Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-12

Homestead and Pittsburg are working
night and day to meet the sudden demand.
1t is estimated that there" is 100000
feet of lumber in the city, with about 5000
900 in the big raft which came to Mission
bay some two weeks ago. In Oakland
there is a good supply which can be deliv-
cred In San Francisco on two days notice.
Three RATS are now in course Of construc-
ton on the Columbia river, two Of which
will be brought to San Francisco, and one,
containing 100000 feet, towed to
Shanghai, China. The two which will be
brought to San Francisco are the largest
ever built
Relief Work Claims,
The report of the chairman of the finance
committee of the relief corporation shows
that up to July /, 9,4Sl claims were regis
tered, representing demands to the amount
of 81, 400, 1858. OF these Mr. Pollock's com
mittee rejected outright PA, aggregating
$63, SEAS. A number of claims were re-
duced, $4i9, 1918 being saved to the fund
in this way Eighteen claims were donated
by the claimants. These made a total of
81, 1855. The committee has approved and
vouchered 1897 claims, representing s1,122.-
7sl.54. This leaves 1,402 under investiga-
ton, the amounts aggregating $S42. Is.
These the executive committee will pass
upon. In addition to them are 1888 claims,
representing s113,145s1, which have been
filed since July l. These are in the main
from persons who, during, the fire, con-
tributed goods or service. but since
changed their minds and want pay
The claims in dispute are in the main
for goods taken from transportation COM
panies, perfumery, toilet articles and the
like which, the examiners have held,
scarcely come under the head of necessities.
For example, one man wants $50 for per-
fumeery furnished during the days of the
fire, another wants $3.50 for a halef ton
OF fertilizer. One claimant wants sa0f6
for variety of articles including per-
fumery mustard plasters, manicure sets
and bundle Of bottles of Fire of life"
prominent business man wants S26, 49s 90
for articles issued TO needy Chinese, In
GLIDING silk trousers at $3.50 each birds
nests to the value of s1O5 and 500 worth
of silk handkerchefs and jackets. A large
warehouse firm wants $4,000 for necessities
furnished, $4,000 of the claim representing
a demand for matted milk.
The claims Of the transportation compa-
MES aggregate about $780,, O0O These are
demands for merchandise in transit al
legged to have been taken during the days
legged to have been confscated by the SOL
diers, others by citizens committees For
n few Of the demands the claimants have
receipts, but the great majority of them
are based upon the mere affidavit that the
goods wer, in possession Of the claimants
and disappeared during the days of the
fire and the period of excitement following
Some Fire Lessons.
Among the prominent lessons Of the San
Francisco fire reported by s. Albert Reed,
consulting engineer of the National Board
of Fire Underwriters, are the encouraging
possibilities of reinforced concrete" As
concrete was used most extensively in floor
arches and for column protection, It will
be sufficient to quote what is said about 1t
in this connections:
1.-THE results in the Bush Street Telephone
exchange may be considered fairly decisive
as to solid concrete column protection as
well as to reinforced concrete floors. The
temperatures in this building were not only
extreme, but were also protracted. The
very excellence of the window protection
prevented the air from entering the build
ing at the sides, while the break in the
roof afforded just sufficient draught TO gen
crate intense and long continued heat.
The large quantity of cOmbustible insula-
ton and other material provided ample fuel
and the writer found numerous cases OF
melted glass. Nearly all the light iron
framework of switchboard apparatus was
found collapsed into a heap, and even
quantity of wire nails was found welded
into a mass; yet the column protection ap-
peared to be perfect and the floor arches
were apparently sound The only breaks,