The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-13
One Square Mile Of Buildings in Chelsea, Mass, SI/spt Away
 by Fire; LossF $lO, 900, 900

 in the east Boston tunnel abandoned when 1t was found necessary to shut off the power, were left helpless m streets swept by the flames.
 The greatest damage was done when the fire reached City Hall Square at the junction of Park and Washington Streets. The First Baptist Church, lofty brick building. first caught fire on .he highest part of the spire. Soo,. the roof was in flames and then the embers settled down on the unoccu- pied church building of St Luke's Episcopal parish and the quarters of the Veteran Firemen's Association.
 The tower of the First Presbyterian Church on Hawthorne Street then be- came enveIoped In flames. and in tiie space of a few moments every building tn the square was in flames.
 For a time it looked as if the mag nificent city hall structure, built ol brick and separated from all other buildings by a wide area, might be saved. The hope was but momsntary for about o'clock a tiny flame was seen gaining headway under the cop ing of the cupola and soon the entire structure was swept away. Within half an hour in this one square four churches and the city hall were ieveled to the ground.
 Down Maverick, Congress and HsseA Streets the fire went by leaps anu bounds. A four story brick block at the corner of Congress and Shurtierf streets was seemingly far removed from danger. Suddenly came the cry that the block was afire. Half an hour later the block was flat and fire men had been brought to thai section to make an attempt at stopping the flames.
 Down to the water front the flames swept Factories along Maverick and i Marginal streets were enveloped m flames. Behind tho anak of flames families were cut ofs for tilue from help and escape. and it became neses- sary, in order to save their iIrss. to retreat around the wharf frontage toward Revere. { OiI Tanks Explode.
 Suddenly there was a terrific ex- plosion and the oil tanks of the Tide water oil Company, on the water front in the vicinity of Marginal and High land streets, barst into flames. Thous- ands of gallons fo oil were socn burn. ing and gigantic clouds of black smoke curled and rose into the sky, making as night all the east end of the city.
 
 measure the black smoke was a bIess> Ing, for enveloping as i: tliI tie show CTS of burnings embers from the main conflagration to the north and west. 1t smothered the fire in them and be- came a protecting mantle which laid low over Chalsea for a mile or more to the east keeping off the fire and ! flames from many homes which dount- lless otherwire would have been swept away
 As the fire made its way rapidly towards the water front. where con siderable shipping was tied up, there was much excitement among capFains and crews. Several, tugs were dis patched to the scene and all the vessels in that portion of the threatened water front were pulled out to safety, although two schooners tied up near the oil company's works were begin ming to blaze. The flames were extln- guished, however, without much dam age being done
 Firebrands were swept across Chei- sea creek to east Boston and five dwellings on Wadsworth Street and vicinity were consumed. The Boston fire department was hard pressed at 3, o'clock tonight to prevent the fire from spreading, and in this they final " succeeded. The fire, after raging for eleven hours, Is now under con trol.
 It was estimatad late tonight that nearly 10000 persons are homeless NeighborinE cities and the common wealth hastened to the assistance of the hre sufferers. The Boston charit- able authorities also were prompt to give assistance while the Salvation Army and the Associated Charities made every effort to care for the home | less.
 Thousands wore sent to Boston wbere they were furnished with food and lodging in the public buildings. In addition to offers of financial aid and sneiters to the homeless came guaran- tees from bakeries, dairy farms and provision dealers of a plentiful supply of food. relief committee was form ed. which will meet tomorrow to con- sider definite measures of relief
 Al late hour tonight none of the | bodies recovered from the ruins had been identified.
 Public Buildings Burned.
 Among the places burned were: Frost Hospital. Children's Hospital, Fitz Pub ! lie. Library. St. StanisIaus Catholic Church. Chestnut Street; First Baptist | Church, Central Avenue; Central Uni tarian Church, Hawthorne Street; St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Hawthorne Street; First Methodist Episcopal Church. Carr Avenue: Elm Street Syn agogue; Walnut Street Synagogue I; Chelsea Presbyterian Church. Peoples Afro Methodist Episcopal Church : Fourth Street Universalist Church Fifth Street Congregational Church, Schurtleff Street Methodist Episcopal Church. St. Roses Roman Catholic Church. Broadway, loss $25.000 St.. Rose Roman Catholic School, loss $40,- 000 State Armory. loss s100.000 Sa- cred Heart Convent loss $40 900: Y. Nj. C. A. Building, loss $75.000: Boston Elevated Railroad station and barn, loss $5 900; Second Adventist Church, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company. central ofice Austin & Youngs cracker factory; Chaplin 6 Coden Car Company's shops, Rosen- felt Brothe CTS three-story rag picking factory. the Tidewater oil Company's three immense tanks near the east end of Marginal Street; County Saving Bank, Chelsea Trust Company, Winni- simmet National Bank, the Providence Cooperative Bank.
 The funds of all these banks, with the exception of the County Savings Bank are still in the vaults. The mon ey and securities of the County Bank were taken to Boston before the fire reached the building.
 The fire-swept streets included Cas- ter Maple, Spruce, Arlington, Ash, Walnut Poplar, On hestnut and Cherry to Broadway. From Broadway the fire spread to Bellingham Hill. From Summer Street the fire cut another pathway running diagonally across Third Street Everett Avenue and