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VOL. 22. SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1904. NO. 49.
GREAT FIRE IN BALTIMORE. ;
Loss Over a Hundred Million
! I
Seventy-five Business BlocksSwept |
Away?140 Acres of Buildings
Now a /Moulding Heap of
Ruin?Fire Raged Thirty
Hours.
. 1
One of the most disastrous '
tires that ever visited this couu- '
try or any other country in mod
ern times broke out in the heart !
of the city of Baltimore Sunday \
morning at about 11 o'clock and
raged continuously until Mon- (
day evening. All efforts to check 1
the flames were without avail.
The Baltimore firemen with the
assistance.of firemen from Wash
ington, Philadelphia, New York
and other near-by cities, worked
valiantly to stop the fire, but
their efforts were almost futile
and the tire stopped only when it
reached Jones Falls creek and
the water front.
The lire broke out in the whole
sale dry goods house of John E.
HurAt & Co. Almost the entire
wholesale district was destroyed.
Ab of the morning newspaper
buildings fell a prey to the flames
and many of the handsomest
buildings of the city were totally
destroyed.
The following press dispatches
tell the story of the fire:
Baltimore, Md., Febuary 7.?
Midnight.?The most disastrous
fire since the great conflagration
which wiped out Chicago, has
been raging here for the past
twelve hours and is still burning
fiercely.
More than a hundred business
houses have gone up in flames
and the loss will foot up not less
than forty, and may reach fifty
millions, accordiug to estimates
tonight.
The llames, which started be
fore noon, in the heart of the bus- j
iness district, the store of .John
E. Hurst H Co., on Hopkins
Place, soon got beyond the con
trol of the Baltimore fire depart
ment, and Philadelphia, Wash-1
Ington, Wilmington and other
towns were called on for tire as
sistance, which was promptly
forthcoming. A high wind was
blowing and despite all the ef
forts of the firefighters, the
sparks from t he original fire set
tire to the surrouuding buildings
so rapidly that it looked as
though they were being set on
tire purposely.
Block after block crumbled
away as though they were houses
of cards. Time and again the
fire-fighters, contesting desper
ately every inch of ground, were
driven back and it was seen that
the entire wholesale section was |
doomed.
The city has been placed under
martial law and dynamite is be
ing used to level whole rows of
buildings in the fire's path. At
midnight the flames have laid
waste the territory bounded by
Lexington, Lombard, Light, St.
Paul and Howard Streets.
The Equitable building, in
which is the Western Union oper
ating rooms, has been ordered
dynamited, and its neighbors
which seem doomed, are the
court house, at Calvert and Fay
ette Streets, dosting $.'1,000,000;
the Calvert building, Fayette
and St. Paul Streets, costing $1,
250,000; the Contiential Trust
building, at Baltimore and Cal
vert Streets, valued at $1,125,-1
000; the general offices of the j
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at j
Calvert and Baltimore Streets, 1
value, $1,125,000; the City Hall i
and Postoffice and the Monu
ment which gives Baltimore its
name.
All the newspaper offices have
been burned out. The Herald j
and News are in ruins, the Sun
has trasferr<$! its staff to W ash
ington. All the retail dry goods j
district is in flames.
All the electric lights have gone '
out and the streets are filled with i
a terror-stricken army. All is!1
lighted by a red glare punctuated I
by explosions Overhead for
tniles is a canopy of sparks. 1
Many of them are as large as I
stones. Everywhere they leave
other fires behind.
At midnight the fire had con- 1
<umed the Equitable building
and was lapping the walls of the
Postotfioe and Courthouse. The j
[lames were sweeping along Gay
street, the second most import
ant thoroughfare in the city,
from Baltimore to Fayette
streets.
FLAMES CHECKED AT LAST.
Baltimore, Md., February 8.
Stunned, disheartened and on
the verge of despair, Baltimore
Irew a deep sigh of relief at <
a'clock tonigut when Mayor Mc
Lane confirmed the report that
the progress of the flames had at
last been arrested. After thirty
hours of desperate fighting the
combined fire forces of a half
dozen cities succeeded in holding
the fiames at the Union docks.
Two hundred millions of dol
lars worth of property in the
meantime had been swept away.
This is theconservativeestimate.
Sixty business blocks have been
wiped out. More than one thous
and modem structures, many of
them sky scrapers, modem in
every respect and said to have,
been "fireproof," are blackened ^
rums.
The tire area covered a territo- ?
ry more than a half a mile in
length and from three to six
blocks in width. Two square,
miles are iu ruins. The entire
business, banking and commer
cial district of Baltimore has
been obliterated, thousands of
poor workers have been thrown
out of employment, great for
tunes have been wrecked and the
commercial prestige of Baltimore
has received a blow from w hich
it cannot recover iu many years.
Amid the darkness and the
desolution of the calamity that
has overtaken the city, there is
only one ray of light.
So far as can be ascertained at
this hour, only one life has been
lost in the tragedy of -flame and
gale that has penetrated one of
the great cities of the continent.
Not without varying hope and
despair did Baltimore reach to
night the first stage in her pro
gress toward recovery from the,
calamity. .
All through the night, the fire
ra<red. At dawn the flames were
still sweeping resistlessly on
ward. and it seemed that the en
I tire city must go down iti epioul
dering ruins. Then at 11 o clock
came a gleam of hope, The fire- ,
men announced that the re was
under control.
A cry of thanks went up and
Baltimore took courage A hun
dred fires still blazed about the
destroyed district, but the fire
men kept back their spread-1
There was a feeling that the worHt
was over, and then came another
blow. At 2 o'clock, despite ull
the worn and weary fighters
could do, the fiames took fresh
hold, and with renewed fury be
gan fresh devastation.
Powerless the firemen fell back ;
and again the fire was master of
the situation Then the flames
swept on, and once more, block
after block going down, the resi
dential sections looming into
dauger, and all hope was aban
1 But they continued desperate
ly-at their work, the New \ork
Battalion rendering magnificent
aid, and shortly after seven the
announcement was made and
confirmed bv the mayor, that the
tire was surely under control. At
this hour great blazes continued
iu the burned district, but they
are no menace, being inlands ol
fire in a desolate waste.
Any attempts to describe the
speed of the flames are utterly
futile, so rapidiv did they encom
pass the burned district and so
vast and complete is the ruin.
In the extent of property loss,
the fire has reached proportions
that are likely to exceed those of
wv other conflagration in the
history of the United States.
To estimate the loss accurately ]
it this time is i?possible. A
arge percentage of it will fall
lpon the insurance companies,
Insurance broxers today estima
ed that at least $.'10,000,000 in
premiums will have to tie paid by
ihe companies concerned, the
osses falling on individual com
panies to the extent from $.?00,
)00 to $2,000,000 each.
Baltimore, Md., Feb. H,?J'10
jurned district is within the ter
ritory bounded on the west by
J liberty street, on the north byl
Lexington street, on the east by j
Jones Falls, and on the south bv
the basin. Within this district
were the big structures on Fay
ette, Gay, Lombard, Charles,'
Malderson, Eiliott.Hollings worth
and Cheapside streets.
Passing southeast along the
basin, the following large docks
were destroyed: McClure, Pat
tersons, Smiths, Frederick, Long
and Inion. Small thorough
fares which do not extend as far
north as Lexington street, and
which were in the path of the
names are Commerce, Frederick
and Mills streets. The district
thus swept by the tire comprised
seventy-five blocks and nearly
2,.>00 buildings.
BEGUN ITS ItESURKECTION.
Baltimore, Md., Feb. 9.?Amid
ruins still hot and smoking, Bal
timore has begun its resurrec
tion. With the dawn of a clear
winter day, whyse brightness was
in itself an inspiration, the apathy
of yesterday gave way to energy,
and from the Governor of the
State to the least private citizen
the people of this distressed citv
aroused themselves to meet the
appalling conditions that con
front them.
All things considered, the pub
lic stocktaking that engrossed
the business world of Baltimore
today was satisfactory. Put
this does not mean that the great
tire was a lesser calamity than
has been pictured in these dis
patches. The bold fact is that
140 acres of business buildings,
representing property to the ap
proximate value of $125,000,
000, were destroyed within the
journey of a clock's hand.
History is marked by few
calamities so vast and so costly
in actual values, but with the
passing of the first great shock
and prostration, the brighter
side is coming uppermost, and a
realization of what Baltimore es- i
caped is dawning. Had not that
Providential shift of wind occur
red Sunday night, there would
have been another story, a story
of death and of thousands who
tonight sleep safely in their
homes suffering for shelter. Such
a sequel would have been written,
but for the magnificent last st and
of liallant firemen and volunteers i
at the little sewer-like stream of
Jones Falls.
A great cloud was lifted this
afternoon when it wasdiscovered
that practically all of the vaults j
and strong rooms and safes of
the financial concerns, whose!
buildings were destroyed, are un
hurt. A tremendous loss in se
curities had been anticipated
here, and when vault after vault
yielded up its treasures unharm-1
ed, tiie joy of the guardians was
boundless.
1' rom one trust company's
safes alone papers to theamount
of more thai, $20,000,000 were
recovered. The news cheer d the
whole city and encouraged imme
diate and thorough investiga
tion. Merchants and their as
sistants, smoke-soiled find b< I
grimed and hollow-eyed from]
anxiety and loss of sleep, worked '
like laborers in thesmokingruins
to uncover their safes, and in
nearly every instance they were
rewarded by intact contents.
Wreck at Benson.
There was a freight wreck at
Benson last night about 10
o clock caused from a broken j
axle which piled the cars on the
track and was not cleared until1
about day this morning. The
through train north was delayed
and did not pass Wilson until
about six o'clock this morning. I
W ilson Times 10th.
Nearly Forfeits His Life.
A runaway almost ending fa
tally, started a horrible ulcer on
the leg of J B. Orner, Franklin
-rove, III. For four years it de
led all doctors and all remedies
But Bucklen's Arnica Halve had
no trouble to cure him. Equally !
good for Bums, Bruises, Skin
Eruptions and Files. 25c. at
Hood Bros'. Drug Store.
If you suffer with* any Liver,
i , nelPr B,adder Trouble take
July Weed. It always cures.
Hood's Drug Store.
THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.
First Guns Fired Last Monday. '
The Plucky Japanese Made an At
tack on Port Arthurand Disabled 1
i
Three Russian War Vessels- ,
The much talked of war in the i
Far Fast has begun. All the re- ]
sources of diplomacy were ex
hausted without a peaceful set- i
tlement. The war began Monday I 1
with the bombarding of Fort
Arthur by the Japanese.
The story of the conflict is told |
in the following press dispatches:
Che Foo, Feb. 9.?The Japa
nese fleet attacked Fort Arthur
at midnight on Monday. Two
Russian battleships and one Rus
sian cruiser were aisabled by tor
pedoes. The battle is being con
tinued this morning at a-rangeof
three miles. There has been no !
further damaga.
The steamer Columbia has ar-j
rived from Port Arthur with ad- i
ditional news of the attack by
the Japanese fleet upon the Rus
sian fleet in the roads outside of
the harbor of Port Arthur.
attack on i'ort arthur.
St. Petersburg, Feb. 10, 1 a. m.
?The following bulletin has just
been issued in the form of a tele
gram from Viceroy Alexieff's
chief of staff, dated February 9:
By order of the viceroy 1 beg
to report that this day at about
11 o'clock in the morning, a Jap
anese squadron, consisting of
about fifteen battleships and crui
sers, approached Port Arthur
and opened fire. The enemy was
received with a cannonade from
the shore batteries and the guns
of our squadron, which also par
ticipated in the engagement.
At about midday the Japanese
squadron ceased its fire and left,
proceding south.
Our losses in the fleet were two
officers wounded, nine men killed,
a,,A -rty-one men wounded. On
the stiore batteries one man was
killed and three wounded. The
battlesDip Boltava and thecrui- j
ser Novik each had a hole knock
ed in her side below the water
line. The forts were slightly i
damaged.
Maj. Gen. Flug. i
Admiral Alexieff's official re
port of the attack by the Japa
nese is as follows: :
1 most respectfully inform your
majesty that at or about mid
night of h ebruary 8 9 Japanese |i
PORT ARTHUR. RUSSIA'S GREAT STRONGHOLD IN CHINA.
It was at Port Arthur that the Japanse struck the first blow
to Russia and beached three of her ships in the attack last Mon
day night. It is in the southern part of Manchuria, and by right
should belong to Japan. In the Chino-Japanese war in 1894-95
Japan captured this stronghold from the Chinese, but llugsia
stepped in and compelled her to evacuate, because Russia wanted
it herself. It is strongly fortified.
torpedo boats made a sudden at-1
tack by means of mines upon thei
Russian squadron in the outer
roads of the fortress of fort Ar
thur, in which the battleships
Retvizan and Cesarevitch and the
cruiser I'allada were damaged.
An inspection is being made to
ascertain the character of the
dumage. Details are following
for your majesty.
The action of the Japanese in
attacking the Russian fleet with
out a declaration of war is de
nounced as an outrage by the
Russians generally and the re
sult, instead of discouraging
them, seems to have been to fur
nish the spark necessary to fire
Russian patriotism. From the
larger centers throughout Ku
ropead Russia comes information
that the country is already
aroused by the J apanese action i
n breaking off the negotiations.
The Czar and his ministers, who
jad been informed immediately
af the receipt of Viceroy Alexieff's
telegram, accepted the gage and
prepared to face the reality of
war. The Czar's manifesto -da
daring a state of war to exist is
?x pec ted to be issued tomorrow
morning at the latest. Feverish
anxiety reigned at all the minis i
tries and war preparations were
pushed in all directions.
The Russian Red Cross Society
already has sent out 2,000 beds
to the Far Fast, and Sisters of
Mercv are leaving.
"CZAR OF THE EAST."
Aloxeieff, vice admiral of Russia'*
navy, is the czar's right hand man in
i 1
VICEROY ALEXEIEFF.
the far east. In Manchuria and Si
beria he is in command of the army and
navy and at tho head of civil affairs.
The latest return-: of Russian
warships in t he Far Fast total
ninety-four, including eight bat
tleships, sixteen cruisers, seven
zunboats and fifty-six torpedo
boat destroyers and torpedo
boats. I hree more battleships
and the nine torpedo boats are
to go to the Far East in the
spring.
The Russian battleship Ketvi
zan was built by the Cramps at
Philadelphia. She is of 12,700
tons di placement, has 1(5,000
indicated horse-power, and has a
meed of eighteen knots per hour,
iier armor is of Krupp steel from
our to ten inches in thickness
ind her armament consists of
our 12-inch guns, twelve (!-inch
?uns, twenty .'1-inch guns and
wenty-six smaller rapid-fire
?uus.
The Cesarevitch is a battleship
if 13,110 tons, built in France
In armor, armament and speed
ihe about equals the Itetvizau.
The Pallada is a cruiser of
5,030 tons. She was built in
Jermanv and was completed in
L902. Her armament consists
>f Bix 6-inch fjuns, twenty 3-inch
runs, and eight 1-4-inch guns,
ler speed is estimated at twenty
inots.
ALL, ENGLAND IS ELATED.
London, Feb. 9.?All England
s glad that first blood in the
mighty struggle between Russia
and Japan ban been drawn by
her allies.
U ith the feeling of elation
comes one of amazement at the
splendid audacity of t he Japanese
sailors. That Japan would at
tempt against Russia the tactics
which she so successfully employ
ed against China at Wei-HaiWei
was not imagined. That these
tactics should have proven sue
cessful to the extent ol disabling
two of the first battleships in the
Russian navy with the attacking
llotilla, getting away practically
unscathed is regarded by experts
as still more amazing, 'it is held
>.v British naval and military
men that the action at Port Ar
thur establishes Japan's superi
9ri}y Hpu, gives her a free hand
in the landing of her troops in
orea and .Manchuria and im
measurably increases herchances
of winning the fight.
London, I eb. 10.?A special
dispatch from Tokio today says
the Japanese havecaptured three
Russian transports having on
board about 2,000 troops.
London, Feb. 10.?Baron Hay
ashi, the Japanese minister here,
has received official confirmation
from Tokio of the destruction at
Chemulpo of the Russian first
class cruiser Variag, and the
third-class cruiser Jvorielz.
A. summary of the losses sustain
ed by Russia in the first twenty
four hours' of the war with Ja
pan show that ten Russian
warships were placed out of ac
tion in one way or another, and
that the Japanese did not lose a
ship.
The losses were as follows:
Battleship Betvizan, torpedoed
and beached at 1'ort Arthur.
Battleship Czarevitch, torpe
doed and beached at Port Ar
thur.
Battleship Poltava, hole below
water line at Port Arthur.
Armored cruiser Boyarin, dis
abled by Japanese fire, at Port
Arthur.
Cruiser Pollada, torpedoed at
Port Arthur aud beached.
. Cruiser Novik, hole below water
line, at Port Arthur.
Cruiser Askol(j,hole below water
! line, at Burt Arthur.
( ruiser Diana, hold below water
| line, at Port Arthur.
First-class armored cruiser Vra
riag, destroyed at Chemulpo,
Korea.
Torpedo gun vessel Korielz, de
stroyed at Cheiuulco.
| b hi dob blown li' 30 killed.
London, Feb. 11?The Shan
ghai correspondent of the Daily
Mail says an important bridge
on the Manchuriau railroad has
been blown up anfi thirty men
have been killed.
seoul occupied,
London, Feb. 11.?Special dis
patches from Tokio this niorn
! iug announce the arrival of Jap
; anese troops at Seoul, the Kor
ean capital, but beyoud this the
j dispatches published in the news
papers here this morning add
practically nothing to the know
ledge of the actual situation.
Death In Selma
Selma, N. C., February 9.?Mrs.
Hiram J. Howell died at her
home in this place about seven
o'clock last night. She had been
in poor health for quite a long
while, but was able to be up and
do the most of her work. She
leaves a husband and one child,
a boy about ten years of age.
He husband was engineer at
Selrna Oil Mills. She was buried
in the cemetery here.
Escaped an Awful Fate.
Mr. II. Haggins, of Melbourne,
Ha., writes, "My doctor told me
1 had Consumption and nothing
could be done for me. I was giv
en up to die. The offer of a free
trial bottle of Dr. King's New
Discovery for Consumption, in
duced me to try it. Results were
startliug. I am now on the road
to recovery and owe all to Dr.
King's New Discovery. It surely
saved my life." This great cure
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lung diseases by Hood Bros.,
Druggists. Price 50c and |1 00.
Trial bottles free.