While heavily armed soldiers marched about the blistering ruins with stately tread holding back those who only a few hours before had fought the police to save their valuables at the risk of their lives, the latter--energetic business men--were already preparing to re-open their establishments. Old buildings, long unused, private residences near the business section, in fact, every available structure to be secured blossomed forth within 24 hours with crudely lettered signs on board or cloth announcing that within was the temporary office of a firm. The names on some of these signs were those that rank high in the financial and commercial circles of the world, and in these temporary offices men who for years have known only mahogany desks worked on cheap tables and plain boards. One of the surprises of the fire was the discovery after the excitement was over that two financial concerns whose homes were directly in the path of the flames escaped practically unharmed. These were the Mercantile Trust company and Brown Brothers' Bank. The escape of these buildings was due to their lack of height. They do not exceed four stories, and as they were surrounded by lofty structures the flames swept over them. Unconcealed joy greeted the discovery and the information that millions upon millions in securities in various vaults escaped destruction, whereas all was at first believed to have been swept away. Practically all of the vaults and strong rooms and safes of the financial concerns whose buildings were destroyed were found unhurt. A tremendous loss in securities had been anticipated at first, and when vault after vault yielded up its treasures unharmed the joy of the guardians was boundless. From one trust company's safes alone papers to the amount of more than $200,000,000 were recovered. Merchants and their assistants, smoke soiled and begrimed and hollow-eyed from anxiety and loss of sleep, worked like laborers in the smoking ruins to uncover their safes, and in nearly every instance they were rewarded by intact contents. [Illustration: MRS. L. H. MELMS, 117 GROSVENOR AVENUE, CHICAGO. Mrs. Melms was before her marriage an Athens (O.) girl and was a great favorite there. For a number of years she conducted a millinery store in that place, her maiden name being Blanche Cornell.] [Illustration: MRS. CHARLES F. BOETTCHER, 4140 INDIANA AVENUE, CHICAGO. Mrs. Boettcher was the wife of Charles F. Boettcher, a butcher on the south side. She was the only one of the family who perished in the fire.] [Illustration: MISS MELISSA J. CROCKER, 3730 LAKE AVENUE, CHICAGO. Miss Crocker was for seventeen years a teacher of the higher grades in the Oakland school, coming to Chicago from Princeton, Ill. She attended the theater with a friend, Mrs. L. H. Pierce, and little girl of Plainville, Mich. All were lost.] [Illustration: MRS. EMMA STEINMETZ, 2541 HALSTED STREET, CHICAGO.