The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-09
BIG FIRE IS NOW
 UNDER CONTROL
Mayor McLane of Baltimore
 Issues Statement
LOSS IS OVER S1O0,O0O,OOO
Stricken City Is Receiving Offers of Assistance and Messages of Con- doence From All Over
 the World.

Baltimore, February s.-Mayor McLane gave the following to the Associated Press:
 T wish you would say for me that the fire now is under control.
 "The people throughout the country have been very kind to us in our terrible calamity and I cannot find words to ex- press my appreciation. We have had offers of assistance from nearly every large city in the east and several offers from the west. of course there has yet been no relief system adopted as we don know just how we stand, but by tomor- row we shall know what relief measures 1t will be necessary to adopt.
 It is absolutely impossible to even ap- proximate the loss It will be several days before anything like an accurate es- innate can be given"
 The board of insurance commissioners also refuse to estimate the loss A prom inent member of the board said:
 Loss Exceeds $1oo,ooo,ooo
 Tt is impossible at this time to give an approximate estimate of the loss. l would say from s10O,OOOO0O up. It is safe to say the loss exceeds s1O0, OO0, ,O00.
 Both branches of the council held meet ings tonight and adopted resolutions ask ing Governor Warfield of Maryland to declare ten day holiday. This matter was brouht to the attention of Mayor McLane and Governor Warfield earlier in the day by delegate from the cham Der of commerce.
 Shortly after noon. the board of mana of ba lao, of and after a brief discussion it was unan- imously agreed that owing to the chaotic condition of the business, it was neces- sary to ask the governor to declare a legal ten days holiday, and to also ask for an extension of thirty days on all legal papers.
 Commission Is Appointed.
 A commission was appointed to wait on the governor and ask his cooperation in having the matter carried to A suc- cessful termination While conferences between the mayor and heads of his de- partments were being held in the city hall and Governor Warfield was receiving delegations at his office in the Fidelity building corps of engineers were busily engaged in dynamitlng the towering and dangerous walls of the law building less than two blocks distant.
 Early this evening Governor Warfield telegraphed Secretary of War Taft that a corps of dynamite experts be sent over to superlntend the demolition of the walls of the law and Herald buildings. Late this evening Major Edward Burr, Cap tain c. b. Gillett, Liteutenant c. B. Pills bury and Lieutenant E. J. Dent of the engineer corps. second battalion and | company of engineers arrived from Wash ington. They brought several hundred pounds of gun cotton and dynamite. Af- ter firing three charges work was sus : pended owing to darkness.
 Street Railway Traffic Delayed.
 The destruction of the power plant of the United Railway company, which furn- ishes electric power to the Baltimore and Ohio railway company in their tunnel caused serious inconvenience to the lat ter company within the city limits. Mayor the privilege of using steam as a motive power until other arrangements can be made.
 Scores of telegrams were received by Mayor McLane proffering assistance. They came from may ors of cities, railways and other corporations, and, from prom inent citizens all over the country. Late this evening Mayor McLane visited the lower section of the burned section with the idea of familiarizng himself with the conditions existing there, and also en- deavoring to learn what relief measures will be necessary.