Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-02-11
BALqINORES FIRE Loss yl2SOOO.OOO.

ana rury or a tidaI wave. ureat bill
lows Of FIRE 200 feet high would fll tht
space between the buildings and
sweeping from side to side, would blot
out Of existence skyscraper as though
It were a box Of matches"
The Loss May Excesd $4,000. 900.
Washington, Feb. S.--The Baltimore
Sun in Its issue published this morn
ing from Washington says II is thought
the loss will exceed $5O.0O0,O00. The
Light street wharves. where the flames
were last reported heading, include .
number OF wooden structures filed
with merchandise.
Baltimore, Nd, Feb A--Baltimore 10
staggering under fire loss which no ono
has the temerity to put in figures.
The important commercial district 10
blackened ruins. laid bare by . con-
fiagration which ragged without mo-
mentary check from 10:4b q. m. Sum
day until late In the afternoon yester-
day. At three o'clock yesterday aft
ernoon the city officials again
breathed. It was agreed the flames
were under control. They had ragged
2s hours in spite Of almost superhu-
man efforts put forth by the best light
ing forces which more than half .
dozen cities were able to muster. The
city Is overcast with gloom. Apparent
ly there Is but one cause for gladness
and that is that there are no home
less. The residence section Of the city
escaped. a0
Throughout that terrible contest In
which fremen and fire waged for SUI
premacy, humanity was handicapped
by gale which carried burning
brands over the heads OF the workers
and beyond the reach OF hundreds Of
streams Of water poured Into the rag
Ing furnaces. But for the work Of
volunteers in seeking out and extin-
gushing these embers II IL almost
certain the burned area would have
been twice larger than II Ia. About 7S
squares or 140 acres are In ashes, eI-
tending from Lexington street on the
north to Pratt street on the 6outh.
from Liberty street on the west 70
Jones' falls ON the east. gs
Men last night talked In figures thnt
were sppalliHg and almost inccmpBe.
honsible In their vastness. An er-
pert, the aciiy building inspector, eGli.
mates the Ions In buildings alone at
s1B0,0o0,000. On the other hand, II y
said that insurance estimates do not
place the total loss at b greater figure.
So far, there has besn no systematic
attempt to Ak the values that were
represented in the district In that
which In now d devastated waste. One
factor that will figure largely in the.
inal estimates consists Of the securi-
ties in the banks and trust companies.
whose homes were destroyed. Their
vaults and safes are In ruins, covered
with tons Of debris. Experts who have
given them as close examination a.
possible express the belief that the
contents are safe. On the correctness
,r falsity Of this belief depends many
Millions Of dollars. greater or less Of
he final total.
Not q single life has been lost and
lot human being has been even dam
Ierously injured. The hospital lists
onsiahQf minor burns, with the excep-
Ion OK Jacob Ilginfritz, q fireman from
FORK. Pa He has fractured leg ana
) badly burned. h8
There has been no disorder and, to
he credit Of the city Of Baltimore, II
hould be said there has been no loot
ng or attempt at looting. Baltimore
ast night was as orderly as a village,
nd only the throb Of the laboring FIRE
ngines and the reverberating boom Of
ynamite, as II brings dangerous walls
the ground, disturb its wonted quiet.
len who have lost all, who were mer-
hant princes Sunday and practically
eggared now, view their great losses
18th calm that Is either the apathy
dazed senses or quiet resignation
, the inevitable. This constitutes the
lost remarkable phase Of the measure
g calamity that has befallen tho
lonumentaI city. 49,
Shortly after noon the board Of man
gers Of the chamber Of commerce
let at the Hotel Rennert. Manager
ames G. German, Of the Atlantic
transportation company. called the
Ieeting to order and explained its OBJ
ct. After a brief discussion II was
agreed that. owing to the
laotic condition of business, II was
to ask the governor TO de-
are q legal ten days holiday and 10
80 ask for an extension Of 30 days
4 all legal papers. A commission
as appointed to wait on the governor
ID ask his cooperation in having the
after carried to successful termina-
siate House. AnnapoIIH ma. reD. y
IRE Esnarai srssmhiy net af the
ate house last night to consider plans
z the relief Of the FIRE conditions IN
litimore. Senator Gill, Of Baltimore.