Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1904 — SEVEN SCORE ACRES IN ASHES [ARTICLE]

SEVEN SCORE ACRES IN ASHES

Embracing Seventy .Five Square*-Insur-ance Men Fear to Estimate. Throughout the terrible contest in which firemen and fire waged*for supremacy humanity was handicapped by a gale which carried burning brands over the heads of tbe workers and beyond the reach of the hundreds of streams of water poured into tbe raging furnaces. But for the work of volunteers in seeking out and extinguishing these embers it is almost certain

the burned area would have been twice larger than it is. About seventy-five squares, or 140 acres are in acres, extending from Lexington street on the north to Pratt street on the south, from Liberty 6treet on the west to Jones Falls on the east Insurance companies have opened temporary offices in the Lexington hotel, but their representatives decline to estimate the loss. The answer of one is typical of all: “It’s too big. We have not figures to describe it. Make it above $100,000,000. That’s the best we can do.’’ The same indecision was true in regard to estimates concerning insurap* early, placed under umPfeAv'law. and thus ali danger of looting in the doomed dlsfHct was eliminated. Word is received that of-New -York, will be here today to take command of the federal troops. The presence of two regiments of malitia as sn adjunct to tbe police, which were augmented by details from Philadelphia and. Washington, resulted in the maintenance of the best of order.