River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-02-11
IN The GRASP OF
THE FIRE F|:ND
Terrible Conflagration RACES in the
City of Baltimore.
FlREMEN UNABLE TO CHECK 1T
At Midnight Twenty blocks in Bust
ness District Had Been Destroyed
The Loss May Reach
S4O,O00,O0O.

Baltimore. Nd. Feb. S.-A fire which
broke out at few minutes before IL
o'clock Sunday morning in the whole
sale dry goods house of John e. Hurst
& Co., has ragged with unrestrained fury
continuously ever since, and at midnight
it was still unchecked, but was steadily
eating its consuming way eastward on
! Baltimore street, after having G.
stroyed almost all Of the large stores and
warehouses in the wholesale district
around Hopkins place and all the build
ngs 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 to Holiday, including a total of
about 20 blocks of the most modern and
substantial buildings in Baltimore in
volving loss which cannot now be es-
timated, but which has certainly al
ready reached $50 900, 900 or sac, 200, 600
Firemen POweiIess.
Ever since about six o'clock, when
darkness came, the fire department. al.
! though aided by engines from Washing
ton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and the
surrounding counties and suburbs, has
been utterly powerless to make any ef-
tectlve resistance to the consuming elC-
ment, though for hours as many as 400
streams OF water were thrown into the
flames. Indeed, SO terrific has been the
heat ever since the fire started and so
dense and suffocating the volume of
lying sparks and burning cinders. that
1t was difficult for the firemen to stand
long within fighting distance of the
flames, while early in the afternoon sew
eral trucks and engines were hopelessly
disabled by timbers.
buildings Dynamited.
At seven o'clock the situation was so
desperate that Chief Horton decided
that the only thing left to do was to
dynamite buildings at threatened
points, and thus prevent, as far as pos
slble, further spread of the flames.
In pursuance of this plan, a number of
buildings on South Charles street be-
tween German and Lombard were blown
up subsequently the splendid struc-
ture OF j. w. Puts & CO., notion dealers
at Charles and Fayette streets. was
|
building, Ross drug store and others.
Prominent buildings Burned.
FOLLOWING the rapid destruction of
the palatial commercial buildings in
the wholesale district the cyclone of
roaring flames burst into Baltimore
street, licking within a few minutes
the seven-story Mullins hotel like some
lnsatlate monster and rapidly rolling
with irresistible force both eastwarJ
and westward, cutting down in it's
Wrathful wake wholesale and retail
houses, manufactures, shops, jewelry
stores, furniture emporiums and res
taurants. At Charles street the re-
morseless tide swept on down Balti-
more street, but also turned into
Charles street where it quickly en-
quilted the History Union Trust build
ing, starting eastward on Fayette
street.
Newspaper EOrces Driven Out
BY eight o'clock the publishers and
other occupants of the Daily Herald
building, at Fayette and st. Paul
streets, and of the Record building Cd.
posite, were compelled to vacate by
the onrushing flames, as were the oc-
cupants of the Calvert and Equitable
structures, two of the most massive
office buildings in Baltimore.
Down Baltimore street a parallel
wave of roaring, cracking flames
ate their way consuming everything
in its course, speedily reaching the
Evening News building from which
the employees had to hastily fee,
though not until valuable records had
been removed. Shortly thereafter the
Continental Trust companys History
building took fire. A block below the
American newspaper building was so
enveloped in sparks and burning splin-
ters that the employees were ordered
out.
Forced Out Second Time.
AT 10:40 o'clock the roof of the building
by the Associated Press took fire and the
employees were compelled to vacate,
though they had time to take away with
them their telegraph instruments, type
writers and other valuable equipment.
They found refuge in a branch office Of
the Western Union company on Gay
street. At 1870 the temporary quarters
secured by the Associated Press for their
operators, after first being burned, were
again destroyed and they were compelled
to seek new quarters on a moments no.
tice.
Beyond Control.
At 1870 a. m. the fire Is absolutely be-
yond control and all occupants of build
lngs in the center of the city are rapidly
removing their valuables. The city
hospital, corner of Calvert and Pleasant
streets, is removing to other hospitals as
rapidly as possible the "a patients in that
institution. Seventeen injured were
brought to this hospital, most of them
firemen. They were suffering from
burns, scalds and decorations. Nearly
every physician in the city is in the fire
district. SO far as known at this hour
no one has been killed.
Militia Called Out.
Detachments of the Fourth and Fifth
regiments have been called cut and are
patrolling the streets in the vicinity OF
the fire. guarding property aEG keeping
order.
-