Mower County transcript., 1904-02-10
BAL lT|M0RE IN RUINS
PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE eusf
NESS SECTION WIPED our
~ DISASTROUS FIRE.
ESTIMATED LOSS VARIES FROM
.F.FTY TO TWO HUNDRED
MILLION z DOLLARS.
hep SENT FROM SURROUNDING
CITIES BUT THEIR EFFORTS
~. PROVE Of No ANAL.

e. fnOYG"VFs nv S%NA1As '
Baltimore, Feb. 8-The most de-
structive conflagration in the history
of Baltimore. occurred here Sunday
raging practically unchecked during
many hours, completely destroying
scores of the largest business houses
in the wholesale district, involving
losses which cannot yet be estimated
as the fire was still burning fercely at
5 a. m. Owing to the wide ex
tent of the calamity it will be some
time before even an approximate estl
mate can be made, though it is certain
that it has already exceeded $4,000,
900 and it is even placed at as high as
S20O,OO0,00O.
The fire broke out shortly before II
o'clock Sunday morning in the whole
sale drygoods store of John E. Hurst
& Co.: on Hopkins Place, in the heart
of the business district, with series
of loud explosions which were heard
in remote parts of the city, and the
fire spread with fearful rapidity.
In a half hour there were a dozen
big warehouses in the wholesale.
drygoods and notions district burning
fiercely. The entire city fire depart
ment was called out, but was utterly
powerless to check the spread of the
flames, which were aided by high
winds, and by noon there were savage
fires in at least thirty big warehouses
and the contlagration was steadily
eating it's way into successive blocks
east, north, west and south.
Could Not Check Flames.
Building after building fell a prey
to the flames and there was no check
to the onward sweep of the flames.
which destroyed almost all Of the
large stores and warehouses in the
wholesale district around Hopkins
Place and all the buildings on both
sides of Baltimore street from Howard
to Holiday street, from Charles and
Baltimore to Charles and Lexington
and on Fayette street from Charles t.
Holiday, including a total of about
twenty-four blocks of the most mod
ern and substantial buildings in Bal
timore involving an enormous loss.
Darkness came at o'clock and foi
hours afterward the fire department,
although aided by engines from Wash.
mgton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and
the surrounding suburbs, was utterly
powerless to make any effective re
sistance to the consuming element.
though for hours as many of 400
streams of water were thrown into
the flames.
Indeed so terrific was the heat from
Tho firon fho fro cto orto 10
and suffocating the volume of flying
sparks and burning cinders that it was
difficult for the firemen to stand long
within fighting distance of the flames.
while early in the afternoon several
trucks and engines were hopelessly
disabled iby timbers.
Cyclone of Flames
Following the destruction of the
palatial commercial buildings in the
wholesale district, the cyclone of
flames burst into Baltimore street,
licking up within few minutes the
seven-story Mullins hotel like some
insatiate monster and rapidly rolling
with irresistible force both eastward
and westward, cutting down wholesale
and retail houses, factories, shops,
jewelry stores, furniture emporiums
and restaurants.
The remorseless tide swept on down
Baltimore street, but also turned into
Charles street, where it quickly en-.
quilted the eleven-story Union Trust
building, starting eastward on Fay
cite street.
Shortly thereafter the Cincinnati
Trust company, a fourteen-story build.
ing, took fire. A block below the
American Newspaper building was en-.
veloped in clouds of sparks and burn
ing Splinters and the employees were
ordered out.
The corps Of Associated Press opera
night.
For many hours the pyrotechnic dis.
play was magnificent and imposing
beyond the power of a painter to de-
pict.
AT midnight vast columns of seeth-
ing flames were shooting skyward. at
varying points Of the compass and the
armament was one vast prismatic
ocean OF golden and silver hued
sparks.
Other Cities Send Assistance.
New York, Philadelphia and other
cities have sent fremen here to assist
the weary tiremen of this city.
About $50 buildings have been de-.
stroyed;; 5000 firms wiped out; forty
persons injured but nobody killed, so
far as known. :: 49,. >.*,,.>. :
The burned area is three-quarters
OF mile long and from two to eight
blocks wide ~. .. 49,.
= A number of engine: companies ar
rived at o'clock and began to throw
streams Of water upon the burning
buildings, several of which have been
dynamited to prevent the spread of
the flames. The city is practically
under martial law, the Fourth and
Fifth regiments, Maryland militia, to-
gether with a company of regular ar
tillerymen from Fort McHenry, rein
forcing the local police force to keep
the crowds in check.
On South Charles street are several
large tobacco warehouses of the Mary
land Tobacco company and if these
are reached it is not known where the
hre will end. Large lumber yards are
being destroyed along the west side Of
Jones Falls, over which the flames
0Nfa a