The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-08
THE FIRE is
STILL RAGING

rim broke Out Shortly Before ii
O'Clock Yesterday Morning on Hop
tius PIace-Spread by Explosions.
Eiromen of Baltimore and Other
cities Powerless to Check the
LIomes x Over Twenty Blocks
Rurned-The Buildings Destroyed.
Baltimore, Feb. IA fire when
brolse out at a few minutes before
Il o'clock this morning in the whole
sale drv goods house of John E. Hurst
G. co.. has ragged with unrestrained
furv continuously ever since. and at
midnight, it is still unchecked, and is
steadily eating its consuming way east
ward on Baltimore street. after having
DESTROYED almost all of the large stores
and warehouses in the wholesale dis
trict around Hopkins Place. and all
the buildings on both sides of Balti-
moro street from Howard to Holiday
street. from Charles and Baltimore to
Charles and Lexington, and on Fayette
street from Charles to Holiday, in
Guiding total of about twenty blocks
Of the most modern and substantial
business buildings in Baltimore, in
volving loss which cannot now be es-
timated, but which has certainly al
ready. reached thirty or forty millions
of dollars.
400 Streams in Play.
Ever since about o'clock, when
darkness came. the fire department,
although aided by engines from Wash
ington, Philadelphia, Wilmington and
the surrounding counties and suburbs,
has been utterly powerless to make
any effective resistance to the con-
suming element though for hours as
many as 400 streams of water were
thrown into. the flames. Indeed, so
terrific has been the heat ever since
the fire started and so dense and suf-
locating the. volume of flying sparks
and burning cinders that it was diff
cult for the firemen to stand long
within fighting distance of the flames,
while early in the afternoon several
trucks and engines were hopelessly
disabled by flying timbers.
At Z o'clock the situation was so
desperate that Chief Horton decided
that the only thing left to do was to
dynamite at threatened points, and
thus prevent, as far as possible, a fur
ther spread of the flames. In pursu-
ance of this plan a number of build
ings on South Charles street, be-
tween German and Lombard, were
blown up. Subsequently the splendid
structure of ]. w. Puts & Co., no
lion dealers, at Charles and Fayette
Streets, was dynamited, and then the
Daily Record building, Ross drug
store and others.
But this heroic remedy merely delay
ed, but did not seriously impede, the
onward march of the confiagration,
and for two hours or more the fire
department. has stood practically help
less and researches.
Outbreak of the Fire.
The fire broke out in the wholesale
Dry goods store of John E. Hurst &
Co., on Hopkins Place, in the heart of
the business district. with a series of
loud explosions, which we're heard in
remote parts of the city, and spread
with fearful rapidity.
IN half hour there were dozen
Dig warehouses in the wholesale dry |
eoods and notions district. burning
merely. The entire city fire depart
i0eht was called out. but was utter
powerless to check the spread of
ue lanes, which were aided by high |
"'nds' and by noon there were savage
"es in az least thirty big warehouses
aug loe confiagration was steadily eat
''S It's way into successive blocks east, |
"N'h, west and south.
VI baltimore street the block be-
Nsen Liberty and Sharp was soon |
~Daze. Then came the next block east |
hanover. and after that the block |
y" The south side to Charles street,
C'0Aa out in flames, the Consolidated
's Company's building and Oehms
,,De Hall burning ficrcely.
'leanwhile there were stores north Of
4uhore street being similarly con-
ausd' Mullins Hotel caught. and
s' buildings near II. West OF Lib
a.. ~ street on the south side OF Bal
t,'3'T' The block was doomed, and the
n ni tlmore Bargln House also caught.
co..N % Hopkins Place. where the
sfation started, Bursts building