Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-10
RECKONING THE COST
Baltimore Merchants Making
Active Efforts to Resume.
MILITIA FOR GUARDS
COLDER WEATHER BRINGS SOME
DISCOMFORT.
Railways Contribute Employees to Clear
Land-Request Repeal of Mortgage
Tax-Building Inspector Busy.

| BALTIMORE, February 10.-This was
| other day of ceaseless labor on the part
| of the officials and business men of Grip
pied Baltimore. System has been brought
| out of the chaos and intelligently directed
| effort is rapidly bringing conditions to a
temporary working basis. The city is be-
| ginning to see just where 1t stands. Its
| great loss has been sized up and with
cheerful pluck the labor of rehabilitation
| has begun. Architects are being consulted.
| labor arranged for and already orders for
structural material are going forward
| Financial institutions are today busily en-
gagged in carting their securities and funds
| to temporary offices outside the confines
of the burned district. BY o'clock ex-
press wagons and other available convey
| ances were backed up to banks and trust
| company buildings preparatory to remov-
| ing all books. papers, funds. etc.
| The vault of the First National Bank
| was opened today. and it was found that
| all of the securities and moneys of the
| bank were as safe as on the day they were
| placed in the vault. They were removed
| to the American National Bank building.
| ON Gay street where temporary offices Will
| be opened.
Building Inspector Busy Man.
Building Inspector Preston was an
| tremely busy man today due to clamor for
permits by large business and financial
| houses to rebuild To the Associated Press
| Mr.. Preston said:
| 1.-The spirit shown by those who suffered
| by the fire is truly remarkable. without
| waiting to have their insurance adjusted
| the business and financial concerns are
| ready and anxious to go ahead. l am
| compelled, however. to withhold all per-
mits for building purposes within the fire
| lines for several days. The burned terri
| tory is too dangerous for any large force
| to work in just Row."
Preference in Employment of Help.
| Mr. Preston is engaged in clearing all
| the streets that run through the fire dis
| trict. All loose walls that can be safely
| razed with ropes being taken down by
| the laborers. All other walls that are dan-
| gerous will he blown down with explo-
| sves.
| 1t has been suggested to the city officials
| that in engaging men to help clear up the
fire district preference be given to men who
were thrown out of work result of the
| fire. There are many thousands of these.
| and it is practically certain that this plan
will be carried out as far possible.
|
| At a meeting today a joint committee
of the legislature called to confer with
the mayor, board of public works and
leading citizens. it was unanimously
agreed to report a bill today asking the
United States government to send soldiers
| to Baltimore to police the fire district.
The committee will also report in favor
| of an immediate relief appropriation by
the Legislature. Mayor McLane an
| nounced that he will appoint an emergen-
| cy committee of representative citizens TO
] act as an advisory board to the municipal
| authorities.
Situation Thoroughly Discussed.
The conference was an extended one, and
was participated in not only by various
| state and city officials. but by number Of
| the leading business men of Baltimore A
| full and thorough discussion of the situa-
ton developed general belief that 1t would
be the part of wisdom to take advantage
of the generous offers of assistance that
have been so freely made.
The citizen soldiers now on police duty
are needed in business, and it was thought
best to ask for the regulars in order 20
permit the guardsren to devote themselves
to their usual avOcations
Railway Engineers to Clear Land.
At this meeting the mayor announced
that the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore and
Ohio and the Western Maryland railroads
had granted his request to permit thesr
contracting engineers to assume control OF
clearing the burned district.
Tonight Mayor McLane will make public
a formal statement as to existing cond-
tions and the needs of the city and ex-
pressing the desire of the city authorities
to receive contributions for relief fund
Hammond j. Dugan, president of the real
estate exchange. said today that if the
work OF clearing away the debris in the
burned area is commenced at once in four
months time temporary structures can be
erected all over the ground swept by the
fire. and business will assume normal pro-
portions.
Ask Repeal Of Mortgage Tax.
The real estate exchange has telegrapbed
a request to- the legislature to speedily pass
the bill, already introduced repeating the
mortgage tax of s per cent on income
This he said will have the effect of bring
ing capital here for investment in real es-
tate, and thus facilitate the rehabilitation
of the city
The grain trade of the city has not suf-
fered to any extent The fire did not touch
the elevators or railroad terminals, and
steamships are being loaded as usual.
Insurance men seen today as a rule stick
to the estimates made yesterday on insur-
ance losses. There is still a wide difference
of opinion among them. minority ex-
press the belief that when all the adjust
ments have been made the insurance COM
panies will not have to pay more than 500,
600 900, while others think that Si00 900 900
will not more than cover the insurance.
Between $S0,0O0.000 and 500, ,000, 900, how
ever, is the prevailing estimate.
So far as can be learned no adjustments
have been made.
Change in Weather Brings Discomfort.
The night was marked by two new alarms
of fire, the fall of number of walls and
conditions of extreme discomfort for tho
soldiers and policemen on guard, the tenn
perature dropping about ten degrees and .
keen wind blowing throughout the highs. |
The weather conditions. 1t is thought were |
responsible for the failing walls, the rack !
ing effect of the cold upon the heated bricks |
and mortar aiding the wind in bringing
down several of the ruins.
The firemen were called out early during
the night by an alarm of fire, the blanc