The Indianapolis journal., 1904-02-09

BALTIMORE, Feb S-When darkness
fell tonight the people of this stricken city
knew the worst over. The flames,
which for more than twenty-four hours had
swept resistlessly through the heart of one
of the worlds greatest marts of trade.
were checked An army of firemen from
many cities, working unwearily and aided
by a muddy little stream finally conquered
a fire that will rank among the worlds
great conflagrations.
Worn by night and a day Of terror,
the great crowds that watched the ruin of
their city, turned homeward and at mid
night the streets were deserted save for the
police and militia who guarded the burned
area.
To the south red glow rises and falls,
marking 140 acres of evastation-seventy-
five squares of property that yesterday
represented values to the extent Of from
S75, 900, 900 to $125, ,0OO.0 900. Not even close
approximation can be made of the loss
No guess can be made of the insurance.
Men tonight talk in figures that are
appalling and almost incomprehensible be-
cause of their vastness. An expert the
city building Inspector estimated the loss
in buildings alone at s15o,0OO,oOo. On the
other hand il is said that insurance esti-
mates do not place the total loss at a
greater figure So far there has been no
| systematic attempt to fix the values that
were represented in the district, in that
which is tonight a devastated waste.
One factor that will figure largely III
| the final estimates consists OF the securl'
| ties in the banks and trust companies
| whose homes were destroyed Their vault:
| and safes tonight are in ruins, covered
| with tons of debris. Experts who have
| given them as close examination as pos
sible express the belief that the content:
| are safe. On the correctness or falsity OF
this belief depends many millions of dol
| lars, greater or less of the final total
Save for its physical aspects the story Of
the past twenty-four hours is a negative
one in all that usually attends so vast g
calamity There has been little excitement
There has been no hysteria. There has beer
no disorder and to the credit of the city o.
Baltimore it should be said there has beer
no looting or attempt at looting. Balti
more tonight is as orderly as village anC
only the throb of the laboring fire engines
I and the reverberating boom of dynamite
as it brings dangerous walls to the GROUND
/ QlSIuTDS It's WOHlSu QulCl- -hNh WIZ AA"-'
lost all, who were merchant princes yester
day and practically beggars tonight, view
their great losses with a calm that il
either the apathy of dazed senses or quie
| resignation to the inevitable. This consti
| tutes the most remarkable phase of tn
measureless calamity that has befallen tn
| Monumental city.
| So far. there has been no call for aid
| Proffers of assistance have come from
many quarters, from sister cities, but Bal
| timore tonight cannot say whether or no
| il will be needed or accepted. That vii
he decided tomorrow. There is talk of
scarcity of food, but at most this can b
but temporary, twenty-four hours SHOULD
suffice to bring provisions In ilmitless guam
titles
When the tired citizens of Baltimore to
night went to needed rest, over and abov
the realization of their physical losses wa
the knowledge that their city had rise
nobly in it's hour of stress and met grea
catastrophe with GOODNESS and precision.