Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-08

leadlng trust companies, many of the principal banking institutions, all the largest wholesale houses, many of the principal retail stores and thousands of smaller business establishments. Many of them carry little or no insur- ance, and itis doubtful if many of the insurance companies will be able to pay their losses dollar for dollar, and those that do will probably require time in which to arrange for the pay ment.
 The first attempt at dynamiting was in the large building of Armstrong. Gator & Co, but it failed to collapse, and attention was turned to the build ing at the southwest corner of Charles and German streets, where six charges of dynamite, each charge containing 100 pounds, were exploded. The tre- mendous force of the explosion tore out the massive columns that support ed the building and left 1t with ap- parently almost no support, but the walls failed to collapse and stood until the flames had crossed Charles street and were eating into the block be- tween Charles and Light streets.
 The fire had meantime been commu- nicated to the row of buildings on South Charles street between German and Lombard streets, and all those places, occupied principally by whole sale produce and grain dealers, were in flames.
 Shortly before midnight the Carroll ton hotel was in flames, and the fire was sweeping toward Calvert street with irresistible fury.
 The firemen working on the south side had succeeded in checking the lfames at Lombard street, and, as the wind was blowing from the northwest, there was no danger of its spreading farther in that direction. The western limit had also been reached at Howard street, and the danger was now to the east and north. The progress of the flames toward the north had in the meantime been so rapid as to be sim ply appalling. From structure to struc ture they flew, licking up the massive buildings as if they were composed of paper. In the block between German and Baltimore streets they flew along, and almost before it could be realized the buildings along Baltimore street were blazing from roof to basement.
 For time 1t was hoped the fire could be kept from crossing the north side of Baltimore street, and the firemen made desperate effort to prevent it. The effort was useless, however, and soon the tall, narrow building of Mullins ho- tel began to dart out tongues of flame. and the remainder of the buildings be- tween Sharp and Liberty streets seem ed to be doomed.
 The Mount Vernon Telephone Elk change was destroyed, and the St Paul Telephone Exchange was also burned out. The Mount Vernon exchange is about eight blocks from the Union sta ton in Baltimore.
 The publishers and other occupants or the Daily Herald building, at Fay cite and St. Paul streets, and of the Record building opposite were com pelled to vacate by the onrushing flames, as were the occupants 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 shot US way, COnSufNluS 0fSTyLuIuE III US wake, speedily reaching the Evening News building, from which number of extras had been issued during the preceding hours, but from which the employees had to hastily flee. though not until valuable records had been re- moved.
 The financial district including the chief banking and brokerage firms on South and German streets, was soon doomed, and scores of thes1 1city's leading financiers and business men scurried in and out of their offices, bearing packages or placing valuables in hasti- ly improvised eonveyances
 During all these hours the pyrotech- nic display was magnificent and i'm. posing beyond the power of painter te depict Vast columns of seething flame ! are shooting skyward at varying points Of the compass, and the Armament is one vast prtsmatic ocean of golden and silver hued sparks. Great multitudes of people line the streets, awestruck with the dazzling but grewsome pano- rama which is being enacted before their eyes.