The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-14

Ii Is announced officially thar the Bal
timore and OHIO Railroad Is TO rebuild
the fine structure which went up in
smoke in the great fire i'm Ihv Monu-
mental City. The company lost a fortune
I'm property which cannot be put ia
dollars and cents IN the blaze.
According to the official figures the
exact amount is Sl.s50.o00 or this
amount $4,000 was lost on the Central
Building alone. II is expected that the
orders for the beginning of the work
viii be issued as soon as the company
Is able TO straighten out its affairs.
Neither terminal of the company nor
the tunnel was injured in the slightest
To the belief that the building could
not burn is credited the loss of the
employees had ample time to remove
everything an the structure. but so GER
tain We're they that the building would
not go that they made no attempts at
rescue until too late.
Vice President Potter and nearly all
OF the ofhcers, chief clerks and other
clerks and employees were i'm the build
ing few minutes after the fire was
discovered None believed that the con-
fiagration would pass Charles Street.
At the time the worst OF the fire was
coming toward the Central Building Mr.
Potter and his assistants had turned
NhNtA-HSANC, 49, sttt HiC Dil-
gade, and Were busy putting our small
fires on the roof OF tie structure which
We're started by the rain Of sparks
This continued until 10 o'clock At that
hour the building caught. IL burned
rapiolt and finally all were ordered out
Chief Clerk on. A. r. Kuhn. however,
with his assistants. managed to get
nearly all of the files and other i'm
where yesterday they were found 10 be
In good condition.
Sought New Quarters.
The fight was fierce and loss great.
but neither feazed the officers of the
Baltimore and Ohio. At O'Clock Mon
Gay morning they were busy moving
what was left OF the effects at head
quarters into the rooms over Camden
station.
The employees who had been occupy
ing these rooms were sent to another
building.
w. E. Burwell, the superintendent Of
the hotels OF the company, discovered
old desks in the company's warehouse,
and these were moved into the station.
In the meantime w. E Blanchard the
purchasing agent. had been busy. He
went out and bought every desk in
Baltimore suitable for railroad work.
Thus by noon there were desks enough.
Thirty-five hundred desks We're burned
In the fire. With them went $3.50 type
writer's. and while the desks were being
bought, the real estate agent OF the
company, J. ID. MeCubbin, hunted up
agents Of typewriters and bought all
that could be obtained in Baltimore.
BY Monday night the headquarters OF
the company were snugly settled in the
Camden station, Just as though there
hadn't been a fire., as Chief Clerk
Coon explained
--'-e operating and traffic departments
transferred TO the Mount Royal sta
Their losses were not very heavy.
accounting departments, in the
table and Calvert Buildings. lost
thing. . -
emp4oyes went to these structures
times and tried TO get In to move
the company's property. but the
zen refused to admit them. say
I the building could not possibly
they could have saved every
tis--- ad they been admitted.
Despite the losses. the company IS in
good shape. but there must of a Reces-
sity be delays for little while in bust
ness affairs.