Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-02-18
eALTIMORE'S RESOURCES.
They May Not BE Sufficient to Meet
Emergency without Outside Help
Safes and Bank Vaults Uniarmed-
business Rcsuming.


Baltimore, Feb. 10.-.Amid ruins
still hot and smoking, Baltimore has
begun its resurrection. With the
dawn of a clear winter day apathy
gave way to energy and the people of
this distressed city aroused them
selves to meet the appalling condi-
tions that confront them. Tuesday
was day of conferences. The gov
ernor, the mayor and various munich
pal officials met and threshcd out the
problems that are theirs.
The military officials had unusual
problems to decide and solved them
in a military manner, for last night
every pass that has been issued Civ
ing entrance to the fire lines was re-
voked. No civilian may pass the cor
don of citizen soldiers which
stretches around the fire swept de-
sert where lay safes and vaults con-
tanning untold treasure.
With equal promptness the cham
ber of commerce held meeting and
issued an announcement declaring
"there are already such evidences of
recuperation that all are encouraged
in the hope of the early restoration
of every branch of trade"
The stock exchange members met
and decided to rebuild as soon as pos
sible. The same story can be told
of practically every commercial body,
while on every hand is evidence of
private effort toward rehabilitation.
Old buildings long unused, private
residences near the business section,
in fact every available structure
bears crudely lettered signs announc-
ing that within is the temporary
office of firm. The names on some
of these signs are those that rank
high in the financial and commercial
circles of the world, and in these
temporary Offices men who for years
have known only mahogany desks
work on deal tables and plain boards.
A great cloud was lifted when it
was discovered that practically all of
the vaults and safes of the financial
concerns whose buildings were de-
stroyed, are unhurt. A tremendous
loss in securities had been antci-
pated here, and when vault after
vault yielded up its treasures un-
harmed, the joy Of the guardians was
boundless.
From one trust compuny's safes
than $2OO.O0O,OOO were recovered. The
news cheered the whole city and en-
couraged immediate investigation.
Merchants and their assistants
worked like laborers in the smoking
ruins to uncover their safes, and in
nearly every insta nee they were re-
warded by intact contents.
AS yet no figures on loss and in
1 I,,+ In 1
cial are obtainable. A careful cam
vass of insurance experts, builders
and business men placed the loss in
round figures at $125,000OOO and TIE
insurance at from $4,000, 900 to $780,
10000.
One of the most remarkable freaks
of the fire was the escape of the big
government buildings. The flames
wrought destruction on all sides of
this group of structures, except on
the north. These buildings are the
city hall, the custom house, used as
the temporary headquarters of the
sub-treasury pending the erection of
the new building, and by the customs
office, the post Office building, which
also contained the United States mar
shals Office, and the Office of the col
lector of internal revenue. All to the
south of this group is complete de-
| struction. but these escaped without
a scratch.
! Baltimore, Md, Feb. 1.-THE situa-
tion in stricken Baltimore began to
clear Wednesday after Il conference
| between Mayor McLane, a special
committee of the legislature and a
/ delegation of business men.
! This conference was arranged with
a view of meeting in a practical way
/ the eXigency which this community
now faces. At this meeting, beside
| the mayor there were present influ-
ential members of the state law maxi
ing body, the board of public works,
a dozen bank presidents, eX-Gov.
| Smith, United States Senator-elect
| Rayner and several other leading cit
| iZens.
The question to be decided was that
of calling upon the national govern
! ment for soldiers to take the places
of two state militia regiments now
doing police duty in the burned dis
trict. The constitution of Maryland
requires that no sush request can be
made of the president except by the
authority of the legislature.
A brief discussion showed the be-
lief of those present that the United
| States soldiers were needed at once.
Late in the afternoon Mayor Nc
Lane reconsidered his previous de-
termination that he would accept no
outside aid. On this subject he said: