Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-07-03
BOLT OF LIGHTNING
CAUSED GREAT FIRE
Huge Elevators And Piers Of
B. & o. At Baltimore
Are Wiped Out

Lightning-lighted fire at Locust
Point, Baltimore, last night threaten
ed for time the Government Hos
pital at Fort McHenry, whose 500 pa
tients were hastily removed in the
midst of binding storm; and de-
stroyed the two b. & o. elevators and
two piers, causing damage TO ship
ping and other property estimated at
So 900, 900.
Every available engine and freboat
in the city and all auxiliary appar-
atus, including the dynamite wagon,
was engaged in fighting the spectac-
uiar conflagration which, in spite of
the torrential downpour, illuminated
the city for hours; a larger number
of engines being employed than in the
great fire OF 1905.
10000 Watch Fire Fighting
Fully 10000 persons gathered in the
streets of Locust Point to watch The
battle OF elements in which the fr"-
men struggled with both storm and
lire. Fort avenue was clogged with
automobiles whose drivers had been
attracted by the clouds OF smoke from
the burning elevators. Even the tre-
mendous downpour which set in
shortly before s o'clock did not suf-
flee to scatter the crowds OF awcd
spectators.
Whether more than one bolt of
lightning struck in the vast terminal
was not quite clear. Lightning splin-
tered fiagpole landward from Pier
at 5:36 p. m. From the blaGkened
stump a splatter of liquid fire ran over
the network of wires in all directions
hut mostly toward Elevard B, 100
feet distant. F. NJ. McHugh, B. d D
watchman at the elevator, had Jd It
twelve he had to punch every hour,
when he was shocked by the lightning
aolt. Partly daZed, he yet realized
the nature of the emergency, rushed
TO nearby box and turned in an
alarm.
The blaze started in the Northeast
corner OF Elevator B, which contain
ed more than a half million bushels
of grain. In a few minutes the en-
tire structure was ablaZe and other
alarms brought hurrying squadrons
Of fire apparatus. A stiff, gusty wind
from the Southeast carried burning
pieces of board across the slip to Pier
), just west of the elevator. Within
i5 minutes, following several explo-
sions of grain dust in the elevator,
that structure crumpled and fell into
the mass of white-hot grain.
The wind shifted suddenly to the
northwest and became a gale, sour
rying in advance of an approaching
electric storm-the third of the late
afternoon and evening. Elevator c,
across a slip to the east Of Elevator
B, caught fire and in Is minutes was
a mountain of incandescent grain and
debris. The gale carried showers OF
sparks across another slip to Pier 2,
which was destroyed to Pier 1, which
was damaged at its outward end; and
then scattered burning brands all over
the acres of temporary wooden build
ings in Fort McHenry which sheltered
fcrmer service men who are crippled
or sick
The Fort guards fought the danger
alertly, swiftly, efficiently. More
than a dozen small fires were start
ed on the roofs OF the barracks build
:ngs and hospital wards. and all were
oxtinSuished.
Disabled "yets" Removed
Facing death as real and as hor-
rible as that they braved in Flanders
Field, with the same courage that
brought them through the horrors OF
gas and shrapnel and bayonet, SOC
invalid World War veterans calmly
awaited their removal from Fort Nc
Henry last night while the menace oi
the Baltimore and Ohio waterfront
| fire roared above them on a wind that
rained blazing debris upon the hospi
tai buildings. All the while they rea-
lied that once caught fire would
sweep the fimsy hospital wards fas'
ter than human agency could move
them.