The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-02-12
BALTIMORE S BUSINESS INTERESTS
IN Rims

{ Quarter 8 am. SQuarter "a am
BALTIMORE S BUSINESS INTERESTS
IN RUINS.
Last Sunday morning about eleven
O'Clock, fire broke out in the dry
goods house of the John L. Hurst
Company, situated jill the heart OF
the great business interests of Baltl-
more City. a few minutes after the
first alarm sounded a tremendous
explosion occurred, which broke the
glass in windows for blocks around,
and turned the building into seeth-
ing furnace of flames. The entire fire
department of Baltimore City re-
sponded promptly but their efforts
could not stay the flames and adj
Joining business houses were soon on
fire. 1t was hoped that etlre could
be held within the one business block,
but when the flames reached Baltl-
more street they were easily COM
municated to the north side. y
moderate wind did much to scatter
sparks which soon ignited other
buildings. Shortly after the fire
started Chief Horton was injured by
a live electric wire, and the direction
of the firemen fell to the district chief.
Mayor McLane shortly afterwards
arrived upon the scene and it was de-
cided to send tor outside help. The
first to arrive was from Washington.
1t consisted of two engines and crew
and made the run i'll thirty one
minutes. Wilmington, Philadelphia
and New York as we'll as local towns
ofAberdeen, Havre de Grace, Annapo-
lis, Chester, Frederick and York, with
details of men, but with their CON-
bined forces nothing could be accom-
plished. In the afternoon it was de-
cided to dynamite buildings, and thus
check the onward progress of the fire,
which was then eating out the heart
of the business district ofMaryland's
prosperous metropolis. Several
structures were RACED to the ground
but it is thought that this work
helped instead of l.indered the flames.
Shortly after the fire started the news
papers commenced issuing extra
editions, none of them thinking that
their buildings would fall before mid
night. Yet such was the case. The
Sun, American, The Evening News,
were all destroyed by twelve clock
and the last to 60 was the Baltimore
Herald. which caught fire about
eleven. The most remarkable feature
of the fire was the utter demolition
Of the fire proof" buildings. Promi-
nent among these was the Cont
mental Trust Building which stood
at the corner of Baltimore and Cal
vert streets and lowered far above
its neighbors. Nothing now remains
but the bare walls as a convincing
proof that the ingenuity of man is
not successful against the ravages OF
fire when the same gets under full
Roadway. Other big buildings that
were also included in this list were
the Equitable, Calvert, Law Build
ing, Baltimore and Ohio building,
MARYLAND Trust Building and Null
Inns Hotel. The Carrollton Hotel
formerly known as the cold Fountain
Inn" which has lately been remodeled
at an enormous expense, was also
burned.
About six O'Clock on Sunday even
ing it vas found necessary to call out
the Fourth and Fifth Regiments to
guard the property which was ex-
posed to the prey of vandalism. 1t
can be said to the credit of our own
people that nothing was feared so
far as they were concerned, but in
coming trains carried thieves, rogues
and picIspockets attracted thither in
search ofplunder. On Monday, Gov
ernor Warheld decided to also call
out the First Regiment of which
Company d, of Bel Air, is a part.
Our boys left on the ~ 0 train on the
same afternoon, in command of First
Lieutenant Sterling ID. Rosan. The
needs ofsafety seemed to require more
soldiers, and on Monday night Gen
eral Corbin with 900 regular troops
was ordered into Baltimore City to
assist the Maryland Militia. This
order was afterwards countermand-
ed and the troops stopped Ell transit.
On Monday night the Maryland
Legislature under suspension of
rules, passed law authorizing the
Governor of Maryland toissue pro-
clanation making the next eight days
legal holidays This was done in
order to give the banks time to open
their vaults in order to properly
present maturing paper. This will
stop any attempted run on the banks,
which would further embarrass them
as the millions of necessary cash is
buried in fire proof vaults, under
meath the debris of wrecked buildings,
Il