The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-02-12
Entire Business District Wiped
Out-Loss to Property Esti-
mated at $2oo, 700, 900. :. .
Firemen Are Utterly Helpless ana
;6 Fire, After Raging - Hours,
. Barns Itself Out. !:
Dynamite, Used to shatter the Large
Buildings to Stop the Progress,
w.. Proves Of No Avail
Horror Started by an Explosion and
Planes Soon Beyond Control
. City Under Martial Law. -

E}r[ xA1hes soon HeyOhO COntrOl-
City Under Martial Law.
Baltimore, Nd, Feb 9.-There was
little sleep for the 100000 residents OF
Baltimore Sunday night because Of a
terrific confagration which started. in
the forenoon. ~ = T.. ~5r. !.
? The monetary loss will probably
reach $500 900, 900. Square miles of the
most valuable property in the whole
salo dry goods, produce, lumber, ship
ping, railroad and financial districts
have been destroyed, - t.
1. fire Barns Itself Out.
- At 2:40yp. m. it was announced that
the progress Of the fire had been
checked and that it was burning itself
out. The last places to 60 were the
ice house and coal yard of the Amer
lean lice company. The coal yard,
which spread out about 200 yards
south of the ice house, was the means
of staying the march of the flames on
the south and Jones' Falls on the east.
The Norfolk wharf of the Baltimore
Steam Packet company, which was
stocked with barrels of rosin and other
miscellaneous merchandise, was de-
stroyed before the fire had attacked
: the merchandise company's property.
1t took 81 hours to stop the progress
of the great fire.: .. s~.'..
b., Many Big Firms Are Losers.
Included in the burned territory were
number of financial establishments
of national repute, including the build
ings OF Alexander Brown & Sons, the
Continental Trust company, the Union
Trust company, the Atlantic Trust
company, the Offices of the Baltimore
& Ohio, the Pennsylvania Railway
company. the MARYLAND. Southern. &
Chesapeake Railroad company, several
steamship companies and q number of
leading. hatters, haberdashers, etc.
The main offices of the Western Union
and Postal Telegraph companies were
deserted long before midnight and the
buildings which they occupied are
practically, destroyed. .-p: 49,
All the Baltimore newspapers are
burned out and they were issued Mon
day morning from Washington.
* Several Persons Injured.
! Up to 1: 30 p. m. approximately IS
persons had been injured, including
one fireman seriously hurt while work.
ing in the burning section. The city
government has been entirely suspend
ed and the city is under complete mill
tary control.
: At noon the burning area stretched
for blocks along the harbor in the
southeast section Of the old part of
the city. The firemen were working
brayely, but against fearful odds. The
area is enveloped in smoke that rises
In great volumes and rolls away over
the rest of the city. Stretching back
along Jones' Falls is a host of build
ings Quilted by the flames. From the
Lombard Street. bridge looking west
ward is scene Of utter destruction.
What once were large substantial
structures are now mass Of smOlder-
ing debris, few walls here and there
standing like sentinels over the ruins.
Huge piles Of smoldering bricks, tan
gled networks of electric wires, q few.
remnants Of walls and here and there
telegraph poles burned and smoldering
are all that remain to mark the prog
.ress of the confagration in that Sec
Etion. =. ..-.-s .r --~.: q.
+, Much Suffering Expected. , =
It is anticipated that there may be
much suffering and restitution follow
ing upon the heels of the destructive
visitation, and Mayor McLane and
other city officials are already discuss
ing the most ready means. Of relief. It
is estimated that as many as 0,000
persons will be. thrown out Of employ.
ment; and many s'of those and their
families will be without resources
!: Brig. Cen. Rags, commanding the
I state national, guard, who has charge
53of the street patrol, has issued strict
instructions to guard against any pos
j sible footing Of partially destroyed or
abandoned houses. So far there have
been no instances Of footing reported.
Call. Extra session 81 Lesislature.
Gov. sWarfield has called an extra
session Of the Legislature. to meet Mon
day evening at eight O'clock to em-
power him to declare the city under
martial law and suspend all business
for ten days. The action was taken
after q conference with Attorney Cen
eral Bryan, who advised the governor
that he did not have authority to re-
sslieye the city authorities of RESPONSE
bility without the authorization OF the
Legislature. - ~ :. -.
ga Monday was declared a LEGAL holt
day in order to give .ihe> clearing
houses chance to get strala nteneo
out. Gov. Warfeld statDes that every
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