Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-02-10
BALTIMORE HIS }5O.0O0,OOO FIRE
City Suffers Most Disastrous Blaze in the His.
tory of the South

Front Street Theatre at least half
mile from the main confagration
which shows to what distance th
fiery rain fell. The blaze was ex
tinguished by the fremen. assisted b.
citizens.
For time considerable alarm wa
felt at the City Hospital. The Sister.
! OF Mercy in charge of the institutio,
were all at their posts, and an etfor
was made to keep the fact of the ccn
few cinders fell on the roof Of the hos.
ftagration secret from the patients. \
pital, but were extinguished by the
physicians of the house staff.
Eighteen women. two babies End
seven nurses were taken from The
Maternity Hospital. on West Lombard
street. in police ambulances and given
quarters at the city hospital. A woman
who was i'll in bed with typhoid fever
was taken to the city hospital
CITY TERRIFIED BY EXPLOSION.
At 8 o'clock tremendous explosion
of about 15C barrels cf whiskey stored
in the upper floors of No. "a Hanover
street hurled tons OF burning matter
across the street onto the roofs Of the
buildings opposite which the fremen
were drenching with water in a vain
hope to make Hanover street, the east
ern boundary line of the confagration.
Here an engine was buried By a falling
wall. the firemen fleeing for their
lives.
The whole city was notified of The
confiagration by terrific explosion,
which occurred some minutes after II
o'clock. A sharp, splitting roar went
up with revcrberating thunder. This
was followed by a peculiar whistling
noise like that made by shrill wind.
The churches in the central part of
the city were filled with worshippers,
Elauy OF whom were frightened and,
while no. panics ensued hundreds of
men and women went outside to see
what had happened. In a few moments
the streets and pavements all over the
city were crowded with excited people
Anotner deafening crash occurred. and !
dense columns Of cinders and smoke !
shot up over the central section of |
the city, and in huge brown column !
moved rapidly toward the northeast.
Borne on the strong southeast wind
the column Of smoke, blazing cinders.
=
81 cinders fell, compelling pedestrians
to doge red hot pieces of wood.
PEOPLE DoDGING FIRE BRANDS,
Two more explosions followed, and
thousands of people hurried to the
scene of the fire. Of all the specta-
org comparatively lew saw the hre
itself. They could not get within half a ,
block OF it. Even the policemen guard
ing the approaches to the FIRE had 10
shift their positions repeatedly anu
dodge falling cinders. Pieces OF tih
G hy 8 feet square were lifted into the
air by the terrific heat, sailed upward
like paper kites. and when they
reached point beyond the scene OF
the most intense heat. fell clattefihg
10 the streets.
RAGING WITH UNABATED FURY.
a:2c o. m.-The fire is still raging
with unabated fury. The fire depart
mont is helpless with the flames stead
ily travelling eastward on Baltimore
anil Favette streets. The, Union Trust
building has fallen in. The Carroiltoh
Hotel is on fire. The Herald building
,s anparenty doomed, and the occu-
pants have moved out. The Sun IS
nreparing to move Clouds of burning
cinders cover the whole city.
FIRE NEAR COURT HOUSE.
1920 p. m.-The fire sweeping east
nm Fayetteville street is within a short
distance of the court house. which oc-
cupies the block bounded by Fayette'
Lexington and Calvert streets. oppo-
site is the postoffice adjoining this
is the temporary custom house and
oprosite to this is the city hall. The
Calvert office building, at Fayette ana
St. Paul street, is afire, and the Equit-
able building, which adjolns it, is now
threatened. The main office of the
Western Union Telegraph CsslaEy is
located in the Equitable building, and
the force is leaving for branch OIL
fee. A number of buildings are being
dvnamited in an effort 20 sssD she
FIRE.
11:45-The fire is still eating iss |sS
eastward on Baltimore street end ca
South and German streets. Including
the financial district. Mayor EcLsne'
who has been on the scene aN day ant
night, says it is utterly impossible &c
make an estimate of loss. The :;re