The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-14
LOSS ESTIMATED
AT SIX MILLION
Work of Relief Begun Inne-
diately and Huge Fund is
Raised = Three Persons
Were Burned to Death and
Bodies Have NotiYet Been
Identified.
Bv Associated Press.


Boston, Mass, April ia storm
of fire, riding with a gale that blew
from fOrty-five to sixty miles an hour,
swept over the city of Chelsea Sun
day destroying the larger part of the
business and residential sections.
Thousands of persons were driven
from churches and homes, and so
swift was the work Aof destruction
that many had to flee for their lives.
Two thousand families. are homeless
the principal public and private build
ings of the city are in ruins and
property losses will prob9 bly, reach Il
total of more than $600090O.
) Among the structures destroyed
were thirteen churches, two hospi:-
ais. the, public library, city hall. five
school buildings, twenty business
blocks. a score Of factories ana up
wards of 800 tenements. Five banks
and saving institutions we're burned.
and the money contained in them is
still in the vaults.
STREETS GUARDED.
Strong forces of guards patrolled
all the. streets last night to prevent
looting, but, aside from the money in
the vaults of the banks, it is not be-
lieved that much Of Value will be re-
covered from the ruins of the burned
district. At midnight, the first was
believed to he under control A
miraculous conflict of the elements of
fire alone saved the entire city and
that, part of East Boston which was
seriously threatened fro mentire de-
structioN- 1s,s
and the fight against it had proved
n 10
morning until dusk, when there was
a terrific explosion. and the oil tanks
of the Tidewater Oil Company on the
water front burst into flames.
Thousands OF gallons of oil were
soon burning and gigantic clouds of
dense black smoke rose into the sky,
turning the dusk into midnight black
ess and terrifying the people, who
were being driven before the fire
QUICK RELIEF
From the emberS of yesterday
confagration in Chelsea. arose today
an organized movement for the aid
and relief of the 10 900 homeless. The
insurance companies placed their loss
at $500. 900. The city authorities
are determined to rebuild the $50
acres swept by the flames where
stood, before the fire. property valued
at nearly $4,000 600.
No further deaths were reported
today and of the injured persons taken
to various hospitals. only two are be-
lieved to he in a critical condition.
The three dead bodies taken to the
morgue in Boston last night remain
unidentified today.
Comparatively little suffering is re-
ported among the fire victims today.
So prompt and efficient was the re-
lief work that practically no one was
without shelter during the night. To
day the relief work was taken up by
those who handled the massachusetts,
fund for the San Francisco sufferers.
Fifteen thousand dollars was raised
in Boston by noon. The city of Chel-
sea appropriated $4,000 and a reSO-
luton for 100000 from the state was
introduced in the house Of TepTesen-
tatiVes. A message from President
Roosevelt expressed sympathy and
volunteered the services of the army
and navy. In the meantime. local or
CARNATIONS were perfecting their
work and professed their entire abil-
ity to find temporary quarters for all
the homeless.