Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-11

Baltimore, Nd. Feb. IA fire which
broke out At IL few minutes before eleven
q clock this morning In the wholesale diN
goods house of John \. Hurst 4 Co.., mas
raced with linrcstrained fury since mat
time and ut midnight 1t is stiN unchechcd
and is steadily catiug its consuming way
eastward ON Baltimore strcot,after having
destroyed almost AL of the large stores
and warehouses in the wholesale district
around Hopkins Place and al the bulid-
iugs on both sides of Baltimore street
from Howard to Holiday street from
Charter and Baltimore to Charles and
Lexington and on t'aYette street FROM
Charles to Holiday, including total Of
about 20 blocks of the most modern ana
substantial business buildings IN Ealti-
more.
The loss cannot be estimated but it has
certainly reached 10000, 600 or $i00uu,o|n
The fire department although aided by
engines from Washington. Philadelph1a
Wilmington and the surrounding counties
and suburbs has been utterly poWerless
TO make ny impression ON the All d"Nour-
ing element. although for hours over 400
streams OF water were throw1 into the
flames.
So terrific has been tho heat ever since
the fire started and so dense and sulfn-
eating the volume Of smoke. flying sparks
and burning cinders that it was dllilcuIL
for the firemen to stand long within
fighting distance of the flames, while sew
oral trucks and engines We're hopclcsslv
disc 'lled by flying timbers at an early
hour in the action.
At seven O'Clock the situation was 50
hopeless so Ear as effective work by the
fironlou was concerned, that chict Horton
decided that the only thing left to do Was
10 dynamite buildings at Threatened points
ard thus prevent as far rs possible Il
further spread of the flames.
In pursuance of this plan number of
buildings on south Charles street w'r"
blown mp. Subsequently, O." spl"ndi
structure Of j. w. Puts & CO., notion
Gcalcrs at Charles and Fayette streets,
the Dali Record building, kcYs drug
store and other buildings were dNnamitod.
hut this heroic remedy merely delayed
but did not seriously impede the onward
march of the conflacration and for two
hours or more the fire department has
stood practically helpless.
FIRE STILL UNCONTROLLED.
Observation-Disclosures Nd. Feb. Mid
night--'rhe fire is still eating its way cast
ward on Baltimore street and on South
and German streets, including the tinau-
cial district. Mayor McLanc. who has
hocn on the scene all day ana Tonight,
SAYS it is utterly Impossible 10 make an
estimate of the loss The fire officials
say it aggregates forty millions up 10
l:iJ p. ILL.,
STARTED WITH EXPLOSIONS.
The fire broke out shortly before
eleven o'clock this morning in the
Wholesale dry goods store of John T.
Hurst q Co, ON Hopkins Place, in the
heart of the business district with 4
series of loud explosions. which wers
heard in All parts of the city. IT spreac
with fearful rapidity.
In half an hour there We're a dozcr
big warehouses In the wholesale dry
goods district burning tiercclY. The en-
tire city fire department was calle'
out but was utterly poWerleSs to checl
the spread of the flames, which Wer'
aided by high winds, and by noon Their,
were savage fires in at least 30 hif
warehouses and the ConilaGration wa
steadily eating its way into blocks
east, north, west and south
building after building fell pre-,
to the flames and apparently there wa
no check to the fires onward SWEEP