The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-02-12
Officials and Citizens Will Meet
ThePresenf Emergency
FIRST DAY ONE OF EFFORT

still hot and Baltimore has
begun its resurrection. With the dawn
of a clear winter day, whose bright
ness was in itself an inspiration. the
apathy of yesterday gave way TO en-
ergy. and from the governor OF the
state to the least private citizen. peo-
pie of this distressed CITY aroused
themselves to meet the appalling con-
ditions that confront them.
It was a day of conferences. The
governor. the and various mu-
nicipal officials met and threshed out
the problems that are theirs by virtue
of public office. From this conference
came a decision that. Baltimore for the
present needs no outside help, but will
endeavor with her W resources ana
those of the state to meet the emer-
gency. AT this conference Also was de-
veloped the machinery for an advisory
legislative commission, to act in con-
! junction with the legislature
The military officials had unusual
problems to decide and solved them in a
military manner, for tonight every pass
tina Shas been issued giving entrance
TO the fire lines was revoked. Nc civil
ian may pass the Gordon of citizen SOL
| diers. which after 4S hour of continu-
| Gus duty, tonight stretches around the
fire swept district. where lay safes and
vaults containing untold treasure
Evidences of ~RecuperatiOn.
With equal promptness the chamber
OF held a general meeting
an issued a formal announcement that
reflected the prevailing hopefulneSS, de-
claring there are already such evil
dences of re~cuperation that all are en-
couraged in the hope of the early res
toration of every branch Of rad
The stock exchange members met and
decided to rebuild as soon as possible
The same story can be told of practl-
I 40 1lv nuaru PnmmprPi9l thOdV While or
every hand is evidence of private eff
fort toward rehabilitation.
Old buildings long unused. private
residences near the business center. IL
fact every available structure bears
erudely lettered signs IN board an
n~ouncing that within is the temporary
office of a firm. The names on some o
these signs are those hat rank higf
in the financial and commercial circle!
of the world and in these temporar!
offices. men who for years have know
only mahogany desks work on dea
' ableS in plain boards 9
Labor is in demand and newspaper
already contain display advertisements
for men to begin the work Of clearing
the ruins.
ALL things considered. the public stool
taking that ~engroSSed the business
world of Baltimore today was satisfac
tory. But this does not mean that tn
great fire was Il lesser calamity thai
has been pictured in the dispatches
The words that have hurried over tn
world requiring almost superhuman e.
ergy to meet a wanting worlds demant
for news, nave given but an inadequdt
conception of this catastrophe of a cen
tury. The bald fact is that 40 acre
of cuisines buildings, representa-
property to the approximate value O
S125, O00. 600 were destroyed within 2
hours.
Vaults and Strong Boxes are Safe.
"A great cloud was lifted this after
noon when it was discovered hat prac
tically all of the vaults and stron
rooms and safes of the financial con
Germs whose buildings were destroyed
are unhurt. a tremendous loss in Sc
c~urities had been anticipated here, an
when vault after vault yielded up 1t
treasures unframed. the joy Of tn
guardians was boundless.
From the Continental Trust Compa