Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-12

BALTIMORE, Md, Monday
a. m. - Baltimore on FIRE.
TweRty-foar blocks In Bust
ness part, Baltimore street
and south Of 1t, already in
ashes. S5O,eO0,000 already
lost, and fire still raging.
Fire departments Of Washing
ton, Philadelphia and New York
sent engines. "American" and
"Sun" burned out. Buildings
costing S3,0O0,OOO dyuamited
to stop progress Of fire.
The foregoing was immediately is
sued in supplement form from our
press and mailed to all our countr,
subscribers.
All during Monday the wires were
burning and inquiries poured int
Irvington aud Warsaw to know more
about the fire. AS fast a. informa.
ton came in it was distributed
throughout the Northern Neck,
The CITIZEN Monday morning posted
bulletins at Irvington, White Stone,
Kilmarnock, Weems and Millenbeck,
pending arrival of its printed"Extra.' .
Bsltimore's commercial and finan-
ciai life is practically at standstill
as a result of the worst confiagstion
in the history of the city. With a
large portion of the wholesale and
Jobbing district wiped out, with the
most important banking and general
financial institutions of the CITY
either destroyed or badly crippled;
with great manufacturing section
burned over, with some of its most
important wharf-front property de-
stroyed, and with o residential quar-.
ter in the southeastern portion
burned to the ground, Baltimoresns
face the after-effects of one of the
most terrible calamities that has ever
come to blight an American CITY.
Not alone has the very cream of
the Baltimore business and financial
district been burned over, but, by
peculisr fatality, every one of the
sky-scraping office buildings, except
the Fidelity, have been either Quilted
or so badly damaged as to present a
scene of practical destruction. Tn
this list of supposedly fire-proof
buildings, but a few days ago the
pride of the community, the CONT
mental, the Equitable, the Calvert
the Maryland Trust, the Law, and
the Union Trust, are mere shells, in
several cases large portions of the
walls having fallen. ACCOMPANYING
these went almost all of the most
modern financial homes of the city.
including every bank building.
From IL o'clock Sunday morning
to Wednesday the Baltimore firemen
were valiantly endeavoring to check
the wall of flame that was eating its
way onward. In this work they were
seconded by aid sent from other
cities, iremen having come from
Philadelphia, Washington, Chester,
New York, York, Wilmington and
other cities, IN addition to the fire.
men from the various sections of
Baltimore county.
BY Tuesday morning the fire was
under control and confined to the
blazing heap of ruins. The firem. n
we're steadily forcing their way in
ward from the outer limits of the
burned area, making use of tugs
along the water front. The cheer
ing news that the confiagration had
been checked spread rapidly over
the city Tuesday and the great
crowds that for nearly two days had
'urged against the tightly-drawn Gre
ines began to turn homeward.
baltimore 10 under martial Law.
md for ten days the soldiers fully
armed and equipped, more than two
thousand In all, will patrol the streets. |
Their work will be supplemented by
more than 500 of the j, 200 men that !
constitute the police department of |
he city, aided by 256 policemen from
Philadelphia and 35 from Washing
on. Brigade Commander Riggs
rdered all saloons in the downtown
district closed.
The Legislature will make a sue.
lal appropriation of $25O,O0o or
100000 from the State treasury for
Immediate relief of the distressed. |
his money will be placed at the dis. |
osal of Governor Warfield, who ia
0 appoint an advisory committee of |
ves with Mayor McLane as q mem. |
er, for the distribution of the funds.
after the State may donate $25,.
100000.
BEGINNING OF THE FIRE. +
The first intimation of fire came
rom the big establishment of John
: Hurst & Co., Hopkins Place.
ferman and Liberty streets, at l649
: m. Sunday. The blaze was in the
asement, where il evidently had it's
rlgin from some unknown cause.
fhen the first engines reached the
Gene the building was enveloped in
anne, so rapid had been the progress
the fire.
A general alarm was sounded. and
lis was followed in rapid success
on by special calls bringing the
valuable city apparatus to the scene.
s the blaze progressed through the
holesale district, telephone calls
'r assistance were sent to Washing.
IN, Philadelphia, York and Balti-
iore couLty. Prompt responses were
ade from all quarters.
The Baltimore department aud the
remen who came to their aid were ,
slpless in the face of the fire.
rlven time after time from the
and they had taken, the fight was {
most hopeless, and before nightfall
llidings were being blown up in
'rlous directions in the path of the |
lmes, In an effort to check them.
such terrible intensity was the