Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-02-08


was little sleep for 100000 residents
in Baltimore last night because Of q
terrible confiagration that started
Sunday afternoon. There was nc
loss of life, but the property loss will
probably reach $200,000,000 Many
acres Of the most valuable property
devoted to wholesale drygoods, pro-
duce, lumber, shipping, railroad and
financial districts have been destroy.
ed Notwithstanding the heroic eff
forts Of the local fire department, re.
inforced by almost numberless fire.
men and apparatus from the great
cities of the east, the fire was this
morning raging as furiously as in the
first hour Several tons of dynamite
were used during the day and night
to blow UP the buildings in an effort
TO check the spread of the flames but
the strong wind carried the flying
embers across the city, igniting othel
buildings. The main office q
the Western Union and Postal Tele
graph companies were deserted lone
before midnight and the building
which they occupied was PRACTICAL,
destroyed All the buildings of thu
Baltimore newspapers including ths
Offices of the Associated Press wert
destroyed The fire continues tt
spread eastward and southwark, bu
ii is not burning as fiercely as at day
light and there is hope that it vii
cease in a few hours. The lumber dis
tricts near O'Donnel's wharf praeti
cally consumed and little is left fol
the flames to feed on. All the electric
power was destroyed and no stree
cars are running.
The Losses.
The losses of over a million are;
John e. Hurst, dry goods, $1,150,OOO
over s1,O0O,0O0 insurance; DAME
Miller Dry Goods company, $1,500,0OO
insurance s1,OOO,OOO; r. NJ. Sutton &
Co, dry goods. sl,5O0,0Oo. A loss Owe
100000 each is sustained by more
than forty establishments.
The End Not in Sight.
The News Union In an editorial 70
day will say: No end can be seen a
the present writing of the great con
fiagration that threatens the destruc
ton Of the entire business section o
Baltimore. No one can tell the ex
tent Of the disaster which now reach
es proportions approaching thu
Chicago fire of 1871. hitherto tn
greatest fire Of the United states. Tn
fire is still burning and with The higl
wind and inflamable nature Of tn
buildings. it may be feds for hours
To describe in detail the fire, whici
will 10 down In the history n th'
world as one 81 its creates. disasters
is simply impossible The facts vii
not be disclosed for days 10 come
Heroic Efforts Vain.
Baltimores equipment of twent.
five engines was reinforced by com
panies from Washington, Philadelphia
wilmington and Chester, Pa. Tni
morning half dozen of New York
most powerful steamers arrived b.
special train and their coming gay
new impetus to the effort to check tn
flames by putting fresh men in th'
fight. the first fireman having beei
exhausted by the all night struggle
At midnight the wind changed Y
northwest and flames were headed 81
rectIy for the tenament district acros
the falls. A temporary change OF win,
saved the fire fighters for winds wer'
driven toward the water front. and al
the buildings from baltimore stree
down Platt street was soon roar
Ing mass Of Are. Starting In tn
wholesale section, the fire burned on
eyerywholesale house OF note In th'
city, swept along through the retail
sections, destroyed all prominent o.
fice buildings, leveled banks ant
brokerage Offices. consumed the stool
exchange and finally brought up at tn
falls, where It invaded the lumber dis
trict. Roughly speaking. the nre de
scribed . course Of half circle. thu
effect Of which was TO describe aI
immense question mark. The area 4