Middletown transcript., 1904-02-13
BALTIMORE A
CITY OF RUINS
Business and Financial Sec
ton Completely Wiped Out
LOSS OVER stOo,oo0,ooO

Baltimore is in ruins. The very hear
of the city has been eaten out by the
flames which ragged furiously for 80 hours
entailing loss estimated at from $780,,
600, 900 to $3.50, 900, 900.
This, Baltimore's greatest fire broke
out shortly before II o'clock Sunday
morning in the wholesale dry goods store
of John E. Hurst & Co., ON Hopkins
place, in the heart of the business dis
trict, with series of loud explosions,
which were heard in remote parts of the
city, and spread with fearful rapidity 1t
ragged with unabated fury until 6 o'clock
Monday evening, consuming thousands
of buildings, the very cream of the busi-
ness district. The section destroyed is
bounded by Howard Street on the west,
the water front on the south, President
Street on the east, and Lexington Street
on the north.
Among the buildings destoyed the
most conspicuous ones were: The Ameri-
can building, the Sun building, Evening
News, The Herald, Continental Trust,
Mechanics Bank, Chamber of Commerce,
Baltimore Stock Exchange, the Hub,
Carrollton Hotel, Merchants Bank build
ing, Maryland Institute, Mullins Hotel,
Adams Express National Bank Commerce.
The city is now under martial law and
for ten days the soldiers fully armed will
patrol the streets. Governor Warfield on
Monday issued proclamation declaring
February s to Is legal holidays. This
action was taken to aid the banks and
trust companies.
Scope of Fire
To realize the scope OF the fire one
must realize the greatness of the section
of Baltimore in which the flames did
most havoc. The entire district between
Howard and Gay and Fayette and Pratt
streets is in ruins. This section was the
manufacturing centre of the city. Thous-
ands were employed in factories, Gamer
les and other industries within the
boundary lines of the streets above
named. Had the fire succeeded in cross
ing Jones Fall, reaching the lumber yards
which abound on the east side of that
stream, the loss though great as it is,
would have been appallings.
Starting at Liberty and Lombard streets
on Sunday afternoon, the great Hurst
building was the first structure to fall a
prey to the flames. Reaching out to the
north, south and east, the fire quickly
made its way. One after another the great
towering structures began to belch forth
flames. The fire department worked
heroically but owing to the intense heat
and falling walls, it was impossible to
get near the fire to do any good, in an in
creditable short space of time entire
squares were cracking and sending mil
lions of sparks skyward Such alarming
did the fire become that it
was decided to dynamite structures stand
ing in the path of the volumes of flames
in order to retard its progress. The fire
fighters were ordered back and the
wrecking of buildings began. Walls col
lapsed and buildings trembled as though
in the throes of and earthquake.
Whole City Seemed Doomed
The grandeur of the scene on Sunday
night was appalling. 1t seemed as
though the whole city was doomed. Help
lessly crowd of hundred thousand
souls looked on in horror. From the
aeething cauldron arose myriads ofsparks
which foated high above the flames, dis
porting in fantastic style and forming a
goldon canopy, from which rain of fire
fell upon the Mortified and almost stricken
spectators.
1t was indeed fiery gulf which grew
every minute. Yesterday afternoon the
fire was burning itself out and even then
The fremen could not relax their vigi-
lance as there are hundreds of hot beds
Of ruins to guard.
For new Baltimore
BALTIMORE, Nd, Feb. 9th. Mayor |
McLane of Baltimore, declares that new
,ity will arise from the ashes of the old. |