Great Baltimore Fire: Difference between revisions

The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 raged in Baltimore, Maryland, on Sunday, February 7, and Monday, February 8, 1904. 1,231 firefighters were required to bring the blaze under control. It destroyed a major part of central Baltimore, including over 1,500 buildings covering an area of some 140 acres.

Much of the destroyed area was rebuilt in relatively short order, and the city adopted a more rigorous building code, stressing fireproof materials. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the fire was the impetus it gave to efforts to standardize firefighting equipment in the United States, especially hose couplings.

Almost forgotten in this day of strict fire codes is that in centuries past, fires would regularly sweep through cities, frequently destroying large areas of them. Close living quarters, lax, unenforced, or non-existent building codes, and a widespread dearth of firefighting services all contributed to both the frequency and the extent of city fires. The rapid growth of American cities in the nineteenth century contributed to the danger.

In addition, fire fighting practices and equipment were largely unstandardized: each city had its own system. As time passed, they invested more in the system they had, increasing the cost of any conversion. Although efforts to establish standards had been made since the 1870s, they had come to little: no city wanted to abandon its system, and few saw any reason to adopt standards.

Fire was reported first at the John Hurst and Company building in Baltimore at 10:48 a.m. on February 7, and quickly spread. Soon, it became apparent that the fire was outstripping the ability of the city's firefighting resources to fight it, and calls for help were telegraphed to other cities. By 1:30 p.m., units from Washington, DC, were arriving. To halt the fire, officials decided to use a firewall, and dynamited buildings around the existing fire. This tactic, however, was unsuccessful. Not until 5:00 p.m. the next day was the fire brought under control.

One reason for the fire's duration was the lack of national standards in fire-fighting equipment. Although fire engines from nearby cities (such as Philadelphia and Washington, as well as units from New York City, Virginia, Wilmington, and Atlantic City) responded, many were useless because their hose couplings could not fit Baltimore's hydrants. High winds and freezing temperatures further contributed to the severity of the fire and added difficulty for firefighters.^[1] As a result, the fire burned over 30 hours, destroying 1,545 buildings^[2] spanning 70 city blocks — amounting to over 140 acres.^[3] .

While Baltimore was criticized for its hydrants, this was a problem that was not unique to Baltimore. During the time of the Great Fire "American cities had more than six hundred different sizes and variations of fire hose couplings."^{[citation needed ]} It is known that as outside fire fighters returned to their home cities they gave interviews to newspapers that condemed Baltimore and talked up their own actions during the crisis. In addition, many newspapers were guilty of taking for truth the word of travelers who, in actuality, had only seen the fire as their trains passed through the area. All of this aside the responding agencies and their equipment did prove useful as their hoses only represented a small part of the equipment brought with them. One benefit to this tragedy was the standardization of hydrants nationwide.^{[4] [5]}

In addition to firefighters, outside police officers, as well as the Maryland National Guard and the Naval Brigade, were utilized during the fire to maintain order and protect the city. Officers from Philadelphia and New York were sent to assist the Balitmore Police Department. Police and soldiers were used to keep looters away and keep the fire zone free of civilians. The Naval Brigade secured the waterfront and waterways to keep spectators away.

Over 150,000,000ドル worth of damage was done. Immediately after the fire, Mayor Robert McLane was quoted in the Baltimore News as saying, "To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress." He then refused assistance, stating "As head of this municipality, I cannot help but feel gratified by the sympathy and the offers of practical assistance which have been tendered to us. To them I have in general terms replied, 'Baltimore will take care of its own, thank you.'"^{[citation needed ]} Two years later, on September 10, 1906, the Baltimore-American reported that the city had risen from the ashes and "One of the great disasters of modern time had been converted into a blessing."^{[citation needed ]}

It was long believed^{[citation needed ]} that no lives were lost directly to the fire. Many books written on the Great Fire said no deaths occurred as a direct relation to the fire, and a plaque that commemorates the Great Fire also reads "Lives Lost: None."^{[citation needed ]} However, a recently rediscovered Baltimore Sun newspaper story from the time tells of the charred remains of a "colored man" being pulled from the harbor, near the area where the USS Constellation is currently docked, days after the fire.^{[citation needed ]}

Four lost lives were attributed indirectly to the fire. Two members of the 4th Regiment of the Maryland National Guard, Private John Undutch of Company F and Second Lieutenant John V. Richardson of Company E both fell ill and died as a result of pneumonia. Fireman Mark Kelly and Fire Lieutenant John A. McKnew also died of pneumonia and tuberculosis due to exposure during the Great Fire.^[6]

In the aftermath, 35,000 people were made unemployed.^{[citation needed ]} After the fire, the city was rebuilt using more fireproof materials, such as granite pavers.^{[citation needed ]}

As a result of the fire a city building code was adopted. Public pressure, coupled with demands of companies insuring the newly re-built buildings, spurred the effort. The process took seventeen nights of hearings and multiple city council reviews.^[7]

H. L. Mencken survived the fire, but the offices of his newspaper, the Baltimore Herald , were destroyed. He relates the fire and its aftermath in the last chapter of Happy Days, the first volume of his autobiography. He writes that he enters a boy, "fueled by the hot gas of youth, and emerged almost a middle-aged man."

The fire is also memorialized in the folk song "Baltimore Fire."

Fire fire I heard the cry

From every breeze that passes by

All the world was one sad cry of pity

Strong men in anguish prayed

Calling out to the heavens for aid

While the fire in ruins was laid

Fair Baltimore the beautiful city

• List of historic fires

• Jensen, Brennen (September 3, 2003) Charmed Life: Lives Lost: One Baltimore City Paper
• Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Project [1]
• Pictures from the National Photo Company Collection: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Shorpy

• Articles with unsourced statements from Feb 2009
• Articles with unsourced statements from 2009
• 1904 disasters
• 1904 in the United States
• Fires in Maryland
• History of Baltimore, Maryland
• Urban fires in the United States

• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from January 2009
• Articles with invalid date parameter in template
• Commons category link from Wikidata