Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-08
RAVAGES OF FLAMES
NO ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF
THE FIRE CAN BE GIVEN.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

Special From STAFF Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, Md, February S.-1ndefa-
tigable firemen from all the cities within a
radius of 400 miles have been working tor
thirty-six hours on the fire-stricken CITY OF
Baltimore, and this afternoon the terrible
element was as fiercely devastating as ever.
Persons poured into the city on every
train. the streets without the fire lines were
packed with them, and still more thousanas
came to view what they could OF the work
of the awful visitation.
One OF the first things noticeable to per-
sons familiar with the ordinary aspects or
the city was the inability to locate them
selves Block after block showed nothing
hut piles of smoking brick and interlacing
wires Trains from Washington brought
over hundreds, and from every point
where a railway ran the curious came.
Business is of course, at standstlll, ana
the half million people OF Baltimore are on
the streets the militia only keeping them
out of danger of falling walls and dropping
cinders.
EVERYWHERE there is chaos; everywhere -
the clang of hurrying bells; everywhere the
scream of engine whistles, as they call Iof
more coal
The ruin cannot be contemplated without
"a shudder of horror; the city is gone, as far
as it's business is concerned, and the popu-
lation of the extensive east end, where
thousands OF the old residents have for
enterprises which they have built up are
doomed and will De but memories before this
is in type.
Mile after mile of the raging flames are
enveloping that section of the city Where
the business of oyster packing and Kindred
ira des, which have for a century made Bar
timore famous, are located, and at noon the
flames were absolutely beyond control ana
to only the wide waters of the Chesapeake
bay could the weary firemen look Tor alo:
The natural wind which blew from the
north during the morning was materially
aided by the draft created by the blaze. and
on the leeward side of the great blazing
lumber yards the wind had the force of
hurricane, throwing heavy sparks Ior
blocks in it's path, which constantly set fire
to the roofs of the small residences with
which that section is built.
Wagons loaded with household goods
were standing before hundreds of houses,
and the persons whose homes lined Jones
Falls the waterway that intersects tn city
as the Chicago river does the latter place,
constituted themselves gondoliers, and car
ried away their effects in boats which were
improvised into service after years OF idle
ness in the sluggish waters.
1t was this stream that had been the wall
of hope but the flames shot across 1t and
ergulfed everything infammable when once
it hit it's target.
Baltimore has twenty-five fire companies
fighting the flames, and there are besides
companies here, both volunteer and regu-
lar, from Harrisburg, York. Altoona, Phil
dQelpnla, new 1OTk, w newark,
Chester, st. Denis Relay and a score of
other towns and cities within railway rid
ing.
Policemen from Philadelphia and other
cities are on guard at every corner. and
can only do their utmost to guide the
hundreds of men wearing the open sesame
fire badges to the nearest point of ingress
or egress, where the awful element is
raging.
Those reading the news of the fire can
form not the least conception of the work
of the flames.
Among the buildings burned since noon
In the lumber yard district are Heise &
Bruins. Hudson Bros, Lewis Dill & Co., and
the Savings Banks of Baltimore, where
SO 100000 in cash and negotiable paper
were stored in the vaults. The Bank Of
Baltimore had $4,000 600 in cash in it's safes
and they are now all in the debris in the
cellar.
Safes are constantly falling through the
heated walls of the buildings left standing
in some sections, and dynamite is being
used to raze the malls for fear of catas-
trophies to human life.
Nothing but few gaunt stacks stand
where yesterday was section of one of the
solidest financial and commercial cities in
the world.
The ruin is complete az far as 1t goes, but
1t is still going on. E. 8. B.