The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-02-12
CHEERING NEWS >rnr,p RAPIDLY
The city Rcinicrh When Told the
ConfiagrHtion Had ucrn ChccLed

]
\ The city Reinicrh When Told the
4 Connagration HAD ucen Checked.
Baltimore. Ma. Feb. 2 The cheer
ing news that he condensation hal
V been checked spread rapidly over he
city and the great crowds that all day
had surged against the tightly drawn
fire lines began 10 turn homeward Tn
I less the wind which now blows briskly
from the northwest, should changeit Is
I believed that there is no further danger.
But the tired fremen are taking no
\ chances All over the burned district
I they are hehtng the neroe flames
that still live In large piles of ruins
These fires are no menace. however
for they have nothing To feed upon out
side their present limits.
During the afternoon the wall of
flame ate its way in a scldherly and
westerly direction toward the river
Sporadic flames sprane in'o existence
and caused the withdrawal Of APP
paratus and men from the line OF bat
ne Buildings. old and now, large and
small stores shops. every imasinable
class oil business vanished q he fire
swept onward
Dynamite I>ed Freely.
a the dag wore on the forefront of
the FIRE neared Jops Falls, a small
stream that trends north and south
ana divides Baltimore from that por-
tion of the city known a East Bal
timore This little stream was the
last stand
If the con1agration leapel il. II by
flying embers or "A rush OF fame the
fire could cross and gain foothold
It's extent could not be foretold
Tremendous efforts were made To
block it. Dynamite was used freely.
The fire apparatus was centered and
all The skill of the fire fighters called
into play TO defeat the element that
had eaten up millions of dollars worth
of property And human skill and
pluck and grit and unfalterig courage
won The fire was checked But be
hind it lay a great gut.ed waste of
more than l40 acres in extent
Spectators Were ,we-~tricken.
Every street that led t. the fire area
was crowded with awe-sirichen spec
tators Down the narrow gulCh like
sheets the black smoke hung donsely.
split now and then by a rec glare Of
flame The crash OF tallin, buildings
was lost IN the roar OF exploding dyna
mite as il was used 20 demolish struc-
lures as yer untouched by fire
The city vas under the strictest OF
military control All around The
burned area was tretched a Gordon
Of soldiers. who held up all corners at
the point OF The baynret Police
brought from The neishhoiing cities
pairollcd The district and on every
street near the limits OF the fire area
paced armed sontinels In the early
hours Monday mornine thc army Of
fire fighters COPIED against overwhelm-
ING odds and whom dawn broke the
danes were raging hercely along the
wharNcs and focused about The great
powerhOuse Of the United Railways
Co. which furnished the power for ali
the street railways OF tho city Then
The flames ate iheir way With undi
minished force southwark following
the lines OF Ioaes Falls. and We're final
Is Choked near the waters edge al
West Falls oyenue in the southeas,
section OF he CITY. There the fiauss
continued through the night but only
in spots. and with diminishing fierce
ness a dark gloom served to assist
the watching thousands Of spectators
held behind the lines many squares
away TO locate the flames
Entire Blocks wiped out.
The burned area IS seen, Of com
plete devastation Numbeiless build
ings that were the pride Of Baltimore,
costly and stately. and occupied for
divers purposes, were guttcl and only
smoldering debris or walls or rem
nants of walls remain 10 mark the
sites. The Baltimore American build
ing. one OF the first l. now but
smouldcrng debris. save Tor remnants
and front and side walls. Across
South street. where stood the Baltimore
sun building. only the pillars that
marked the front remain Entire
blocks just below there are wiped out,
in some cases "A wall left standing
From Fayette street down Holiday
street, as far as German street. there
is no building left but the Corn and
Flour Exchange az the corner Of Ger
man street That building, whose
walls tower about the crumbling debris
Of what were adjoining structures.
was Quilted and the standing walls
formed a cauldroa. the flames Of which
burst at times through the windows, but
could cause no further damage In
numerous other wrecked buildings the
flames played about the debris and
threatened to weaken the foundations
of the few walls that were left.
4 Picture of Complete Destruction.
Like a grim tower in the ruins stands
the walls Of the 15-story Continental
Trust Co, building The walls of the