The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-02-11
A CITY ON FIRE
GREAT CONFEDERATION RAGING
IN CENTER or BALTIMORE.
loss Will Be- MILLIONS Of DOLLARS
-Four Hundred Streams Playing on
the Fire az Once Had No Appre-
elsbie Elfees-Raln Of cindcrs En.
dannersd the Entire Town-Flre
stlll Spreading at Midnight

BALTIMORE. Nd Especially AZ 3
O'Clock Monday morning The fire was
raging fierceiy. So far as known at
that hour, no serious casualties had
been reported TO the police. Telegraph,
telephone and electric wires OF all
kinds are Frustrated Express wagons
have been kept busy all night remoy-
ing furniture aud fixtures from the
counting rooms and houses in the
threatened district The fire has now
covered an area OF three-cuarters Of a
mile in length by nearly a quarter Of a
mile in width, taking in many OF the
most important buildings in the city.
No one win venture on an estimate Of
the monetary loss. II has destroyed
almost all Of the large store and
warehouses in the Wholesale district,
involving a loss which has certainly
reached sse.Oo0.OOO or s~4O.0OO.OOO.
Ever since darkness came. the fire
department, although aided by engines
from Washington, Philadelphia, VIII
mington and the surrounding 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.
At Z o'clock the situation was so
desperate that Chief Horton decided
that the only thing left to dc was to
dynamite buildings at threatened
points and thus prevent. as far as pos
sible. a further spread Of the flames.
In pursuance Of this plan. a number Of
buildings we're blown up, the splendid
structure Of j. w. Putback. notion
dealer and the Daily Record building.
But this heroic remedy merely de-
layed the onward march OF the o
nagratlon. and for two hours or more
the fire department stopped, practi-
cally helpless, and resourceless.
The roaring furnaces sent their
fierce tongues OF flame 200 feet in the
air and filled the heavens first with
a pan Of black smoke and then with
glowing embers.
Following the rapid destruction OF
the palatial commercial buildings in
the wholesale district, The cyclone Of
roaring flames burst into Baltimore
street. licking within a few minutes
the seven story Mullins hotel like
some monster and rapidly rolling with
Irresistible force both east and west
cutting down wholesale and retail
houses, manufactures. shops, jewelry
stores. furniture emporiums and res
t~aurants. AT Charles street the re-
~morseless tide swept on down Balti-
more street, but also turned into
Charles street, where Il quickly en-
gaifed the eleven story Union Trust
building, starting eastward on Fayette
street.
At 8 o'clock occupants OF the Daily
Herald building and Of the Record
building. we're compelled TO vacate by
the flames. as were the occupants OF
the Calvert and Equitable structures.
two Of the most massive buildings ia
Baltimore. Down Baltimore street. a
parallel wave OF roaring. cracking
flames swept. consuming everything
in It's course. speedily reaching the
evening News building. from which
the employees had hastily 10 flee.
though not until valuable records had
been removed.
shortly thereafter the Continental
Trust Company, a fourteen-story build
ing took fire. A block below. the
American Newspaper building was en-
vsloDed In such clouds Of sparks and
bgrning splinters that the employees
were ordered out
The financial district. including the
chief banking an brokerage firms on
South and German streets. seems 10
be now doomed and scores Of the
city's bading financlers and business
men are scurrying In and out Of their
offices, bearing packages pr placing
~valuabies In cO%nveyanees.s
During all these hours the pyrotech-
ME display has been magnificent and
imposing beyond the power Of painter
10 depict AZ this hour vast columns
Of flame are shooting skyvard A. va
rying points Of the compass, and the
armament IL one vast prismatc ocean
Of golden and silyer-hued sparks
Great mulutudes Of people line the
streets. aWestuok with the panoama
which Is being enacted before tLell
eyes.