Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-09
PROUD CITY OF BALTIMORE
LOSES BLOCK AFTER BLOCK
FROM BUSINESS DISTRICT
HIGH WIND FANS FLAMES
Fire Originated in Liberty Street Store
Sunday Morning, and Has Eaten Its
1 Way Over Acres Upon Acres-sol-
diers Ordered to Stricken City.

s* = s# ** ~ q #s $40
Baltimore, Feb. 8.-(s:so p. rn.)-*
" The fire has gained fresh headWay .
and is attacking the President =
street station, said to be the old $
Is est passenger station in the world. $
The flames were thought to have
y been checked at 2:40 o'clock and .
an announcement to that effect
was made by the Associated Press. y
The most recent development may y
cause immeasurabIe loss.
New York. Feb. s. Fire Insurance
brokers in this city estimate the min
inurn loss to Insurance companies in
the Baltimore fire at $3o,ooo,ooo. The
losses of the big companies are placed
at from $5oo,ooo to 100000 each.
Baltimore Feb s. There was little
sleep for the 100000 residents of Bal
timore last night, because of the ter
3 rife Gconfla agration which started Sun
day forenoon. ., n
While there were but few lives lost
the monetary loss will probably reach
{ $20O,OO0,O0O Acres upon acres of the
most valuable property in the whole
sale dry goods, produce, lumber, ship
ping, railroad and financial districts
have been destroyed, Notwithstanding
the heroic efforts on the part of the
local fire department, reinforced by al
most numberless firemen from Wash
ington, Philadelphia, Wilmington, New
ark, N. j., Newark, Delaware, Harris
burg and New York City, and smaller
towns near by.
At 1915 o'clock this afternoon the
flames were sweeping the harbor dis
Falls the small stream running
through the business section of the
city and were attacking a mass Of oy-
ster and fruit packing establishments.
Hopeful Condition.
The firemen seem to be fighting the
fire with success and it is believed
they will confne it to the west side
of Jones Falls.
Battle is Desperate.
A fierce northerly wind prevails,
making the battle a desperate one.
Lost Cannot Be Realized.
Up to the present time about thirty
five persons have been injured and the
loss of property is variously estimat-
ed at between $200,OOO,O00 and $780,
100000.
Residence District Safe.
The residence district is unscathed
but the greater part of the business
section is a mass of debris.
Frames Spread This Morning.
The fire at 10 o'clock this morning
was raging as furiously as it was an
hour after it originated in the cellar of
the John E. Hurst Co., Liberty and
German streets. The flames this
morning attacked the wharves, piers
and docks of the harbor, and spread to
the eastward and southwark.
The Origin.
The origin of the fire is said to have
DeeQ 1TOll SpOulduSOliS rCOlllDuSliJu,
but no tangible evidence to this effect
has been secured.
Wind Foils Dynamite.
Several tons of dynamite were used
during the day and night to blow up
buildings in an effort to check the
spread of the flames, but even this was
unavailing and strong wind which
blew flying embers hither and thither
soon ignited the other buildings.
The Burned District.
The area of the fire district extends
from Liberty street on the west to
Jones Falls on the east, a distance of
about three-quarters of miles and
from Fayette to Pratt streets, north
and south, distance of four city
blocks. Included in this territory
were number of financial establish
ments of national repute. including the
buildings of Alexander Brown & Sons,
the Continental Trust Co., the offices
!, of the Baltimore & Ohio, Pennsylvania
Maryland & Pennsylvania, Southern
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad compa-
MES, and several steamship companies,
and the Western Union and Postal Tel
egraph Offices.
Newspaper Offices Destroyed.
All the newspaper offices, including
Associated Press quarters, We're burn