The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-02-11


by the fire fighting forces which
more than half a dozen cities were
able to muster. The residence Sec
tion of the city escaped. This phase
of the situation relieved the officials
from any thought other than saving
property.
The flames were held in check at the
Union docks and prevented from iear-
ing Jones Falls and placing the city
cas-: of there jeopardy. A score of
times flames OF fire were found lap
ping tho sides of lumber piles on the
east bank OF the fails. Heroic meas
ures stayed the Onsweep OF fire.
Throughout the terrible contest in
which firemen and fire ragged for
supremacy, humanity was handicap
ped by a gale which carried burning
brands far over the heads of the work
ers and beyond the reach of the hum
dreds of streams of water poured into
the raging furnaces. But for the
work of volunteers in seeking out
and cxtingvishing these embers, it is
almost certain the burned area would
have oeen twice larger than it is.
About seventy-fve squares or 40
acres are in ashes, ex, ending from
Lexington street on the sh to
Pratt street OF the south, from Liber-
~ street on the west to JONES' Falls
on the east.
INSURANCE MES PUZZLED.
Insurance companies have opened
temporary Offices in the Lex
ington hotel, bnt their representa-
tivec decline to estimate the loss. The
answer of one is typical OF all "It's
too big. We have not figures to des-
cribe it. Make il above one hundred
million. That's the best we can do"
MARTIAL Law.
The city was early placed under
martial law and thus all danger of
eliminated.
HEROIC FIGHT TO STOP THE FLAMES.
No one dares to guess what would
have happened If the flams had jump
ed Jones' Falls. Again and again the
| terrible heat, driven from the burning
district across Jones' Falls, ignited
buildings ard lumber piles. Furious
hand to hand fights occurred, which
fortunately for the residents of East
Baltimore were won by the firemen.
| Had the FIR gained fouthold in the
East Side lumber yards, It IS conceded
nothing could have stopped the on
slaught and the departments would
have been powerless to preve dam
| age As great, II not greater than that
Of the Chicago FIRE.
DYNAMITE CONSTANTLY USED.
Dynamite explosions have been
constant to-day. The programme
adopted of blowing up buildings in an
attempt to stay the progress of the
flames was continued until the fire
was under control.
TERRIBLE VIEW.
| With the fire under control, the
blackened waste which hes in the
wake of the sea of flames presents a
view terrible in Its pyrotecnic gran
deL. 1t can Le hkened best to oceans
OF great cCLe ovens, each shooting
out its thous.nd tongues of flames
from pyramids OF brick, stone and ce-
ment. Where the fire has died out
nothing rtmains but waste, from
which rise hundreds OF towering. in
secure sh fits of The same color. These
are all th..t is left of what were once
handsome office buildings, storage
Wholesale and business houses of all
kinds.
THE LESS BEYOND ESTIMATE.
The loss will rot be accurately es-
Limated for weeks, for business men
prosperous yesterday morning, are
poor to-day. Expressions heard
among these men IS the peer into
their collapsed property reveal an
astounding number who were only
po rly protected with insurance.
Washington, FsD. s.-BOth chap
, lains at the opening of Congress to
} day prayed for the fire swept city o
= Baltimore.