Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-02-12
BALTIKOREs CALAMITY.

Never In the history Of the United State
has 40 American city been visited BY suct
an appalling calamity as the fearful fire o.
Sunday and Monday last which broke on
Sunday morning about 10 O'Clock, whict
literally laid the center Of the business dis
trict OF Baltimore in ashes and carried of
in smoke money BY the millions. Gres
enterprises parAlyzed, many individual bus
nesses ruined, losses piling up aimosi to fAbu
lous amounts, thousands out Of employment
represent the extent Of . disaster withou
pArAllel-sn extent that even now II s mex
to impossible properly TO appreciate
No matter bow horrible or how extensiv,
may be disaster. it seldom happens that i
could Dot be worse So it was little short
OF providentiAl that The fire started on Soc
DAY, and next 10 miraculous that even %
der such circumstances there wss 10 grea'
los Of life. Had such confAgrAtion stared
Oh q week day, when the doomed building,
would have been filed with 40 army Of EN-.
pioyes, The furnace which consumed % moci
valuable property like % much waste paper
would have been 10 addition 9 holocaust Of
human yIcuns, rivaling II not surprising
the Chicago tbeater horror. Lockily, ID,
loss, ttupendous as it WAs, was almost wholly
confined TO property, even the injuries be
ing teriOus In very lev cases.
The losses Of the fire have been well nigt
TTeLsIhbie; nothing remains bot 10 benz
every energy to restore, a. far As possibls
what has been destroyed. and TO submit
with what philosophy they can, TO the 10
evilAble. Bot the lessons OF the fire remain
and not the least one is the important lac
that the means OF use OF present for The pro
lection oil life and property from the hercesi
and most destructive Of the elemenu, ar,
inadt qusie TO meet the demands Of modern
condiuobs Of lie.
The overhead wire, Of course, did lie usual
work in delaying effort, helping the flames
by this delay, interfering With apparatus,
and threatening eleclrocution every moment
70 firemep and spectators.
The FIRE originated In the wholesale DRY
goods store Of John z. Huni & Co, OF
Hopkins place, 10 the heart Of the business
district, with series OF loud explosions,
which were heard in remote parts Of the
city, and spread with fearful rapidity.
10 q bali hour there were dozen big
wArthOuses In the wholesale dry goods Ano
notions district burning nercely. The entire
city FIRE department was called out bat was
utterly powerless 10 check the spread Of The
flames, which were aided BY high winds,
and BY noon there were savage fires 10 oil
least thirty big warehouses, and the conna,
grafton WAs steadily eating its way into suc
cessive blocks east, north, west and south
Building alter building fell 9 prey 10 the
flames, and apparently there was no check
70 the onward sweep Of destruction.
On Baltimore street the destruction wa
complete, including the Offices Of all u.
daily newspapers IN the city, with the ex.
eepaion OF the Word. which wa located Oh
. street oulsice the FIRE limits.
In the meantime dremen and apparatus
bad arrived iron Washington, Philadelphia,
New York and other cities, and aided 10
subduipg the march OF the flames. This
Wholesale destruction continued until Mon
day evening and II one time 1t was greatly
feared thai the residence portion Of the city
would be destroyed.
A special dispatch from Baltimore dated
The slh instant sAys:
The FIRE IL under control. The great army
Of nTtmen, aided by the people Of the city,
made desperate stand 81 Jones Falls early
this afternoon and saved the residence sec.
tons from destruction. The Mayor con
arns the statement that the Gre has been
checked.
In The burned distTict great blazes contin.
ne, bot they Art DO menace, being Islands OF
Ore In desolAts waste. A few email and
quickly conquered nres were se, by flying
embeTs IN The district beyond the Fals.-
Tie city hqu'e1 and splendid order lie main.
tanned.
The burned district is within the territory
bounded on the wesl by Liberty street, on
the north by Lexington street., on the eall
BY Jones Falls, and on the south by th,
basin. Within this district were the big
STRUCTURES 90 FAyelie. Gay. Charles, Lon.
bard, Bslderson, Elliott. Holingsworth, and
Cheapside streets.
Passing southeast along the basin, the fol
lowing large docks were destroyed Nc
Clure's. Pa,terson's. Smith, Frederick, Long
and Union. Small thorougbfAres, which do
not extend as far north IS Lexington street,
and which were in the path oil the flames
are Commerce, Frederick and Mills streets,
The district thus swept by the FIRE com
prised 70 blocks aud nearly 1850 buildings.
The loss no one attemps 10 estimate. A
member OF the board OF insurance commits
sIoners said tonight:
ut Is impossible TO give 40 Approximate
estimate. llis safe to say The loss exceed.
100000"
Inspector Of Buildings Preston places the
building loss alone al $4,000. 900.
The city lie under control Of State Ant
Federal troops
Restaurants are running short OF food, anc
the destruction OF the commission house,
along the whsTves has cot otf the force Of
immediate supply.
An Investigation Of the ruius Of seyer.I
banks and trust companies 10 the DESTROYED
section on Tuesday disclosed The fac, thai
their vaults and contents are ABSOLUTELY in.
tact Papers amounting to hundreds Of mil.
lions OF dollan 10 value is unscorched. The
aspect Immediately assumed brighter tone
Tor II vas this phase OF the situation thai
excited The gravest apprehension, for III,
financial life OF some OF The city's greatest
concerns depended upon the safety Of yaull
contents.
The military company at this place was
ordered TO Baltimore 90 Monday and lel
that evening for duty 10 guarding the scen,
Of the nre and preserving order.