The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-09
THE BURNED AREA.
Baltimore Presents a Scene of Com
plete Devastation.


Baltimore, Feb. 9.-The burned area
is "a scene of complete devastation
Numberless buildings that were the
pride of Baltimore were destroyed, only
some smouIdering debris of walls
remnants of walls remaining to mark
the sites. The Baltimore AmatIcan
building, one of the finest, is now but a
ruin. Across South street where stood
the Sun building only the pillars that
marked the front remain. Entire blocks
just below there are wiped out. From
F'ayette street down Holiday street as
far as German street there is no build
ing left save the Corn and Flour Ex-
change at the corner Of German street
That building, whose walls tower above
the crumbling debris of what were ad-
joining structures, was gutted and the
standing walls formed a cauIdron: the
flames burst at times through the win
dOws. but could cause no further dam
age In numerous other wrecked build
ings the flames played about the debris
and threatened to weaken the founda-
tlons of the few walls that were left
Like a grim tower in the ruins
stands the walls of the IS story Con-
tinental Trust company building. The
walls of the 3. & o. building are also
standing, but the Pennsylvania railway
building, directly across Calvert street,
is razed. Only the walls remain of
the once stately Equitable building.
Only remnan ntS of one wall are left at
what was the National hotel at Holli-
QdN ana dyelle SLTe6IS- NO
are left standing as Ear as the eye can
see down Baltimore from this point
All along South Gay street there is the
same picture of destruction. Il broken
sign and tottering front wall, show
where the Maryland w. c. T. U. build
ing once stood.
Adjoining this was the building occu-
pied by the Iron Ship company and by
the British consulate whose building is
a complete loss. The building used by
the German consulate on this square is
also in ruins. The costly United States
custom house in course of construction
and occupying the triangular block be-
tween Lombard and Water streets and
Exchange place is said to be ruined.
The marble blocks are badly damaged,
the cornices on the north side are de-
stroyed and the marble is cracked in a
number of places. The only other fed
eral building damaged was the United
States storehouse No. I diagonally op-
posite. Here the interior sustained seri-
Gus damage, but the outer walls are in
tact the only building in that section
whose cutter structure was preserved
Westward along Pratt street IS only
debris.
Down Pratt street west from Gay for
several blocks the oil in the wreck of
the Standard Oil building ignited and
there was a succession of explosions.
with bursting out of flame.
/ At times the smoke rolled up and
threw great black clouds over the
ruins Pratt street for many squares
! is almost impossible by reason of the
huge piles of masonry and the water
with which the fire companies flooded
/ that section. The electric wires are a
/ tangled network, and the trolley wires
are down in every direction.
/ At O'Donnells wharf, where a freight
station of the North Central railway is
located, the flames fed all day Oh the
infiammable trimmings of the annex
to the power house of the United Street
/ railway, the main building of WIlicn
was gutted early this morning. The
walls of both buildings. however, re-
main intact. The large buildings of the
Miller Fertilizer company, the Breag-
ener company, G. A Robinson, dealer in
seed, and Martin Wagner company,
Gamers and packers, opposite the slip
from the power house were destroyed;
many of the occupants of in-fated
Pratt street were saloonkeepers and
i dealers in second hand goods.
There is nothing today to indicate
| these places ever existed save for brick
piles. All the buildings at Dugan
wharf nearby, were destroyed. The
Hutchinson feed concern at this point
is also in ruins Stretching from here
down east and west Falls avenue were
a number of business houses among
them the Lime Cement Co plant and
/ Cockrans' ice house were burned. The
large four story building of Mccormick
Drug company at East Falls avenue and
Pratt street was ruined.