The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-09

structure; the York River Line dock
at the foot of Concord street. also
frame, and the Baltimore Savings
Bank.
There were hundreds of other build
ings destroyed, including many of con-
siderable commercial Importance, but
their complete list would be but bust
ness directory of the burned area.
bravery of the Firemen.
While there were no casualties to
speak of, the great army of freight
ers performed many daring feats in
their desperate attempts to stay the
flames Many times they were driven
out of the close and hot places Just as
walls came topping down.
The last large building to fall a prey
to the flames down along Jones Falls,
nearly caught five men. They were on
the roof and directing their efforts to
an adjoining structure, when a warn
ing shout was sent up that the interior
of the building on which they were
standing was a mass of flames. They
found their way to tin gutter, where
one by one they hung on, stretched out
their arms and grasped a telegraph
pole which was planted close to the
structure. They slid down and had not
reached the ground when the roof fell
in with a roar. This was only one in
stance. Columns could be written of
hair breadth escapes made during the
%wenty-eight hours battle with the
flames.
All of the out-of-town fire companies,
| because of the utter exhaustion of the
local men, were given a freeShand dur
ing the morning and early afternoon.
More than a score of companies were
here from New York, Philadelphia
Wilmington, Washington and small
towns within a radius of fifty miles OF
Baltimore. Their duty was to check
the flames in their onward march
southwark. The New York firemen,
who were the last to arrive, owing to
the long distance they Travelled, were
the last to stand the brunt of the
flames, and when the fire began to
burn itself out in the coal yard of the
American Ice Company, seven of their
steamers were backed up against a
bulkhead of the Patapsco river.
Vast Throng Orderly.
The cordons of guards completely en-
circling the fire area have restricted
the number of spectators within to a
minimum, ropes being stretched across
the streets with armed members Oh
the federal and national guard on
duty to keep back the crowds. In the
crowds were found not only the in
visitors from Washington, Annapolis,
Wilmington and surrounding towns,
even as far away as Philadelphia. The
gatherings were remarkably quiet and
orderly, and the sentinels so far have
had no difficulty in controlling them
Pratt street, running from one end
to the other of the fire area, was
passabIe throughout its length, and
was used as a thoroughfare by those
ne Cd he Of
foolhardiness was exhibited by some
persons who ventured recklessly into
the more dangerous streets.
The clearing away of the ruins will
be an affair of months. Every stand
ing wall must come down, and the
vast accumulation of debris carted
away. Along the northern edge of the
burned district. the number of stand
ing walls is especially noticeable, some
of the largest buildings, such as the
Continental, and the Baltimore and
Ohio office building being still erect.
Saved from Another Fire.
Good fortune or plucky fire fighting
by four of the Baltimore fire companies
saved the city from another serious fire
this afternoon. Burning brands fell
on the roof Of the Maine Ice Com
panys plant at Wells and Philpot
streets, across Jones Falls, in East
Baltimore. The tar roofing of the
frame structure became quickly ignited
and in short time the building was
in ruins.
SO great was the heat from the fire
that the Sonneback Chemical Com
pany's plant next door caught fire and
also was detroyed. In the cellar of the
chemical company was stored many
thousands of gallons of gasoline used
in the business. The firemen fought
CALAMITY and prevented an explosion.
This fire was half a mile from the
eastern edge of the big fire and in the
very heart of the lumber district. Had
it gotten away from the firemen and
the gasoline exploded, East Baltimore
might have been burned all the way
to Canton, the extreme eastern end of
fhe f.ifv