The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-09
GREAT FIRE 1T
 LIST CONQUERED Its Onward Sweep Toward the Residential Part of the City Stopped at
 Jones Falls.
40 ACRES ARE DEVASTATED
BUILDINGS DESTROYED NUM-
 BER NEARLY $500.


 BER NEARLY 2,5OO. Estimates as to Total Loss Difrer-City Building Expert Says It yyiIl be s150,- ooO,ooo on Buildings Aioue hiie In- surance Men Say This Figure VIII Cover Everything-M Depends on whether Valuable Securities in Bank Vaults Were Destroyed-cfty Under Martial Law -Residence Portion Es- capes aud There Are No Hon,eless-Not Single Life Lost.
 Baltimore, Feb. S.-When darkness fell tonight the people of this stricken city knew the worst was over and turned homeward and at midnight the streets were deserted save for the police and militia, who guarded the burned area. To the south a red glow marks the TAO acres of devastation-seven five squares of property that yesterday represented values to the extent of from s75, ,oOo, 900 to s125, ,ooo,Ooo Not even a close approximation can be made of the loss. No guess can be made of the insurance. Nearly 2,500 buildings were destroyed
 An expert. the city building inspec- tor, estimates the loss in buildings alone at 50,000, ,000. On the other hand, it is said that insurance estimates do not place the total loss at a greater figure.
 One factor that will figure largely in the final estimats consists of the securi- ties in the banks and trust companies whose buildings were destroyed. Ex- perts express the belief that the con- tents are safe.
 On the correctness or fa1sity of this belief depends many millions of dol lars greater or less of the final total.
 Not a single life has been lost, and not human being has been even dan- gerously injured The hospital lists consist of minor burns with the excep- tion of Jacob Inglefritz, a fireman from York, Pa. He has fractured leg and is badly burned. It is doubtful if his- tory holds a catastrophe in which so tremendous money loss was accom- panied by so slight human sacrifice. There is not a dangerously injured per- son in the hospital lists.
 BIackened Mass of Ruins.
 The important commercial district of the city is blackened mass of ruins, laid bare by a confia grafton which ragged without even a momentary check from 1O:45 a. m. yesterday until late in the afternoon to-day. At o'clock it was agreed the flames were under control. They had ragged nearly twenty eight hours, in spite of almost superhuman efforts put forth by the best fighting forces more than half a dozen cities were able to muster.
 city Overcast Wish Gloom.
 The city was overcast with gloom. The only lights in the burned district are those from the smoldering ruins. The only lights in that section which escaped destruction are from corner gas lamps The stores are closed in nearly every street. The darkened avenues are full of jostling people talking one sub ject. Apparently there is but one cause for gladness and that is that there are no homeless. The residence section of the city escaped. This phase of the sit uation relieved the officials from any thought other than the saving of prop erty.
 At 2 p. m. the Associated Press sent out bulletin saying the flames would be held in check at the Union docks and prevented from leaping Jones Falls and placing the entire city east of there in jeopardy. At o'clock that bulletin was confirmed; a score of times in sidious flames were found Tapping the sides of lumber piles on the east bank of the Falls. In some instances the lumber was tossed into the falls and this with similar measures stayed the onslaught of the flames
 Handicapped by Gale.
 Throughout the men were handicap ped by a gale which carried burning brands far over the heads of the work CTS. But for the work of volunteers in extinguishing these embers it is al- most certain the burned area would have been twice greater. The burned area extends from Lexington street on the north to Pratt street on the south, from Liberty street on the west to Jones' Falls on the east.
 Insurance companies have opened temporary offices in the Lexington ho- tel, but their representatives decline to estimate the loss. The answer of one is typical of all: Its too big, we have no figures to describe it. Make it above one hundred million. That's the best we can do."
 City Under Martial Law.
 The city was early placed under mar tial law and thus all danger of footing in the doomed district was eliminated. Word was received tonight that Gen eral Corbin of New York would be here tomorrow to take command of the
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