Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-09
STATE WILL GIVE AID.
Proposition to Give $3.50, 900 to the
Baltimore Fire Sufferers.

Baltimore Fire Sufferers.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
STATE HOUSE, Annapolis. Md. Feb
ruary 9.-The general assembly today
passed a joint resolution appointing COM
mittee. consisting Of Senators Robinson
Gill and Dixon and Delegates Goslin. Nor
rfson. Moore Wells and Henkle. to confer
with Mayor McLane as to what the state
authorities shall do to aid Baltimore in Its
distress.
The proposition is to appropriate $2oo.00o
from the state treasury to aid the sufferers.
and If Mayor McLane thinks 1t necessary
this sum will at once be placed at his dis
posaL The committee will go to Baltimore
this afternoon to confer with the mayor,
and will report at tomorrow's session.
Work Of Clearing Debris Begins.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, February 9.-At 2
o'clock the engineers who have been oy-
namiting walls that threatened to col
lapse reported everything safe along Balti-
more street and Il large force was at once
put 20 work clearing away the debris. The
wind shifted to the northeast about noon
blowing the smoke from the smoiderlns
wood piles and warehouses back over the
city giving the district wherein the hre
started a forbidden look. But all danger
of a further spread of the flames is now
over as there Is nothing more for them TO
feed on.
Hunting for Safes in the Ruins.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE. February ON several OF
the wrecked buildings this morning mem
bers OF the firms which had previous to the
fire BEEN engaged in business sought their
ba rfc nf ruins where
safes were found after the buildings had
fallen. Along several of the streets the
safes could be visibly located in piles OF
brick and mortar, occupying prominent po-
sit.ons in the center of the wreckage Buig-
ing walls made it dangerous to trespass
at close range to the iron vaults.
Fire hose which had been fastened or
held in position could be seen playing on
the smoldering ruins. where they had been
left by the firemen to render assistance
without being held in the hands OF the
tired and frozen firemen
On Pratt street Il large plant was seethlng
with green flames from the sulphur which
the building contained.
The sulphur previous to the fire had been
used for soldering purposes. Gas pipes
could be seen in every direction where
'they had burst the result of the walls
falling upon them, and could be seen burn
ing fiercely. but without doing any damage
On Holiday and Pratt streets the pipes
could be heard suffering several feet
away, while a short distance away
bursted water main was flowing merrily
over the wreckage.
Trolley poles were crushed and mangled.
and were stretched across the streets at
intervals, twisted into every imagina BILE
shape Across nearly every street net
work of electric wires blocked the progress
of those who had occasion to use the streets
in the Inflated district.
Lucky Escapes Of Bank Concerns.
The most remarkable and fortunate es-
cape made by any concern within the fire
belt was probably that of Brown Brothers,
bankers, whose building is located directly
opposite the Continental Trust Company's
sixteen-story structure. and 1t was at this
point that the flames were the fiercest
Every vault in this building is intact. and
the furniture and fittings are unchanged.
Officials of the Mercantile Trust Company
and the Maryland Trust Company reported
that the examination of their vaults had
shown that everything in them was intact
and not even scorched. The buildings. too,
of these institutions were found to be in eX-
cellent shape
The dynamiters today began demolishing
the shells of tall buildings left standing in
the devastated district and which are
menace to other property and to life. The
seven story Law building was blown up,
and 1t is thought ii will be necessary to
dynamite the nine-story Equitable puiloing
and the seven-story Herald building. With
one notable exception, the plants of the
Baltimore daily newspapers We're complete
ly consumed in the confiagration.
Bank and Trust Company Vaults
Intact
An Investigation of the ruins of several
of the banks and trust companies in the
DESTROYED section today disclosed the fact
that their vaults and contents are abso-
lutely intact This discovery will enor-
nously reduce the estimated loses, reveal
ing, as it did. that paper amounting to
hundreds of millions of dollars in value is
unscorched. The aspect Immediately as
sumed a brighter tone. 1t was this phase
of the situation that excited the graves-
apprehension for the financial life of some
Of the cityS greatest concerns depended
upon the safety Of vault contents.
Assistant Secretary Beasley of the Con-
tinental Trust Company said: Our vaults
are absolutely Intact. / have just made a
thorough examination and find that our Sc
curities are not damaged in the least. Our
feelings can better be imagined than ex-
planned, when 1t Is taken into consideration
that we have stored in our vaults securi-
ties amounting to more than $200. 0O0. 600.
Our building is also in fine condition"
Arhllerymen From Fort Monroe.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NORFOLK. Va, February 9.-Four hun
dred artillerymen, United States army.
have orders to leave Fortress Monroe at
once for Baltimore to act with police Of
that city in protecting fire district. Three
steamers will be used in transporting troops,
which will probably get away tonight.
Vatican Awed by the Catastrophe.
ROME February 9.-The Baltimore fire
produced feeling of awe at the Vatican,
where the news was communicated to the
authorities by the correspondent of the
Associated Press. The pope was most anx
ious about Cardinal Gibbons. and gave or
ders that the latest details from Baltimore
be communicated to him.
In the name of the Italian government
Foreign Minister Tittom today expressed
to the American embassy its condolences
on the Baltimore disaster.