New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-26
RISING FROM ASHES.
Chelsea's Chief Problem NozU Il
Caring for the Destitute.

Famed by the wind it grew by leaps and
bounds into the confagration which wiped out
an area of two square miles OF buildings In the
heart of old Chelsea, Mass, on April IL In
twelve hours property valued at sIOOeo.00o had
been destroyed, fifteen hundred buildings had
been burned nearly fiat and thirteen thousand
nersons had been made homeless Such IN brief
is the history of the greatest fire New England
has had since the great Boston fire. when prop
erty valued at sS5,0O0ooo IN d ihuch smaller
area was destroyed
Though sorelv stricken, Chelsea is brave and
., 1yorlins hard to rehabilitate herself newer
and hotter CITY will rise from the ashes Of the
burned district and the many lessons taught
nv the fire will be taken deeply to heart by the
surrounding municipalities
| The first problem was, and will be for some
| weeks to come, the sheltering and helping Of
those who lost everything they owned In the
flames Hardly had daylight begun 70 dawn the
morning after the fire when relief forces were
at work Food was rushed to the hungry All
worked with a will and there was lack Of
volunteers.
There will be plenty Of work for the relief
committee for weeks to come employment
cannot be found for all Immediately and many
h.1a NOT the strength to work There are many
sick neople especially among the poorer classes
on5 children II will take three months 10 clear
| awav the ruins It is estimated that six months
will elapse ere Chelsea begins to assume any,
| thing like a normal appearance In the mean
time a bill Is being rushed through the Legs
lature authorizing the city to raise sl,G00OO0 to
| reconstruct the municipal buildings and streets
while a bill has been introduced In Congress
to obtain an appropriation for new post0fhce
New and stricter building laws are to be framed
and a mO-e rigid system of inspection is 10 be
followed II was found on investigation that hun
dreds Of the buildings destroyed had fragranty
violated the building laws
The serious problem now confronting the au-
.borities is the spread of disease Doctors have
been called upon TO fight an outbreak of diph-
liberia and scarlet fever brought on by exposure
To the weather and cOntagiOn from patients
already stricken.
The Salvation Army in one day fed twenty
five hundred persons at its barracks IN Chelsea
Square The woman's Relief Corps. in the same
barracks. clothed some five hundred persons
including forty-seven veterans Among the
sunpIies given out in one day were two thousand
blankets two thousand quilts one thousand pill
low slips and one thousand pillows state en-
ployment bureau was opened. and many were
thus provided for. Tools were furnished to
mechanics who had lost theirs and wagons for
Transfers who had saved their horses but
needed cOnveyances One of the difficulties ex-
nerienced bv those who have employment but
have lost their homes is the enormous increase
| in the rents of the few houses left standing
| The incidents of the fire Were 50 many that
only a few can be told Hundreds rushing 70
| safety Saw a man shoot himself, slowly and
| deliberately as he faced toward the flames in
the square A man in automobile who de-
manded s9j from another man TO carry an aged
and infrn woman from the OnTushing flames
was forced at the point Of a revolver by a third
man 10 take the woman aboard with her son
and with the cold steel pressing against Ms
neck was compelled TO take them all % safety
Then the man with the revolver. jumping dowu
to the sidewalk. said 70 the C, uple, Wow, don't
you give that driver a cent
Another woman. who had been bedridden for
months forced by the exigency Of the occasion
walked nearly mile in her nightgewn 70 safe
ty One man who painting his house
stopped TO help his neighbor Guench fire on
the Iatters roof and when he turned To his OWL
house to save some property found it a mass Of
flames AL he saved what he Wore An
other man who had gone downtown TO watck
the fire clad in a smoking jacket went back t
his own home when he how the flares
were spreading to find il in ruins