The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-02-11
OUTSIDE AID is NOT NEEDED
CITY WILL ENDEAVOR TO MEET
THE EMERGENCY WITH HER
OWN RESOURCES.
LOSS is ABOUT SIPS, 600, 900
BUT A GREAT CLOUD is Lifted
BY RECOVERY OF PAPERS
WORTH MILLIONS.

Baltimore, Feb. 10.-Amid ruins
still hot and smoking, Baltimore has
begun its resurrection. With the dawn
OF a clear winter day, whose bright
ness was in itself an inspiration, the
apathy of despair gave way to energy
and from the governor of the state to
the least private citizen the people of
this distressed city aroused them
selves tc meet the appalling conditions
that confront them.
1t was day of conferences. The
governor, the mayor and various mu-
n1cipal 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 own resources and
those of the state to meet the emery
ency. At this conference also was de-
VelOped the machinery for an adj
VisOry legislative commission to act in
conjunction with the legislature.
The military officials had unusual
problems to decide and solved them in
a military manner, for at night every
pass that has been issued giving en-
trance to the fire lines was revoked.
No civilian may pass the Gordon of
citizen soldiers which after forty-eight
hours of continuous duty still stretches
around the fire-swept desert where
lie safes and vaults containing untold
treasure.
With equal promptness the chamber
OF commerce held general meeting
and issued formal announcement
that reflected the prevailing hopeful
ness, declaring there are already such
evidences of recuperation that all are
encouraged in the hope Of the early
restoration of every branch of trade"
Will Rebuild as Soon as Possible.
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 every available structure
bears crudely lettefed signs on boards
Or cloth announcing that within is the
temporary Office of a firm. The names
on some of these signs are those that
rank high in the financial and COM
mercial 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
Labor is in demand and the news
papers already contain display adver-
tisements for men to begin the work
of clearing the ruins.
All things considered the public
stock taking that engrossed the bust
ness world of Baltimore Tuesday was
icf0 af0 D,,ff
that the great fire was lesser calam-
ity than has been heretofore pictured.
The words that have been hurried
over telegraph wires, restored by al
most superhuman energy to meet
waiting worlds demand for news, have
given but an inadequate conception of
this catastrophe of century, The
bald fact is that 14O acres of business
buildings, representing property to the
approximate value of $125, 100000, was
destroyed within the journey of a
clocks hand.
History is marked by few calamities
so vast and so costly in actual values,
but with the passing of the first great
shock and prostraction, the brighter
side is coming uppermost and the
realization of what Baltimore escaped
is dawning.
Great Cloud Lifted.
A great cloud was lifted Tuesday
afternoon when it was discovered that
practically all of the vaults and strong
rooms and safes of the financial con-
Germs whose buildings were destroyed
were unhurt A tremendous loss in
securities had been anticipated and
when vault after vault yielded up it's
treasure unframed the joy of the
guardians was boundless.
From one trust company's safes
alone papers to the amount of more
than. 5000, 100000 was recovered. The
news cheered the whole city and en-
couraged immediate and thorough in
vestigation. Merchants and their as.
sistants smoke soiled and begrimed
and hollow eyed from anxiety and loss
of sleep, worked like laborers in the
smoking ruins to uncover their safes,
and in nearly every instance they were
rewarded by intact contents.
AS yet no figures on loss and in
surance that can be regarded as Off
cial are obtainable. A careful can
vass of insurance experts, builders and
business men placed the loss in round
figures at $125O00,00O and the in
surance at from $S0,00O,O00 to $780,
100000. It is probable that these esti-
mates will stand with slight change
when the final figures are written.
In declining aid proffered the city
officials have taken pains to define
their position. The blow that has be-
fallen Baltimore has aroused an in
tense civic pride in an effort to fight
out it's salvation but as Mayor Nc
Lane expressed it, "The city will not
hesitate three minutes to ask assist
ance if it becomes necessary"
Careful investigation as to the cause
of the original fire in the Hurst build.
ing has failed to reveal anything def
mite. The gasoline engine explosion
theory is rendered untenable by the
fact that no gasoline engine was in the
building.