Democratic messenger., 1904-02-13
BALTIMORE FIRE
cArsE or TIE FIRE.

CAUSE or THE FIRE.
Investigations in the causes of the
fire, which began in the Hurst store. at
Hopkins place and German street, and
was followed by an explosion. which
transformed the structure into fount-
ain of fire, and the reasons for the avid
ity with which it seized upon the ad-
joining buildings. established two things
with a reasonable degree of certainty.
The explosion in the Hursr store is be-
lieved to have been due to the escape of
illuminating gas from leak in one of
the pipes. So far as known there was
no fire in the building
Spontaneous combustion il the cause
to which the blaze, first signaled by the
working of the automatic alarm in the
store. is attributed. The theory is that
the fire spread until it ignited the gas
that filed she store. In the confined
space within the store. which was tight.
ly closed. the explosive force of the gas.
having no outlet, was intensified. Gun
powder or dynamite conld not have
created more havoc.
AN EpIToME ON THE FACTS
Loss. 5000, 100000
Lives lost. none reported.
Persons injured, twenty; none seri-
ously
Persons thrown out of employment.
$1,000
Buildings destroyed. 2400.
Size of ire-swept area. one mile in
length and quarter mile wide.
Business almost entirely suspended.
All banks closed and fourteen burned
There are other items. but in the main
the above conveys fairly comprehen.
sive idea of the might of the blow with
which Baltimore has been smitten.
NEW CITY To ARISE.
Mayor McLane, of Baltimore, declares
that new city will arise from the ashes
of the old. In this he voices the senti-
ments of the citizens of this fire-swept
municipality.
Baltimore will now enter undaunted
into the task of resurrection" said the
Mayor. "A greater and more beautiful
city will arise from the ruins and we
shall make of this calamity future
blessing. We are staggered by the ter
rible blow. but we are not discouraged
and every energy of the city as muni-
cipality and its citizens as private indi-
viduals will be devoted to a rehabilita-
ton that will uot only prove the stuff
we are made of, but be monument to
the American spirit
AS if in proof of the Mayors brave
words, the roar of dynamite and the
rnmbling of falling walls echoed through
the streets instead of the cracking of
flame and the putting of engines. The
great fire was out except for triffiing
blazes among the ruins here and there.
Most of the men had quit after two days
of strenuous battle and in their steps
came an army of wreckers. These pro-
ceeded TO level what the flames had left
For the great fire belt. mile long and
half mile wide, is to be completely
razed TO the ground Not wall is to
be left standing. everything is TO be
pulled to earth And when all the
wreckage has been carried away, a new
city is TO rise on the ashes of the seven
ty or more fire-swept blocks.
The total loss has been officially esti-
mated. Ii is placed at sl25 ,OOO. 900. with
insurance of $4,000, 600. These figures
were arrived at during meeting of in.
surance companies representatives at
the Lexington Hotel.
While admitting that the loss was the
greatest ever endured by insurance com
panIes. the agents appeared smiling and
cheerful in surprising contrast to the
grave. half-dazed expression upon the
faces of most men. J. II. Mcclellan,
the special agent appointed by the Bal
timore Underwriters. said that the in
surance companies would be called upon
to pay about 20 per cent. of the proper
ty loss.