Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-04-18

President Plans TO Travel Abroad.
Husband Deserted On Wedding Day.
ThieVing Policemen Sent to JalI-Dr.
Munyon WEEDS An Actress.
An apparently insignificant fire, that
started among rags on a dump in the
city OF Chelsea, a suburb of Boston.
was famed by a northwest gale into
a con1agration which obliterated
nearly one-third Of the city. Five hun
dred dwelling houses and public build
tngs we're destroyed. 1900 families
were driven from their habitations and
10000 people were made homeless
Six lives were lost, and from fifty
TO seventy-ive persons were injured.
The loss is estimated at Sc, 000, 900, and
the insurance at 3.500.000.
The fire started on the marshes Dor
dering the eastern division tracks of
the Boston & Maine railroad in the
rear of the Boston Backing company's
works. where employees were at work
drying out rags. The exact cause OF
the fire is not known. but Il is sup
posed that spontaneous combustion
among the rags was responsible.
high wind. blowing at forty-fVe
miles an hour from the northwest
drove the flames from the rag heaps
directly upon the wooden buildings OF
the Boston Backing company. The
buildings were soon a mass OF flames.
and as the surrounding property con
sisted largely of wooden buildings used
for the storage Of rags. the FIRE de.
partmeSt realized that a serious fire
was threatened aud a general alarm
was sounded. Soon a dozen factories
and cheaper tenement houses west of
Everett avenue were in flames and the
fremen saw that they were utterly
unable 20 cope with the conhagration
BY reQuisitioning ambulances from
surrounding towns and cities and call
ing into service all available carriages
the police were able to speedily re
move the inmates OF the Frost hospital
and the Children's hospital outside the
city limits TO retreats OF safety. II
was none too soon. for both hospital
buildings were shortly consumed.
In the meantime Broadway and the
water front the southern section OF
the city, was In flames. No one knew
where the fire would spring up next
Householders piling up their goods out
of doors occasionally found a mattress
IN flames in the middle OF the street
All the lrenen were in the center OF
the city and a half mile square OF the
residential section was IN flames and
no protection available OF possible
Men, women and children ran around
the streets begging some one to call
the firemen. but there were no flremen
TO respond. All the money men pos.
sessed was offered teamsters 10 cart
away household goods, but there were
few teams TO be had.
The greatest damage was done when
the fire reached City Hall square. The
First Baptist church, a lofty brick
building. first caught fire on the high.
est part of the spire. Soon the roof
was in flames. and in the space OF a
few moments every building in the
square with the exception Of the city
ball building was In flames.
For a time 1t looked as IL the mag.
nihcent city hall structure, built OF
brick and separated from all other
buildings by a wide area, might be
saved. The hope was but momentary
however. for a tiny hickering flame
was seen gaining Roadway under the
coping OF the cupola. Gathering force
I'm the mighty wind, the fame licked
the cupola. Next the elements Sc
cured control of the interior OF the
city hall. and then the entire structure
was swept away. and a dozen new
buildings in the vicinity had become
ignited from the sparks and heat
1t was the same story throughout
the whole southeast side House after
house caught fire, and where a few
moments before men had been storing
their household goods in the street
and watching the distant flames to
ward the heart OF the city. now might
be seen whole streets wrapped 40
flames their entire distance.