Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-12
BUILDINGS DESTROYE1
ALL ESTIMATE.
en- days, and Legal
ruary 18th, Inclusive.

, buildings and on to other structures.
Tongues of flame leaped the streets,
carrying the blaze to buildings op-
posite, as if there was no Intervening
space at all, and the firemen were
unable to live in the immediate neigh
oorhood, so hot was the fire.
BEYOND CONTROL.
The ease with which the flames
leaped Is shown in the fact that the
National Exchange Bank building.
on the opposite side of German street
from the Hurst structure, was the
second to succumb. The Florence
MacCarty Company, on Baltimore
street, was off next, and this was
followed by the spread of the flames
Ia every direction. Millions every
hour went up in flame and smoke as
the conhagration progressed, and
from an hour after the fire started
the blaze was practically beyond all
hope of early control.
An immense powder receptacle in
the front of the Findlay, Roberts &
20. building, almost opposite the
Hurst building, on Hopkins Place,
exploded before the fire was far
under way. The glass fronts of
buildings were blown out, and the
flames swept onward from the start
ing point. A portion of this iron
receptacle went as far south as LON
bard street, striking q man and in
ljuring him.
The flames travelled to the build
ings on the west side of Hanover
street, to those all along the east
side OF Sharp street, almost down to
Lombard, and across Baltimore street
to several structures on the north
side of that thoroughfare. Fifteen
minutes later Mullins Hotel, severa!
business houses on the east side of
Liberty street, those on McClellan's
alley and Little Sharp street, half
way to Fsyette, were flaming from
end to end, while small fires had
started at various points, such as 10
the Hall, Heddington Company
Building and the Baltimore Bargain
House, these being checked BY the
firemen in their incipiency.
Between 8 aud 4 o'clock in the
afternoon there was one solid mass of
flame from Lombard street almost TO
Fayette street, and from Sharp street
across Hanover street to the east side.
the flames having leaped that
thoroughfare at that time.
AwE-INsPIRING.
From that point on the conflapra.
ton was almost indescribable in its
progress. The flames would be com.
municated to some big structure in
the hitherto untouched block, would
sometimes be driven back for the
time, only to jump to a structure in
the, immediate vicinity. 1t was in
describably grand and awe inspiring.
and veterans of the fire department.
used to struggles against flames for
years, would at times give up for
few moments exhausted, to remark
Horrible, horrible"
A magnificent stand was made ON
Liberty Street, and the q. Y. David
son Company building was the last
large structure to 60 down at the
northwestern extremity of the blaze
up to o'clock.
DYNAMITING BUILDINGS.
Flames having swept over German
street toward Charles, dynamitipg
of structures in the progress of the
lire was resorted TO.
Several small charges were fired
earlier in the evening with good eff.
feet both at the Guggen heimer &
We'll and the old North Bros. &
Straus buildings, on Lombard street.
and although some few buildings
were badly damaged in the block
Just below, the real life of the con-
Migration may be said to have atop.
ped at Lombard street for the south.
The Arnold Company building, on
Oharles street. three doors below
German, was the first to be dypamit.
ed. One hundred and fifty pounds
OF the explosive tore the interior out
OF the building, bat did not iniure
the walls ia the slightest. Later
charges wrecked several structures in
this section, but even this proved in
effectual in checking the onward
move of the fire. The Armstrong & &
Gator Company building, on Baiti.
more Street, was roaring furnace
before O'Clock, at which time the
wind was blowing with great veloc. 8
ity, and so rapid was the spread of
the fire that the situation was be-
wlldering to the coolest of the fire.
men.
SEA OF FLAMES.
Fayette Street all the way from ,
near Liberty to near st. Paul street. ,
appeared to be sea of flames by
h&t-past 3 o'clock, and Baltimore
ana German streets had been swept
almost down to Light, the Carrolltou I
Hotel having been deserted of its 8
guests.
at this time the flames were an. b
beyond all control, sweeping
ON and jumping from building to e
almost unrestricted. !
1t had COTTON as far as the Inter J
rational Trust Company building on !
The south side of Baltimore street, q
and to the Bank of Baltimore build {
ing and the New York Clothing
House on the north side of the street; q
had travelled over Fayette street and G
up st. Paul street. e.
The Carrollton Hotel was ablaze 0
from end to end by 10 O'Clock, and 0
IN hour later the FIRE had swept over u
Fayette and German g
Itreets as far as Calvert street The
and Ohio Central building
vas dynamited at 1890 o'clock in a W
,ain effort to stop the progress of the Il
lanes. a
AT this time, in addition to the fl
,ther big buildinos destro,ad ar .,