Immediately after the bombing three fires started. One fire started in the large Commercial Press building, and the other two fires in build ings adjacent to the hospital. The tinder from ruined homes provided fuel for the flames and soon roaring infernos were in action and long tongue-like sheets of flame reached out to other buildings which were soon a seething mass of flame.
With commendable promptness the city fire brigade were soon upon the scene and streams of water were poured on the burning buildings in a desperate attempt to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to other buildings. It was not until late in the afternoon, however, that the fires. were finally checked and by that time many of the larger stores and uncounted smaller structures were a total wreck. Some put the number of ruined buildings at 600 and the killed and wounded at over 300, but a foreign witness who inspected the ruins put the number at a very much smaller figure.
Red Cross workers were busy everywhere giving first aid to the in-jureled in the devastated area, while Streicher bearers were busy carrying the wounded to the hospital for treatment and doing all they coild to relieve the suffering that had come so sudden and so unexpectantly upon the innocent people.
The tragedy has sent a pang of fear into the hearts of the people. Hundreds of panic stricken people are crowing the launches and steamships in an effort to get away from what they believe is impending doom, while thousands of others are packing up their things and preparing to leave as soon as means of transportation can be secured.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.