Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-09
FIRE FIEND DESTROYS
PROPERTY VALUED AT
!. PROBABLY S2O0,OOO,OOO

arrived here early and were delivered
to their regular customers.
No Electric Power.
All the electric power. is destroyed
and no street cars are running today.
Scene Beggars Description.
No one can tell today the extent of
the disaster. To describe it in detail
is simply an impossibility, just as it is
impossible at this time to give an ade-
quate idea of the amount of loss, the
number of buildings destroyed or the
firms which have gone out of business.
These facts will not develop for days
to come.
Narrowing Scenes.
The streets in the burned and burn
ing districts present a scene at once
thrilling, pathetic and narrowing.
Fireproof Buildings Go.
Scores upon scores of palatial. mod
ern and so-called fire proof buildings
of yesterday are today SO many piles
of grim and blackened debris.
Burned District Closely Guarded.
The devastated portion of the city
is closely patrolled by the police of
this city, Philadelphia and Washington
state militiamen and four companies
OF regulars from Fort McHenry. No
one is allowed to enter the prohibited
lines except by special permission. So
far there has been no looting reported.
People Are AWed.
Almost everywhere there is evi-
dence feeling of awe and terror over
what has happened and solemn appre-
hension of what might follow. .a
Loss Very Heavy.
A common remark of the citizens is
from which it cannot recover for many
years. {6
To Relieve Suffering.
1T is anticipated that there may be
much suffering and restitution follow
| ing up on the heels of the destructive
visitation and Mayor McLane and 9th
er city officials are already discussing
the most ready means of relief.
Affects Many Thousands.
1t is estimated 10000 Opersons will be
thrown out of employment and many
will be entirely without resources.
Snow Envelopes Whole City.
At noon the burning area stretched
for blocks along the harbor in the
southeast section of city. The fire.
men are still working bravely but
against fearful odds. The area is en-
veloped in smoke that rises in great
volumes and rolls away over the rest
of the city.
A Scene of Horror.
| Stretching back along Jones Falls is
a host of buildings Quilted by the
| flames. From the Lombard street
bridge looking westward is scene of
utter desolation. The firemen are dy-
namiting the buildings and walls in
the burned area and the intonations of
the explosions and shrill whistles of
| the fire engines add to the indescrib-
1 able horror of the scene.
Dangerous to Life.
Every few minutes the fall of the
walls can be heard Travel through
the district is fraught with the great
est danger and even in the outlying
portions flames can be seen eating
their way through the ruins and tot
tering walls make ingress and egress
the more difficult.
Legislature to Meet.
Governor Warfield has called an ex-
ira session of the legislature to meet
this evening to empower him to de-
clare the city of Baltimore under mar
tial law and to suspend all business
! for ten days.
| Deposit Boxes Safe.
| The governor stated today that ev-
cry safe deposit box and vault in the
various burned institutions are abso-
lutely safe and all the records preserv-
ed.
An Unknown Victim.
The blackened remains of a fireman
were found in the Quilted Equitable
building this morning.
Chief Engineer Horton who was ov-
ercome during the fire yesterday is re-
ported as resting easily today.
Hope for Cessation.
North of Baltimore street at noon
the fire was still burning on East Fay
ette street as far as Gray street but
unless the wind shifts to the south the
| flames probably will be confined to
tthis section of the north side.
Declares Legal Holiday.
/ Governor Warfield after a confer.
ence with Mayor McClane today de.
clared legal holiday.
To Suspend All Business.
The necessary legislation will be in.
troduced at Annapolis tonight to sus.
pend business for week or ten days,
making that whole period practically
a legal holiday
President Takes Action.
Washington, Feb. S.-President
Roosevelt has come to the. assistance
of the city of Baltimore. Upon the
appeal of the local authorities he has
ordered 100 United States engineers to
that city to assist in checking the