THE BALTIMORE FIRE ihrljgh a camera ^^''fV) liMU^<<.,-<,-^Y^'^ /^^ ■x-^a^ n ^ ^ -i UULJUI DsSDDnnn MAP SHOWING THE PORTION lOF BALTIMORE DEVASTATED BY THE FIRE OUVE/^IR OF THE BALTIMORE EIRE JAL'i: UEMBNT. February 7th, Sth and 9th, 1904, AS SEEN THROUGH A CAMERA. Bv JACK HEMENT '/ The Famous Newspaper Artist and War Correspondent, Designed and Publislied for the ILLUSTRATED PRESS SYNDICATE, NEW YORK. BY The a. B. Benesch Co., Publishers, 116 Nassau Street, New York Cit}-. n ^'1 Bi H-37 Copyrighted, 1904 BY The a. B. Benesh Company New York AH Rights Reserved All of the Engravinys in tliis Book are Protected by Copyright and Reproduction in :uiv Form is Prohibited. Prmfed by y RODGERS S: EBBF 'S / 15 Vandewater S' ^ New Yot' Bindinp BUCKLEY . 23, 35 and 27 : j I Pli> INTRODUCTORY EVENTS swift and portentious, marked the early portion of 1904. If a forecast may be made from tlae past and present happenings whicli liave been crowded into the opening months of the 3'ear, it would appear there are still storms ahead. It is to be hoped, however, the period of stress has been passed and a season of bright da3fs is to come. War, pestilence, famine, fire, flood and destruction generally have of late ruled the world ruthlessly. Mer- ciless have been the elements apparently to all humanity at large. And science, despite her wondrous march to a point Avhere she stands awestruck at her own disclosures of the marvels of Nature's realms, finds herself still helpless, still unable to rule the elements of Fire, Air and Water. Yet science has pointed proudl}^ to her achievements, to prove her sovereignty over these same elements. It is true that science has, to a degree, made Fire, Air and Water our servants, but, " lest we forget," we are taught now and again that science is not omnip- otent and that our servants maj' become our masters. One of these stern lessons was given us on Sunda}'. February 7th, when the City of Baltimore was desolated b}' fire. At this time, the City of Baltimore, its business section, presents a scene of ruin. Charred remnants of what were once goodly buildings, a confused mass of wreckage, lie piled high in gigantic heaps. All beauty of architecture blotted out, all identitj^ lost; even though here and there may be seen portions of blackened walls rising above the chaos. One or two tall iron columns, once the supports of a noble structure, stand lonely and dismal. They are in the midst of destruction, as if pointing upward, mute signals, that the fiery ordeal through which they have passed was due to causes beyond the ken of man. Baltimore is known as the Monumental City, but never in her histor}- have her people gazed on monuments calling forth sadder memo- ries than these relics of the fire that ravaged this fair southern city on Sunday, February jtli, 1904. Many Lenten seasons has Baltimore passed thro', but none more gloomy than the one approaching. Seared deeply, her business interests lie in the ashes of her ruins. But her civic life has not been harmed, and tho' cast down Baltimore looks forward to her jo3'ous Easter, to her hour of resurrection. She will emerge from the darkness and the shadows will disperse in the glorious light of an evening sun. She will wear a more beautiful aspect than before. From the ashes of a dead commercial centre will arise a more magnificent one. The object of this book is to present in as sharp a form as possible what the Baltimore fire actuall}" was; to make each reader also a spectator. This brief preface is written with a view of suggesting that salutorj' lessons can be drawn from the recent disaster. But it is not our province to make more than the passing reference already made concerning them. The pictures will point the moral to adorn the tale far better than any written words. It may not, however, be out of place to state, as briefl}' as maj^ be, the cause and extent of the fire. Flames were discovered shortly before 1 1 o'clock on the morning of Sunday, in the store of John E. Hurst & Co. at the southwest corner of Hopkins Place and German street. Before they were subdued nearly forty city squares, including nearlj^ 2,000 buildings had been crushed to ashes. Where large commercial enterprises occupied costh' structures nothing remains but a mass of burnt and blistered brick, stone and marble, and a maze of tangled iron, steel and wire. A property loss estimated at over one hundred million dollars had resulted, and the business of the city was at a standstill. A sharp wind carried the fire south, east and west. Before midnight the local fire department had admitted its helplessness despite heroic effort, and appeals were made to Wash- ington, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York and the smaller cities nearer by. All those places responded promptly, but it was not until the fire had raged more than forty hours that the firemen were able to report it under control. During all those hours five thousand uniformed firemen, with from ten to twenty thousand volunteers, had done their best, but the flames were not to be denied. In twelve hours they had eaten a path through German street to Baltimore and Calvert streets, the Custom House was afire and the " Baltimore Sun" and the "Baltimore American" Buildings were in ruins. On went the flames, razing the squares bounded b}^ Charles, Lexington, Lombard, Light, St. Paul and Howard streets. The firemen used dynamite freely in their attempts to check the progress of the defying ele- ment. The course of the sweeping flames was toward the warehouses and docks near Jones' Falls and the Basin. Hourly they spread, and hourly the catastropbe assumed greater proportion, as building after building crumbled in the heat. The three million dollar Court House at Calvert and Fayette streets was saved, but the buildiiigs of the Western Union, of the Baltimore & Ohio R.R., the Carrollton Hotel, the "Baltimore Herald" and the Cus- tom House went down: — but the pictures will show the destruction wrought in that fort}^ hours of flame. A merciful dispensation of Providence had chosen Sunda}', when the business buildings were practically unoccupied for the hour of devastation. But three lives were lost, and two of those were from accidents that might have occurred at anj" time. In the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago, where the fire lasted less than half an hour, more than six hundred lives were sacri- ficed. The fire was subdued — its fury expended and its work done — at the triangular jut of land bordered on the east b}^ Jones' Falls, and on the south and southwest bv the HarlDor Basin. When the smoke had cleared awa}' and men were sufficiently calm to mark the dam- age done, it was seen that the flames, which had started at Hopkins Place, had been fanned north and northeast to West Lexington street by Sundaj^'s southwest wind, and been carried back along and to the east of its path by the northwest winds of Sunday night and Monday morning. They had licked up square after square of the financial section, and then swung out toward the great wharfs of the Basin and the lumber 3rards along the Jones' Creek, two conditions alone governing: — the direction of the wind and the sustaining qualities of the buildings in their path. An insurance map of the fire's progress shows the fire-swept section to be bounded on the north b_v West Lexington street and the north side of Lexington street; on the south by West Pratt street, the Basin and East- ern avenues; on the east b)^ Liberty and North Howard streets; on the west by Jones' Falls, South High street, Albemarle street and East Falls avenue. An estimate made bj' the National Board of Fire underwriters gives sevent3--tw^o million dollars as the amount ot the in- surance loss. Holida\- stieut and Water street looking from Ga\' street, Chamber of Commerce BLiildini; in center. city squares, in crushed to ashe occupied costly burnt and blisti of tangled iron, at over one hun business of tli( carried the fire the local fire d' despite heroic ington, Wilmi; smaller cities il promptly, but than forty hou under control.. uniformed firel volunteers, haq to be denied. through Germ; the Custom Hq and the "Baltij On went the , Charles, Lexi, Howard streets their attempts' ment. The ci the warehouses-^. Basin. Hourly thej assumed greater pr crumbled in the hei, The three millit' Fayette streets wa| Western Union, o\ Carrollton Hotel, tlj tom House went do View from German and Hanover streets, wholesale business district, all builJings and contents totally destroyed for several blocks. General view troni corner of South Lombaid street looking West, showing several very completely destro}'ed. l!;U I'UllJin^S General view from Gay street to St. Paul, showing all that remained of several large office and bank biiildina (.."liKi- nf Pratt and Li^ht slict-t, slio\\in>^ the tiifiiifn playini; liosi- on a uareliuust,- (.nntainin^ -^uii jio\\Jci, aiul -.uIJil and police guarding the lines. iiwin^s Bani^ nl b.iii Harribon and Baltimovc; stiL-cts looking south. Remains in centre of picture was the Maryland 1: and Design. lool of Art \'ic\\ dkin_ C. riiKi uf FreJerick and Water streets. ' B ^'^c^-pHI m n M^-C— -*— I-i_____,:£Il' 1 li^^HHl \y'Tk>.:'- S . i^^B^BB mm- r - ^ ii^^^Hi III HBr- - — "Su E J f^^M "L^^M^H i^H ^H P mi Hlfl H m m pw Looking from Gay street, southwest Calvert street. Continental Trust Company Building, "German Correspond- ent " and several bank buildings. fr' View from top of Monumental Theatre, corner Baltimore St. and Jones Falls Bridge, overlooking part of burned district. Showing coiners of German and Liberty streets and Hopkins place. All that is left of the large store of John E. Hurst & Co., the place wher^ the fire started. E.xxhancre Place and Gay street looking North. Showir, From Hopkins Place looking southeast— Hopkins Sa\ in-s Bank, National Exchange Bank, wholesale dry goods, shoe and clothing district. Hopkins Place and Lombard street, the early seat of the fire. From top of Monumental Theatre, corner of Baltimore street and Jones Falls bridge, o\-erlooK-ing burned district. Lookin;j, northwest, Frederick, Water and Gay streets. New U. S. Custom House in right hand corner. Looking, suulhw fst fium South and Baltimore streets, " Baltimore Sun " building in centc The Baltimore American" and American Fire Insurance Company building Loukini; northwest fnjm South street and Exchange Place towards Water street Luukiiil; W. 1 -ill li.iltiiiinic street fnuii Junes Falls briJ-c, slmw iii^ pnnu where fire was stopped. Church of the Messiah, corner of Gay and Fayette streets. Luokiiii: north tr^ini l.;_ht anJ L'.inbarJ >trct:-t> , f '^ ■ -■•A 5 ^ , > y f '^ i 1 A L 1 "^^1 ^^1 __■ iF'f^ :■ i^^^^^Hj^^^^H HI ^^^1 ^^^BhlTf^i IL,/ i ^^^^^b I L^^^l BIk ^^^^^H i^^l ^^Hh i I^^Hp i^^^^^^l ^^^H ^^^^^H J ^^■^ i^^l^^^^l ^^^^1 ^^^^^HB ~'^^^^^^^S^ ^^^^Kffl m MaKa^^uvi A_^i^^^^^| 1 ■ . -^JnHi^H^^H ^H n HBB ^ i^B I ^H ^9 ^H k«iMr>^!«r^^ '^ ^^^^1 ^ ji> ^^ mSM Hi K.^ X s ^ Hi im H ^E View from northeast corner Baltimore and South streets. Interior view First National Banl<, notliing left but the large \-aults, wIiIlIi were proof against the intense heat, all securities were found in perfect condition. Looking northwest from German and Light streets, bonded warehouses and wholesale whiskey district. All buildings totally destroyed. Looking towards Baltimore and St. Paul streets. Carleton Hotel and several bank buildings, a First National, Continental and Farmers' National Ban View taken from Continental Trust CoiTipan\- Building, from South street looking northeast. Bank-ill" house of Hambleton & Co. looking towards Baltimore & Oliio Ccniral building. National Bank of Commerce building and Firemen's Insurance building. Corner of Hopkins Place and Lombard street, center of wholesale dry goods district. Everything destroyed for several blocks around. ^^Sii«^,A Fium conu-r ui Li^iiit ana Pratt streets, police olticers, seciei scniee men and tireiiieii gLiarding the line. Wine Alley, looking north from German street. View from Cahert and German streets. Baltimore & Oliio Central Building North Brothers & Strauss factory. View from corner of German and Soutli streets luokinii Southwt Scenes during the fire showing tlie firemen at work, soldiers guarding the lines and fireman receiving hot coffee. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS lillllllllllllllllllllllililWHIIIIIIII 014 368 512 3 4