The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-10
STREETS WERE FILLED
BY TRAMPlNG THOUSANDS.
Continued from First Page.

destruction, but these buildings escaped
without a scratch.
Delivery of Mail.
At the city postoffice the usual rou-
tine has been resumed. Many men
were occupied in returning the val
liable mail from the sub stations,
whence they had been removed Sun
day, and in taking packages from the
vaults Firms in the burned district
are served by the various carriers in
charge of that section, the new ad-
dresses being registered. In this way
nearly ali of the mail which accumu-
lated in the two days of the fire has
been delivered.
When the fire threatened the post
office every package was removed
from the building and put in the
vaults. Postmaster S. Davies War
field directed the efforts of federal en-
ployes in saving the building. Every
window was kept wet inside, and
while a number were attacked by the
heat none were broken sufficiently to
cause a draft. Had a draft started
the building undoubtedly would nave
met the fate of those on its south sloe;
For a time it was feared that food
scarcity with an accompanying ad-
vance in prices would occur, but 1t is
felt this apprehension has no grounds.
Supplies are short, but railroad Ia
clities have been unobstructed, ana
merchants now believe they will be
able to meet every demand. Most of
the provision houses in the wholesale
district were burned, but arrange
ments have been made to sell food
supplies from freight yards and sta
tions.
Military frightened Its Grip
The military grip on the ruins was
this afternoon frightened to the llmlts'
and for the present it will be impossl-
HE for any one to pass the line of SOL
diers around the burned territory I'M
less on a pass personally issued by
Brig. Gen. Riggs for official business.
This was decided upon at conference
this afternoon, at which were present
the Governor, Gen.. Riggs and Mayor
McLane. 1t was found that so many
persons had secured possession OF
passes or otherwise gained admission
that it was thought advisable to pro-
hibit everybody. In the safes and
vaults buried under the ruins are
hundreds of millions of dollars worth
of securities, negotiable paper and cash,
which the authorities feel they cannot
leave exposed even to those who were
granted passes. All the military and
police passes heretofore issued We're re-
voked early in the afternoon and soon
after that troops were sent into the
desolated territory to clear 1t Of every
one found.
Bcgnn to Clear Debris.
The ruins of the fire territory having
cooled sufficiently to permit the hand
ling of debris, the work of clearing
some portions of the burned district
began to-day. Hundreds of laborers
engaged by the department of street
cleaning were put to work at the west
ern end of the ruins, clearing the
streets. The task before them is a
difficult one, and the work of removing
the great mass will necessarily be
slow.
Many weeks will elapse before all
the streets within the fire territory will
be open to traffic. Bricks to the depth
Of four feet, large marble and granite
blocks, great Orders, bent or broken,
and networks of telegraph, telephone
and electric light wires cover the streets.
on both sides OF the thoroughfares in
many places are towering walls that
will have to come down before any at
tempt can be made to clear the streets
at those points.
Besides the work of the street clean
ers, there was much activity shown I'm
other directions. Here and there were
small groups of anxious citizens watch
ing safe experts opening vaults. At
other places, bank officials stood near
firemen. while the latter poured water
on hot safes 70 cool them off sufficient
ly to be opened. All the experts IN the
field reported this evening that with
very few exceptions, vaults and safes