten to endanger
life by falling at any moment.
In the business district the fire had
we'll nigh spent itself. The residence
section of the city had not been affect
ed and the fire fighters were hopeful
THAT the flames would not shift in
that direction Buildings without
number. some of them tall and stately
and erected at immense cost. are left
but smouldering debris and block af-
ter block of the down town section
for a vast area is now mass of briok
and stone piles with an occasional
standing wall.
These crumbling ruins of CONNER
cial prestige include the Law and
Equitable buildings. the Continental
Trust company. the Baltimore and
Ohio Central building, the Interna-
tional Merchant exchange and scores
of institutions numbered among the
greatest enterprises of the stricken
city. The awful blow to the business
interests has fairly paralyzed the city
and sscores of thousands of citizens
spent the most of the day outside the
Gordon drawn around the fire arena.
The fall of tottering and dynamited
walls. the shrill calls of engines for
coal. the changing of the gongs of fire
engines and ambulances. the hiss of
escaping steam and the dull red glow
that hovered over the old part of the
city. marks the scene of the height of
the flames and adds to the awe inspir-
ing situation.
The authority have already taken
steps to meet the emergency and a
special meeting of the Maryland legis-
lature was called for tonight when re-
lief legislat ION will be enacted. The
measure is not yet drafted but it is
understood that the legislature will
appropriate S25, 600. 600 for relief if
that amount is deemed necessary. The
effect of the immense loss on the in
: surance companies is a matter OF
u