Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-14
FIRE LOSS
$6,OOO,OOO
MASSACHUSETTS CARING FOR
HOMELESS IN CHELSEA
MAYOR ISSUES GENERAL CALL
FOR RELIEF
LEGISLATURE Is Asked to Appropriate
o0,o0o-Work of Rebuilding the
Burned District VIII Be
Begun Immediately
BY Associnted Press.

BOSTON, April 13.-From the empers
of yesterdays confagration in Chelsea
there arose today q well organized
movement for aid and relief to the 10.Ooo
homeless, counting of the cost by IN
surance companies, whose representa-
tives places their losses at $3,50O,0O0, ana
determination by the city authorities
to rebuild the $50 acres swept by the
flames where stood before the f1re prop
erty valued at nearly $6OOO,oOO.
No further deaths were reported TO-
day, and of the injured persons taken
to the various hospitals only two were
believed to be in a serious condition.
The three bodies which were taken 10
the morgue in Boston last nlght re-
mained unidentified today. The indica-
tions are that the losses are, dlVideu
according to class of property oe-
stroyed, as follows
Churches and schools. ols....................S 126OOo
Public buildings .....,................. a,ooov @
Factories business blocks .............. S2oooo
Dwellings, S1ooVoo
The insurance of $3,500,OOO is divided
among about eighty companies. COM
paratively little suffering was reported
among the fire victims today. so
prompt and efficient was the relief work
begun yesterday that practically no one
was without shelter during the night.
Today the relief work was taken up py
those who handled the Massachusetts
fund for San Francisco sufferers.
Appeals for Aid
Early today Mayor Beck Issued an
appeal to the country, but after con-
ference with Acting Governor Draper
the appeal was amended so as to in
clude only the state. Announcement
was made that $4,000 had been raised
by subscription in Boston before noon.
In addition the city Of Chelsea appro-
priated $10,000 and a resolution calling
for 100000 from the state was intro
duced In the house of representatives.
Many nearby cities announced the
starting of subscription papers, and the
city NeYefnFnentsa of others VIII NOM
special meetings to take action on the
matter A message received from Pres
ident Roosevelt expressed sympathy
and volunteered the services OF the
army and navy.
In the meantime the local organiza-
tions, such as the Associated Charities
and the Salvation Army, were perfect
ing their work. and they professed en-
tire ability to find temporary quarters
for all the homeless.
The burned district was closely pa
trolled today by the state militia. Ihe
work of the guards, however, consisted
mostly in keeping people from yentur-
ing too near the standing walls. There
guarded, so thoroughly had the area
been swept by the flames. In fact. the
underwriters who viewed the ruins to-
day saw no prospect of salvage or any
description. One street-BroadWay-
was cleared and opened to the general
public. and as 1t led straight through
the heart of the ruins, steady stream
of people moved through it all day.
Rain Adds to Misery
chilly wind and light fall OF
snow, which later turned into cold
rain. added to the misery of the home
less ones who shiyered in the shelter
camps, in the public squares and play
Early this forenoon the battalion of
marines which had been doing guard
duty throughout the night was ordered
back to the barracks at the charles-
town navy yard and the work of pre-
serving order and protecting property
was continued by the police and the
militia. OF the thirty-seven men Who
composed the Chelsea police force
twenty-one had their homes In the
burned district.
Two children who were suffering
from measles applied at one of the tenn
porary relief bureaus for assistance
and were directed to a private sani-
tarium. They did not reach the SAM
tarium, however, and search for them
was instituted In order that the uls-
ease might not spread.
During the course of the f1re yeSter-
day several babies were born, and in
each instance mothers and children had
/, TO be removed to places of refuge, as
ltheir houses were directly in the pain
of the fire and later were destroyed.
The mothers and children were all re-
ported today in satisfactory condltlon'
IA special meeting of the Chelsea
hoard of aldermen was held today. at
which an order was introduced asking
4se legislature for authority toborrow
S5h0OO0 to reconstruct the public build
ing-s that were destroyed. The order
wak referred to the committee on pub
lie property and finance, and the COM
mittee also ordered to increase the
amount to 81, 900 if necessary. An
noumcement was made that the city
records which were in the city hall
vaults were intact.
Money Safe
An examination of the vaults of the
Chelsea Trust company, the County
Savings bank and the Chelsea Savings
hank Indicated that the contents were
uninjured. Following this announce
ment the directors of the three institu-
tione voted to consolidate temporarily.
The following appeal for assistance.
signed by Mayor Beck and William e.
McClintock, chairman of the relief
committee, was made today:
1--WE have been visited by most ter
rible catastrophe. One-half the area
of our city has been swept by fire. Fiji
teer thousand are homeless, $4,000, 900
worth of property has been destroyed.
our business section is almost wholly
wined out. We are in sore need. We
have not lost our courage, but are APP
plying ourselves with all our ability.
The task is stupendous and we ask
assistance OF all who are benevolently
inclined. He who gives quickly gives
doubly. Subscriptions may be sent to
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