Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-09
FIRE PROVERBS A JUBILEE
Baltimore Plans TO Celebrate the Uplift
from It's Ashes.
WHAT ENERGY AND COURAGE WILL DO
Instructive etatistics About the
Losses and the Insurance Paid
A stronger, bigger and
Better CITY.

From the eth to the 18th inst Baltimore
will have jubilee and "old Home Week"
in honor Of the triumph of energy. pluck
and resources over the devastation OF fire.
Like Chicago. Baltimore has risen from the
ruins of February 7, 1904. stronger, better
and bigger. and the people have warrant
for rejoicing.
How great was the destruction wrought
is best shown by the report Of Chief En-
gineer George w Horton. who was In
command of the Baltimore fire department
at that time, and is stii its head:
ION Sunday, February 7. 1904 Baltimore
was visited by one OF the most disastrous
CONGREGATIONS Tin money lossD this coun-
try has ever known, The fire originated
IN a six-story brick building occupied by
j. z. Hurst q Co. as a wholesale dry goods
and notion house, located at German street.
Liberty street and Hopkins Place.
1.-THE thermostat alarm was received at
10:4S q. m. and was responded to by one
engine company, one hook and ladder COM
pany, one district engineer and one sal
wage corps company.
where the Fire Began.
ION entering the building from German
street the fire was discovered in the base
ment, and appeared to be among the pack
ing cases. A flame was seen drawing
across the ceiling toward the elevator shaft
on the south side of the building. Very
little smoke was seen on the first floor
or basement. AS the men descended the
stairs with two and one-haf-inch line Of
hose and three-fourth Of an inch chemical
hose, the daylight seemed to fade away.
caused by the downpour Of smoke through
the elevator shaft, and instantly there was
an explosion. the impact of which was
upward and outward. The time between
the receipt Of the alarm and the explosion
was about FIVE minutes: the roof was
lifted and every window light above the
first floor was broken, and the flames shot
out with loud, whistling noise. The con-
cussion broke the windows In the sur
rounding buildings and heavy brands OF
fire were carried from the Hurst building
into the adjoining property, and at once
seven buildings were burning fercely. The
wind at this time was blowing twelve
miles an hour from the southwest the
streets at this point are thirty-ive and
forty feet wide.
Brands OF fire at once began to be
blown several squares away, setting fire to
rubbish in yards and awnings, the flames OF
which Immediately entered broken win.
dows, made SO by the intense heat and the
explosion of a box containing powder
nearly opposite the Hurst building. IL beinn
Sunday and a commercial district. there
was no one to look after the numerous in.
cipient fires.
Eject of the Wind.
THE fire followed the direction of the
wind, which remained from the southwest
until II o'clock at night, when It changed
| 70 al. d,,a
day changed to northwest. 80 great wal
the wind and the vacuum caused by tn,
heat that deluge streams were torn tc
fragments and could not reach the SECOND
stories.
THE confiagration ragged until II: 30 a. m
Monday February s. During that time 4
had travelled over about 40 acres of grount
and destroyed eighty-six blocks. containing
1,5B buildings and four lumber yards
Total insurance paid, 80, ~ ,s51;
There were engaged at the fire 400 fire
men, "a steam engines. hook and Ladder
trucks. / fire boat. 1 police boat, all be
longing to Baltimore.
There were also III firemen, ss steam
engines. hose Companies and hook ant
ladder truck from other cities and towns.
There were about 100000 gallons o
water used
THE department lost 1 steam engine
hook and ladder truck and $500 feet o
hose.
The assessed value OF the building
burned was So, Sos 300. The total loss, ex
elusive OF ONCE furnishings, ETC.. was owe
500, 900, 600. It Is difficult to conceive HOY
such disaster can be viewed, a lttl
over two years later, as anything but
calamity At first temporary structure
were erected on thirty sixty and ninet
day permits, and the business part of tn
Monumental City" resembled Nome o
Bad Axe or What Cheer rather than tn
commercial center It had been and was t
be again to an even greater degree. As a
example Of the -self-relance Of its citizen
II may be noted that Baltimore expende
only $4,000 Of the quarter OF a million dol
lars voted as relief fund by the Mary
land legislature. This sum was used I
give temporary relief to those whose tool
or means OF livelihood had been destroyed
The remaining t227,oOo was returned wit
thanks"
Expansion VI the City.
Not content with rsgaining the groun
lost, plans were at once made 70 recon
struct on better lines As a first step
was enacted that all buildings over eighty
i've feet In height must be hreproo
throughout, and buildings under that heigh
be OF the lesser grade of protection know
simply as fireproof. II was possible Z
face one such FIRE oheerfully, but a repe
ition was not invited. Secondly, 100 lot
made vacant were acquired by the city 70
broadening streets laying out one ne,
street and increasing the docking faciiitie.
For this last purpose an appropriation @
n2ooOoo has been made. which cover
the cost of dredging the harbor The ma