Big Fire At Baltimore

Baltimore, Siípt. .■■. -One of the most disastrous fires, both to life and property, tbat bas oocurred in this city for many years broke out at 4:30 yesterday morning at 109 South SLiarp street, and spreading rapidly on either sido destroyed sevea fine fourstory iron and brick front buildings on Sharp street, and the back buildings of nearly the wholo row of housos on l'ratt street between Sharp and Hanover. The nortb wall of buildiug 109 Sharpstreet collapsed about 5 :30 a. m. , and buried nine firemen. Tno of them - Al. Eek and John Kelly - were taken out alive, but very badly injured. Seveu were killed. Their names are: George Bowers, Thomas Wagner, Perry ïtyan and John Acomb, of No: 2 Truck company, aud Harry Walker, James McFee, and George Kerins, of No. 7 Engine company. The losies will aggregate about $1,000,000, upon wnieh there is au estimated insurance of $800,000. The heaviest losses fall upon John Kiug, president of the Erie Railway eompany; Edward A. Prior & Co., J. Winkelman & Co., M. S. Levy & Son, Dobbs, Mudge & Co., Tabb Bros. & Dimmock, Henry S. Kiug & Sons. The fire continued until about 11 o'clock, when it was gotten under control. The buildings on Sharp street from 105 to 117 were swept clean, nothing being left standing except the fronts. The rear buiding of the "Materuite," on Lombard street, vas torn down to prevent the firo from spreading further. The inmatcs of the institution were all removed quietly. The firms of Tabb Bros. & Dimmock and Prior & Co. had large supplies of gun and revolver cartridges in stock. About 5:130 a. m. they began to explocle, and for a quarter of an hour kept up a fusillade,the buliets going tbrough the windows on all s des, but fortunately nobody was shot, with the exception of one man, who was slightly wounded near the left eye. Shortly before (i a. in. the members of No. 7 engine company and No. 2 truck entered Tabb Bros.' building, intending to cut holes tbrough to No. 10y. Those in the street saw that the side wall of No. .09 was beginning to sway and called to tbem to come out. All of them were hastening out, when the treachous wall feil over and ernshing tbrough the floors of No. 107, buried the uufortunate firemen under its great weight. Then all efforts were conoentratod upon the pile of ruins under whieh uine human beings were writhing in torture. The groans of the men could be heard from within tais living voléame tomb. for it had now takeu flre and was belching iorth jets of fiama Half a dozen strong streams were turned on the pile, and the flames within were in a short time subdued. In a few minutes John Kelly was rescued. His left eye was burnt out of its socket, and hls head badly niashed, but the surgeons say he will recover. Then Al Eek was dragged from ;he ruins. His right arm was broken and lis side badly injured. The others, however, were bevond hope, and their dead bodies were taken out one by one, all mangled torn and burnt, the last oue being recovered late last night. All of the soven dead iremen, whose names are given above, leave 'amilies to mourn their untimely end, except Harry Walker, who was a single man.