The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-09

manufactory of the Lauer Ss sauter Co. at Lombard and Frederick streets, en- oraclng three houses on Lombard and two on Frederick, each of them a four story structure, went next
 The inhammable character of the con- tents of these buildings viii give an idea of the fereeness of the blaze Spirits fed the flames and the heat was terrible Buildings sprang into living flame before the fire touched them, and brick and stone and mortar crumbled like chalk
 Hundreds of Buildings Destroyed.
 There were hundreds of other buildings destroyed, including many of consider able commercial importance, but their complete list would be but a business directory of the burned area
 While there were no casualties to speak or, the great army of fre-fighteFs per- formed many daring feats in their des- perate attempt to stay the flames. Many times they were driven out of close and hot places just as walls came topping down. The last large building to fall prey to the flames down along Jones Falls nearly caught five men.
 They were on the roof and directing their efforts to an adjoining structure, when a warning shout was sent up that tuC iulcilOI Ol lue on Wnlc0 they were standing was a mass of flames. They found their way to a tin gutter, where by one they hung on, stretched their arms and grasped a telegraph pole which was planted close to the structure They slid down and had not reached the ground when the roof fell in with a roar.
 Were Given Free Hand.
 This was only one instance All of the out of town fire companies, because of the utter exhaustion Of the local men, were given a free hand during the morn ing and early afternoon. More than a score of companies were here from New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Wash ington and small towns within a radius of fifty miles of Baltimore. Their duty was to check the flames in their onward march southward.
 This was a rather difficult task as both sides of Jens' Falls are lined with lumber yards and old buildings which proved to be no better than finder boxes. At every street the stream is spanned by a small bridge and on each bridge two | and sometimes three engines were stand l ing taking water from the creek. Station | ed at various points in the lumber yards | were other steamers a1so taking their water from the stream. In this manner the travelling fire fighters stood side by side and strove to check the flames. | The New York firemen who were last to arrive. owing to the long distance they | had to travel. were the last to stand the brunt of the flames, and when the fire be- gan to burn itself out in the coal wards of the American Ice company several of their steamers were backed up against a bulkhead of the Patapsco river.
 Iceberg Is Left Standing. One of the snectacuIar sights of the dis- aster is the leaving of an ice berg, hun dred feet high, left standing after the destruction of the wooden walls of the lee house of the American company. Long after the walls had been consumed the fremen continued to play several streams upon the berg, the sawdust on which the ice was packed sending out dangerous sparks until the fire had been entirely quenched.
 Close by this Is the extensive lumber yards of Wilson & Co.,, solid block of highly infiammable material projecting into the burned area which. strangely enough, was saved by the firemen. 1 The trolley car system of the city was partially resumed this evening. The main power house, however, is total wreck and it will require weeks to replace it.
 The theatres made no attempt to open tonight. It has not been determined whether engagements will be played later in the week.
 The protestant Episcopal church of the Messiah, corner of Fayette and Gay streets was destroyed. The church Of the Messiah was one of the most his- torical ecclesiastical structures In Balti- more. It was built in 1928