The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-24
City More Stately and
Beautiful Than the
One Destroyed.
Energy and Civic Pride
United in the Work
of Rebuilding.
Burned District Commits
sion Is SteadfaSt for
Good Results.

~ ALTIMORE is emerging from its
X ashes. When reconstruction has
- brought finished results. and all
traces of the fires devastating Cnrush
have been blOtted out. the city will be
fairer more imposing, than it has ever
been in the past In a way the fire will
have proved itself a blessing IN disguise.
Nobody looked at the matter in Just
this light at the time the FIRE was rag
ing-when there was destruction on ev-
cry hand, and when every moment great
buildings Of steel and stone Were melt
ing and almost disappearing. Then there
was encouragement and doubt and dis
trust-the fear that Baltimore had been
dealt a blow from which the city would
find it difficult to recover. Never. as
events have abundantly shown. was
there a greater mistake.
The fates dealt kindly with Baltimore
in providing the city with executives
meet TO face the emergency. Mayor
McLane took up the Sight with zeal and
enthusiasm. and his untimely taking off
found for him a successor. in the FER
son Of the president Of the second
branch Of the city council, +. Clay IT,
manus. who was well fitted TO assume
responsibility and carry the work so
well begun 10 a safe and successful con-
summation.
Commission Doing Well
The burned district commissions work
ing zealously. Every day almost there
are meetings and hearings. a. which
citizens come TO protest against meta
DDS Of Improvement the commission is
considering. 1t is hard TO please all
the people all the time, but the com
mission is doing well. and its work
speaks for itself II reaches the public /
through Walter L. Alexander, chief OF
the bureau OF information, and an ap-
pointee OF Mayor Timanus. They say I
In Baltimore that .'Aleck' does IS much /
as anyone else 10 make smooth ana easy
and nois=less the progress OF The q ork. /
That is not hard for those who know him /
70 believe.
The street and market improvements /
are being made out OF d surplus OF /
nearly $4,000, resulting from the re. /
cent sale 10 The Wabash system Of the /
city's holdings in the Western Mary /
land Railroad Company. This surplus
has come in quite handy The city did /
not know what 20 do with IL AZ FIRST
Several suggestions were made before
the fire. One was 70 STARE a modern
sewerage system with the money: an
other was 10 improve the street having
and another was 10 build school and
fire engine houses.
The fund has proven sufficient for All
the purposes arising out 0f the fire. IN
Guiding the rebuilding Of the ST. Pgui
Street side Of the courthouse. II a cost
or $4,000. the regarding and repavlng
OF the streets in the burned district. AZ
cost OF about $50 900. The clearing
away of the general debris. cleaning
the streets. etc. OF the general surplus
$0JJ,yJJ IS now being used for the ac-
quirement Of property In the wharf dis
trict
improvements in Sight.
In addition 10 the street widening i'm
provements. the market Improvement
and the dock improvements. the city
purposes TO improve the sewerage sys-
TEN and the street paving system in the
burned district BY having this sur
plus the taxpayers Of the city are 10
be saved a great deal Of money.
About 1900 buildings were destroyed
by the fire. and the general loss. includ-
ing buildings. stock, fixtures. etc. has
been put at about S1OOOOJ.OOO
Baltimore is 10 have a new set Of
building laws as a result Of the fire a
special commission Of experts is now
drafting the law. A temporary law,
passed by the mayor and city council.
10 meet conditions existing Immediately
after the fire. IS now in effect. Under
this ordinance the height OF buildings is
limited 10 l15 feet. AL buildings higher
than 81 feet must be Of hreproof con-
struction, and the rules as 10 nreproof-
ing are the same as adopted by the
United States Government. The city's
building laws before the fire were some
what antiquated, as were also many Of
the buildings.
The city IS also 10 have a uniform sys-
tenn OF building lines, something the city
j. cked IN the past. The system IL 10 be
started IN the burned district by the
commission. The commission has no
jurisdiction outHlde Of the burned dis
trict.