The Detroit times., 1908-04-13

sleep. Mothers with babes In their
arms looking for shelter from the
binding smoke and flying ctnders rar.
to parks.
All patients OF the Frost hospital.
which was directly In the path Of the
fire when the blaze began to spread.
were moved In ambulances TO the
Marine hospital.
Owners of automobiles who raced
their machines to Chelsea to see the
confiagrat.on were impressed by Are
men and police to carry injured per.
sons TO medical aid
Physicians from Boston went TO as
sist local practitioners. In the mid
die OF the afternoon when word OF the
fire spread throughout Greater Bos-
ton, thousands of people fastened TO
the city. Nearly every tall building
In BOSTON was dotted with spectators
and bridges and wharves were crowd
ed.
Fire-Fighters Helpless.
So intense was the aggregate heat
OF the blazing area that tons OF wa
tCi liOin Tic dpRdl aus bCSIuCu " UC
dried up Immediately after 1t struck
the furnaces. Fire-fghters were help
less against the terrific gale, which
carried the flames over their heads,
igniting building after building fast
err than the apparatus could be moved.
The general confiagration swept from
its origin to the water front.
When the residential section, from
n
threatened. the inhabitants began
moving household effects into the
streets.
over Chelsea bridge into East Bos-
ton streamed long line OF fire re-
lfugees Juggling what few household
effects they were able to save. Push
carts, drays. and even baby carriages.
were piled high with furniture and
bedding Hundreds Of persons carried
huge bundles tied up in sheets. These
were mostly gray-headed women OF
the foreign class. One old woman
staggered under n large bundle OF
clothes and bedding. In the midst OF
which could be seen the wondering
face of baby too frightened to cry.
Among these poor people there did
not seem to be any panic.
Behind the bank OF flames families
were cut of for q time from help
and escape. East of Shawmut-aye.,
In Maverick and Congress-sts.. were
scores OF families burned out and
homeless, helpless TO convey their
possessions TO place OF safety. Stead
| lily they were forced back by the
flames which we're being hurled down
upon them by the gale. until 1t became
necessary, in order TO save their lives,
| to retreat around the wharf frontage
toward Revere.
Suddenly there was terrible -ex-
plosion, and the oil tanks OF the
Tidewater Oil Co. on the water front
In the vicinity Of Marginal and High
land-sts., burst into flames. Thous-
ands OF gallons of oil were soon burn
ing. and gigantic clouds of black
smoke curled and rose into the sky,
making as night all the east end OF
the city. The smoke was seen as
far away as Portsmouth north.
The Gordon OF militia with rifles
and knife bayonets was slowly driven
back by Are. Their attention was d.
rected against the dreaded approach
of the ghouls that are always attract
ed by wholesale destruction. In
front OF the brick armory OF the First
regiment, where the reinforcements
were being armed, one thief was said
to have been discovered In the act
OF breaking into house.
No Quarter to chouls.
Orders had been given out TO grant
no quarter to ghouls, and he was shot
IN his tracks. II happened at the
very edge of the fire line In one of
the houses that had been cleared by
the line OF boys In blue.
Scores of charitable institutions In
Boston, wealthy citizens and depart
ment stores In Boston are advertising
for the homeless and destitute OF Chel-
sea TO come to them for aid
Among the chief buildings which
were destroyed are the First Uni
versaiist church, Chestnut and Fourth
SITS. $4,000; Frank b. Fay grammar
school, Peoples African Methodist
Episcopal church, Polish Catholic
church, $4,000; st. Roses Roman Cath
Ollie church, Broadway, loss $4,000.
st. Roses Roman Catholic church.
loss $40, 900: State armory, loss $780,
600; Sacred Heart convent, loss $40;
600; Young Womep's Christian asso-
citation building. loss $4,000; Boston
Elevated railroad ssation and bsrhA
$4,000.
Five financial institutions were de-
stroyed. They are the County Saw
ings bank, Chelsea Savings bank.
| Chelsea Trust Co. Winnisimet- -. Ma.
tional bank. and the Provident Coop
erative bank.
Among other buil1'ngs burned were
Frost hospital. Ch ldren's hospital,
Fitz public library. First Baptist
church. Centralave. Central Unitarian
church. Hawlhorne-st.; St Luke's
Episcopal church Gold building), Haw-
thorne-st.: Firu ,ietnodist Episcopal
church. eary-eve. ham-st. synagogue.