Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-13
Many of the City's Best Structures
Leveled by Flames.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS
Two or Three Fatalities and Fifty
Injured Are Reported.
THIRTEEN CHURCHES DESTROYED
city Hall, Public Library, Five
school Houses and Two Hos
pitRis Are Also wiped
oas.
RILl.nrIN.


BULLETIN.
BOSTON, Mass. April i2.--The Cheises
fire was practically under control at &
o'clock tonight
! BOSTON. Mass. April 12.--The greatest
fire that has scoursed any part Of the
metrolipten district in ten years devastated
the manufacturing tenement and retaai
section of Chelsea today burning over one
square mile of territory. and leveing many
/ of the cltv's best structuret The fire
started at 1870 a m. and was not under
control pto o'clock this evening, not.
withstanding that half the Boston firs
! departments strength aud steamers from
dozen other cities and towns went to
the aid of the Chelsea brigade.
Up to 7'o'clock the loss was estimated al
SO, 10000. Fully 1,5oO families are homeless
So far as could be Learned there has been
but two or three fatalities up TO that time
Half hundred persons were either injured
or painfully burned. The fire originated In
the rear of the Boston Backing eompany's
works on West Third street near the east
ern division of the Boston & Maine rsil
road, all in close proximity TO the Everett
city line. terrific gale from the north
west, which at times had velocity of "a
miles hour. carried burning shingles
embers and myrads OF sparks 10 a score oi
wooden buildings, most OF them OF CHEAP
construction. The fire started almost in
the extreme southwest section Of the city
and cut path to the end of Maverick
street at the southeastern end OF the city,
which borders on Chelsea creek This Il
! about one and half miles from where
the fire began. The flames spread through
the heart OF The retail business section,
about midway between the two extreme
/ limits reached by the fire. Among ths
structures destroyed were thirteen
churches. two hospitals, the public library
city hail. five school houses. twenty bust
ness blocks; nearly a score Of factories anc
upwards of 800 tenements and DWELLING
houses.
dndndnnpLu s.HssA slouA sABu isnu
List of BuiIeinks Destroyed.
Among the places burned were;
Frost hospital n -
| Chadron's hospital. ~
Fitz Public library.
st. Stanislaus Polish Catholic church.
Chestnut Street First Baptist church.
Central AvenSr Central Unitarian church,
st. Lukes Episcopal church (old build
ingl Hawthorne street,
First NJ e. church. Cary avenue.
Elm street synagogue,
| Walnut street eynagogue,
Chelsa Presbyterian church.
Peoples Afro NJ. E. church, Fourth
| street
Universalist church, Fifth street.
Congregational church. Shurtleff street.
Second Adventist church.
New England erlephone aud telegraph
company, central offices.
Austin & Youhg's cracker factory.
Chaplin and Soden Car conpany's shops
Rosenfelt Bros three-story rag picking
factory. f
The Tidewater OIL company's immense
tanks near the Aaaterlv and ~ haarotaat
| street.
The streets over which the fire rushed
included Carter, Maple. Spruce. Arlington.
Ash. Walnut. Poplar. Chestnut ana Cherry
to Broadway. From Broadway the fire
spread to Bellinsham hill. From Summer
street the fire cut another pathway, run
ming diagonaly across Third street Ever
EFT avenue and Fourth street 10 Belling-
ham street The flames reached Broad
way at point between Third and Fifth
streets and destroyed the Masonic hall.
odd Fellows hall and Bennett block
The flying embers and the showers OF
sparks were carried across Chelsea creek
to the East Boston district and the East
Boston engines we're obliged to return
from Chelsea to protect property in their
district. Early this evening II was re-
ported there had been one or two deaths
MiIIHA called OSt.
militia call by Mayor Beck of Chelsea
brought out the First company, Coast ar
tillery. Captain Renfrew commanding, in
order to guard property moved into the
streets from buildings In the paths OF the
flames. Colonel Wood commanding the
marines at the Charlestown navy yard,
volunteered the service or the l06th COM
pany, stationed at the navy yard. ana on
request Of Mayor Beck the company was
sent to the fire under cSmmsAd OF Cap
tain HIN. Rear Admiral Swift OF the navy
yard also sent out all the men from thu
receiving ship Wabash who were not al
ready off on leave. These sailors were
not sent under command OF any officer
but we're instructed 70 give their services
wherever needed.
Marines with fixed bayonets held bach
the crowds, while the militia and sailor
helped families remove their Foods. A6
vance squads of the military and police
we're sent ahead, warning out families liv.
ing in the path OF the fire which leaped
block after block with astonishing rapid.
ity. The crowds generally we're easily
handled. Occasionally some excited house
owners would burst through the Gordon OF
military ami marines TO dash into hOuse
for some forgotten valuables. but the pres
ence of many uniformed guards over
swed the rougher element
supposed Origin of Fire.
The fire started on the marshes border
ing the eastern division tracks OF the Bos-
ton a. Maine railroad in the rear OF the
Boston Backing companys works, where
forty employees were at work drying out
rags. The companys works are situated
at the end of West Third street, half
mile north OF the heart OF the city. A
| series of long IoW wooden huildinnh COM
prised the works, stored for the most part
with old rags and paper.
The exact cause OF the fire is not
known. but II is supposed that spontaneous
I combustion among the rags was respon-
sible.
A high wind blowing at forty-five miles
|. an hour from the northwest. drove the