September 4, 2004

Thousands of Literary Treasures Lost in German Fire As many as 30,000 irreplaceable books were destroyed in a fire at one of Germany's most historic libraries, the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar. Among the treasures lost were thousands of works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and the sheet music archive of the library's patron, Anna Amalia (1739-1807), the duchess of Saxony-Weimar.

At least 250 people die after two large, unexplained explosions unexpectedly set off pitched battle between Russian forces and heavily armed captors of children at school in Beslan; 531 people are hospitalized, including 283 children, but scores of hostages survive, staggering from school during fight, which lasts several hours; dead include several Russian soldiers and security officials and more than 20 of estimated 30 or more guerrillas; many die when gymnasium roof collapses and burns; officials say Russian forces did not instigate fight but were forced to return fire and storm school after first explosions; some residents join police and army forces in shooting at school and helping fleeing hostages; carnage begins even as negotiators hold intermittent talks with hostage-takers; half of dead hostage-takers are said to be foreigners, seemingly supporting government assertions that Chechen rebels receive aid from abroad; Pres Vladimir Putin visits victims in hospital; orders city sealed and borders blocked in effort to track down any hostage-takers who escaped; photos (L)

State Education Dept says 328 New York City schools that receive federal poverty money failed to meet state standards in 2003-4 school year, down from 366 year before; says 36 city schools were added to list, 65 made enough progress to be taken off, and 9 were removed because they either closed or no longer receive federal antipoverty money; Schools Chancellor Joel I Klein celebrates results, which took many educators by surprise (M)

Dow Jones industrial average finishes week down 30.08 points, to 10.260; Nasdaq composite index falls 1.6 percent, or 28.95 points, to 1,844; Standard & Poor's 500-stock index drops 4.68 points; ten-year treasury note jumps 4.29 percent while price falls 21/32, to 99 20/32; graphs; charts (M)

Article describes afternoon and evening of confusion, savagery, daring and horror in Beslan, North Ossetia, as fighting erupts around school in which children are held hostage; there are scenes of sudden reunion between parents and children, of nervous searches and incomprehensible waste and loss; sense of hope that accompanies sight of each survivor is tempered by horrors among even lucky ones; many onlookers move to hospital to scour lists of wounded; when morgue reaches capacity, children and dead Russian fighters are arranged in rows on grass; map; photos (M)