Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-13

the residential section was in names
and no nrotection available or possi-
BILE All the money men possessed was
offered to teamsters TO cart away
household goods, but there were lew
teams to be had.
over chelsea bridge into East Boston
streamed a long line of fire refugees,
Juggling what few household effects they
we're able TO save. Push carts, drays
and even baby carriages were piled
high with furniture and bedding. Hun
dreds of persons carried huge bundles
tied up in sheets. These were mostly
gray-headed women of the foreign
classes. Among these poor people there
did not seem to be any panic. All
seemed stunned by the disaster that
had wiped out their homes.
Several of the large type of cars
used by the Boston Elevated railway
in the East Boston tunnel and aban-
doned when 1t was found necessary to
shut off the power were left helpless
in streets swept by the flames. In the
fire house of engine company No. 1, a
brick structure at the corner of Mar
ginaI and Essex streets. were stored
many trunks and other furniture,
which had to be abandoned on com
mand of a marine, who warned the
people just as the flames broke out in
the rear of the building.
Church on Fire
The greatest damage was done when
the fire reached City Hall square, at
the junction Of Park and Washington
streets. The First Baptist church first
caught fire on the highest part of the
spire. Soon the roof was in flames and
then the embers settled down on the
unoccupied church building of st.
Luke's Episcopal parish and the quar-
tarc of a Veteran HiTnn1an'C
citation.
The tower of the First Unitarian
church On Hawthorne street then be-
came enveloped in flames, and in the
space of a few moments every building
in the square, with the exception of
the city hall building, was in flames.
For a time it looked as if the magnifi-
cent city hall, built of brick and sepa-
rated from all other buildings by
wide area, might be saved. The hope
was but momentary, however, for
a bout O'Clock a tiny Pickering flame
was seen gaining headway under the
coping of the cupola. Gathering force
in the mighty wind, the flames licked
the cupola. exposed the great bell IN
the tower and crept down into the man
structure. Next the elements secured
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 ignited from the
sparks and heat.
Within half hour in this one square
four churches and the city hall were
leveled to the ground.
Down Maverick, Congress and Essex
streets the fire swept by leaps and
bounds. A four-story brick building at
the corner of Congress and Shurtletf
streets was seemingly far removed
from danger and had been sought by
many families as temporary storage
FOR their effects Suddenly came the
cry that the block was afire. Again
men, women and children, but a few
moments before congratulating them
selves on their distance from danger,
were hurrying into the streets with all
they possessed. Half an hour later the
block was fat
Sweep Along Water Front
1t was the same story throughout the
whole southeast side. Down the wa
ter front the flames swept. Factories
along Maverick and Marginal streets
were enveloped in flames. Behind the
banks of flames families were cut off
for time from help and escape.
East TO Shawmut avenue, on Maver-
lex and Congress streets, were scores
of families burned out and homeless
who were helpless to convey their pos
sessions to place OF safety
Steadily they, were forced back by
the flames which were being hurled
down upon them by the gale. until it
became necessary in order to save their
lives TO retreat around the, wharf
frontage toward Revere, Suddenly
there was a terrific explosion and the
oil tanks of the Tidewater OIL com
pany, on the water front, burst into
flames. Thousands of gallons of oil
we're soon burning, and gigantic clouds
of black smoke curled and rose into the
sky, making 1t as night all over the
east end.