Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-08
L0SS,$40,000,0O0.
Fire Fiend's Terrible Work in
City Of Baltimore.
CoDaagration Started in Large Whole
sale Drygoods Store.
Scores of Business Houses in Whole.
sale District Destroyed.

Baltimore, Md, Feb. THE fire
which broke out a few minutes before
II o'clock this morning. in the whole
sale dry goods house of John L. Hurst
& Co. had ragged with unrestrained
fury continuously ever since and, at
midnight, il is still unchecked but is
steadily eating its consuming way
eastward on Baltimore street. after
having destroyed almost all of the
large stores and warehouses in the
wholesale district around Hopkins
place and al the buildings on both
sides of Baltimore street from Howard
to Holiday street, from Charter and
Baltimore to Charles and Lexington
and on Fayette street from Charles to
Holiday. including Il total of about 20
blocks Of the most modern and sub
stantial business buildings in the city
including q loss which cannot now be
estimated. nut which certainly already
reaches S30.000,000 or $40,000.c0O
Ever since about o'clock when
when darkness set in. the fire DEPART
nent. although aided by engines from
Washington. Philadelphia, Wilmington
and the surrounding counties and sub
urbs, has been utterly powerless to
make any impression on the all-devour-
ing element though for hours as many
a' 900 streams of water were thrown
into the Games. Indeed, so terrific has
been the heat ever since the fire start
ed and so dense and suffocating the
volume of flying sparks and burning
cindcrs, that it was difficult for the fire
nlei' TO stand long within fighting dis
tancc cf the flames. while several
trucks and engines We're hopelessly dis
at!ed at an early hour in the action.
At O'Clock the situation was so
hopeless So far as effective work by
Inc lIrenlen was concerned that Chief
Morton decided that the only thing left
to do was to dynamite buildings at
threatened points and thus prevent. as
far as POSSIBLE, Il further spread of the
Hames. In pursuance of this plan Il
number of buildings in South Charles
street between German and Lombard
were blown up. subsequently, the
splendid structure of J. w. Putt & Co.
notion dealers. at Charles and Fayette
streets, WAS dynamited and the Daily
Record building. Ross drug store and
others. But this heroic remedy merely
delayed but did not seriously impede
the onward march of the confagration
and for two hours or more the fire de-
partment has stood practically helpless
and resourceless in the face of the roar
ing furnaces which send their fierce
tongues 200 feet into the air and which
filled the heavens first with Il pail of
black funeral smoke and then with
livid sheets of sparks and lurid cinders.
Following the rapid destruction of
III. I,ti
the wholesale district the cyclone Of
roaring flames burst into Baltimore
street. licking within a few minutes
the seven-story Mullen hotel like some
insatiate monster and rapidly rolling
with irresistible force both eastward and
westward cutting down in its wrathful
wake wholesale and retail houses
manufactures, shops. jewelry stores,
furniture emporiums and restaurants.
At Charles street. the remOrseIesS tide
kept on down Baltimore street but also
turned into Charles street when it
quickly engufed the History Union
Trust building. starting eastward on
Fayette street. BY o'clock the oc-
cupants Of the Daily Herald building
at Fayettc and st. Paul street. and the
PEELED to Na"s.te as We're the occupants
of the Calvert and Equitable struct-
ures, two of the most massive office
buildings in Baltimore. Down Balti-
more street a parallel wave of roaring
flames shot their way. consuming
everything in its wake. speedily reach
ing the Evening News building from
which Il number of extras had been is
sued during the preceding hours. but
from which the employees had to hast-
~ flee. though not until valuable rec
OrdS had been removed.
Shortly after the Continental Trust
cos HISTORY building took fire. A
block below the American Newspaper
building was soon developed in clouds
Of sparks ana burning splinters and
the employees were ordered to move
out. SO that al this hour it is certain
that the Herald and American will not
get out issues. tomorrow. Meanwhile
the sun has been arranging to print
it, tomorrow issue in its job Office
which l., situated at a distant point
from the path of the fire. The finan-
(COntinuod on napa ~