Evening journal., 1904-02-08
THOUSANDS OUT
OF EMPLOYMENT
Concerns Giving Work to
Many Men and Women
Burned Out
WIRES EMBARRASSED FIREMEN

Baltimore. Feb. s.-Among the first
structures destroyed was that housing the
Merchants and Manufacturers Associa-
tion of Baltimore. This Organization has
spent years IN advancing the interests
lcf ;he city throughout the South. In
ltrinsicaliy. perhaps. its losses are small
5ut x seorns on irony OF fate that the
home Of The association is in ashes in
1.-The midst Of The ruins OF great dry
goods ohouses for which IT'S best efforts
lhaNe been spent while its records. no
ldoubt destroyed. can never be replaced
The fact that the dry goods houscs, with
ono exception. We're clustered I'm one dis
ltrict results ln a practically complete pn-
lralys.s. Here too. the wholesale bo0i and
shoe concerns the Wholesale millinery. a
portion OF The wholesale clothing houses.
rs well as the bulk of general iobbers.
werc centred. Mills. factories, importers
and many other branches OF industry
north to Maine viii feel the effect OF Tie
sudden cessation Of business activity in
Baltimore az a season when all was alert
ness FOR the opening season.
The buildings destroyed represent every
class. Among them are splendid new
structures built on steel skeletons on
what are termed "hreproof' lines. sucn
were The Union Trust and another. the
Law Building. The Wholesale firms, as a
Irulc. occupied stccl-framed. brick slruc-
lures from hve TO eigh, Stories in height.
rev have been constructed in recent years
but an represented the best building meth
iods 81 from ten TO twenty-five years ago.
finder Boxes For Sparks.
Here and there throughout the fire dis
trct were venerable structures. dating
twenty. thirty to forty years back and
some few even older. Remodcled fronts
made these structures sorviceable for
lsmaiier concerns. but fire Of the magni-
tude OF this found rcady material In these
to gather. fresh energy. Sparks blown
lsqua-es across roofs found in these verit-
lable finder boxes. and offered menace
TO better-built buildings an aoout them.
Baltimore loses some fine warehouses
Few II any. OF the buildings destroyed.
however but Will be supplanted event
lually by structures calculated 70 add at
ltrac,iveness TO tho city The city posi-
l.ively profits in a score OF cases. ana the
gain ln this one aspect viii exceed the
loss.
It VIII be found when Investigation be-
gins that the Baltimore Fire Department
land its assistants from other cities were
hamptred Throughout their task by over
head wires Baltimore street is a veritable
highway for trunk lines.
Wires Embarrass Firemen.
A forest OF poles IS presented to view
iiooii.g along the street In either direction.
lTwo 20 three hundred wires may be foend
ff..
of them underground. Ladders have FREE
quentiy been found useless az Baltimore
sueet.hres as q result and today the ef-
feet. Nas the same.
Fully 800 firms did not resume business
this morning. Tho average number OF
cmpioycs for cath of these firms IS. per-
haps 100. running- from ten m smaller
Baltimore street stores 10 many hundreds
In the number OF large concerns involved.
II may safely De estimated that from
; i5.co0 to e0.ooo Persons are. out OF employ
ment as one res0lt OF .fhe fire.. Many
will be carried by tho larger FIRMS. but
perhaps ie@o vii be left without work
Among the many venerable structures
in ghe path OF the fire was one at the
corner OF Baltimore and Hanovci
streets. occupying The site and parh,
the original structure IN which sat IN,
Continentai consress duriag ore Of isl
enforced misrauons from Philadelphia
A handsome brcnzs tablet had been place.
! on the building in rccsnl years record.ai
;nis iact.
Tho destructlon OF the Maryland lin
( s;itute of Art ana Des.ga on East Bal
4 umore street removes a classical b.
P timore Landmark. Here. for ysas=. Ger
] ired the artistic and social lite OF ia
= cHy. Years ago DC gavc WAY to stru,
c lures farther un town and a. Jevfs
r lpopulation has hlcd fie neighloraood
d Jenny Lind sans there Henry Wat