The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-02-12

. The city was placed under martial
law. Major General Corbn having been
called from New York to take charge
of the militia and the Federal tro0Ds
ordered here by the Governor and the
President to aid in checking the flames;
and to prevent the pillaging of build
ings unchanged by fire.
Dynamite was used unsparinglv on
great and valuable buildings and the.
blowing up of these. aided by the nat
ural limit of the fire because of contact
with non-infiammable structures, ma
teriallv checked the spread of the con-
fla grafton.
Strenuous efforts were made by per-
sons having Offices in the burned
buildings to remove yaiuabes before
the fire reached them. Much property
was removed 10 places of safety. but
safes containing thousands of doliars
are in the ruins. Every newspaper in
the city save the World and the Sun
was burned out The Sun was dyna-
mted. ard the Baltimore World was
the only newspaper issued III the city
on the day following the fire. Tie sun
was printed in Washington and
reached the city with full arcoui,ts Of
the fire. Other papers were also issued
there through The courtesy of the Post.
the Star and the Times.
The fire started in the wholesale dry
goods and notion house of John Il.
Hurst & Co. ut the corner of Liberty
and German streets, It is not definite
ly known what caused the blaze Some
say it was spontaneous combustion.
but whatever it was it is certain that
the rapid spread of the flames was ilHe'
to The explosion or Il Gasoline tan', i'm
the cellar Of the building and Il high
wind.
A number of buildings on South
Charles street. between German and.
Lombard. were blown up. Subsequent
~ the splendid structure of J. w. Pats
K Co. notion dealers ut Charles and
Fayetto streets, WAS dynamited. and
then the Daily Record building. Eoss's
drug store and others.
But this heroic remedy merely de-
lGyed. but did not 'SeriouSly impede the
onward march of the cOntiagratiOn and
for two hours or more the Fire Depart
ment has stood practically helpless and
resoarceless in the face Of the roaring
furnaces. which sent their fierce
tongues 800 feet into tie air, and which
filed the heavens first With Il pail OF
black funeral smoke. and then with
livid sheets of sparks and lurid cinders.
4 man connected with the fire irsur-
aEec companies said that the area III
which the fire started WAS marked on
The insurance map as the Black Belt.
The burned district is within the ter
ritory bounded on the west by Liberty
street. on the north by Lexington
street, on the east by Jones Falls and
on the south by the basin Within this
district were the big structures ON Fay
cite, Gay, Lombard Charles, Ealdei-
son. Ellicott, Holingsworth and Cheap
side streets. Passing southeast. along
the basin. the following large decks
were destroyed: McClure's, Palter-
sons, Smiths. Frederick, Long and
Union. Small thoroughfares. which do
not extend rs far north as Lexington
street. and which were in the path of
the flames. are Commerce FredaYicks
aud Mil streets.
Among the heavy losers are: Gehms.
Acme Hall, $500 Consolidated Gas
Company. 100000; Armstrong. Gator
4. Co, notions and millinery, $500. 800;
Wiegart X Co, shoes; Stelger Brothers.
trunks; Dowell, Helm d Co, storage,
il.tl VI. ~ u, Ol'peiItiBiSi ~ 'SuuS, INV
clry, 100000; II. $. Hecht & Co. nit
linely, 100000; BlankenberG. Gehr-
mann q Co. notions, SI25, 000; Leo
Kccne & Co., ladies' cloaks, and Henry
Pretzfelder & Co. boots and shoes,
$125, 600; Peter Rose Il Son, harness
manufacturers, $l25, 600; james Rob-
ertson Manufacturing Company, plumb
ing supplies. 100000; T. Jandorif ~.
Co, boots and shoes, and James Rob-
ertson Manufacturing Company, stor-
age, 100000; Fondin. Hahn 4 Sons.
cloths, 100000; L. Bricf K Brothers.
clothing, $150.OG0; Mas Il Kenpn".
embroidery and laces $125,00o; Flor-
cnce w MacCarthy Company, notions
and laces. $50. 600; Thalheiner Broth
ers, clothing, Sl50,000; Fisher Brothers.
liquors, wholesale, and SilberiDan IL
Todes, notions and dry goods, $50. 900;
J. Goldsmith 4 Son, clothing. ana So
:sar Il Shear. clothing, $iO0,000.