Florida Commissioner After Inquiry Says That They Provided All Necessary Safeguards
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GUESTS LOSS $2,000,000
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Thousands of Dollars in Scattered Belongings Reclaimed---First of Victims Arrive HERE
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Special to The New York Times
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PALM BEACH, Fla.,March 20---Thousands of dollars worth of clothing and valuables takenfrom the Breakers and Palm Beach hotels just before they burned to theground here Wednesday were reclaimed by former guests of the hotelstoday.
Owing to the diversity of places to which baggage had beentaken, the work of restoring property was greatly impeded, and tonightmore than half the guests are still hunting some if not all of theirpossessions.
At least $2,000,000 worth of property probably neverwill be recovered. During both fires, the absence of fire linespermitted thieves to range at will thorough the hotels, helpingthemselves to whatever they chose. The principal loses [sic] reportedhave been of jewelry and furs. In many cases trunks were rifled afterthey had been removed from the building.
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Mrs. J. J.Brown of Newport, who figured in the Titanic disaster, lost much of herclothing and a valuable collection of music which she had managed tosave when the Titanic went down. The music was in seven languages. Shehad been collecting it for twenty years. When attendants packed hertrunk, Mrs. Brown said, they put in pin cushions from the bureau butforgot the music.
