The San Francisco call., 1908-04-13

shingles burning paper and oil soaked
rags were flung high into the air and
went soaring over the city.
Within half an hour the Rosenfelt
Brothers three story wooden rag rae
tory in Maple street was In flames, as
was the Chaplis & Sodden car works.
Tons of tarred paper were stored in the
latter factory and clouds of smoke rem
dered the firerner's work extremely diff
ficult. Soon a dozen factories and cheap
tenements west of Everett avenue were
in flames and the hregnen say they
were utterly unable to cope with the
onfiagration.
Realizing that the city was appar-
entity doomed If the flames could not
be stopped at Everett avenue Fire
Chief II A. Spencer summoned help
from Boston and all the surrounding
cities and towns. Four alarms were
rung in on the Boston circuit and ali
the available apparatus was sent
across the harbor. EARLY in the after
noon aid had arrived from Lynn,
Haverhfll, Wakefield, Salem, Maiden,
Cambridge, Winthrop and Revere
The first evidence of the fire in the
east side of Everett avenue was when
the roof of the Peoples Methodist
Episcopal church in Fourth street was
seen to be ablaze. The services were
in progress inside at the time and the
congregation was unaware that
serious fire was raging outside. Some
one notified the pastor He imme-
diately turned to his people, told them
of the danger and advised them to file
slowly from the building. Twenty
minutes later there was not vestige
of the ediice left
When the Polish Catholic church
caught fire the pastor had just closed
a service and many people were in
and about the edifice. In 10 minutes
the entire top of the church was in
flames. All the movable effects and
furniture were removed. The loss on
the Polish church is estimated at
s75 000 A hundred yards away, at the
corner of Chestnut and Fourth streets,
the First Universalist church caught
fire and was soon enveloped in flames.
LEAPS OVER BROADWAY
Up to this time the fire had been
confined to the west of Everett avenue
That it could be stopped there was be-
yond all question an impossibility,
however, for already embers had
started fires all the way from Everett
avenue across Broadway. leaping the
business street of the city and Great
ing new sources of danger in the
poorer tenement residential portion of
the city between Broadway and the
water front. Spreading to the north
east from Everett avenue the fire
seized upon the rows of business blocks
facing on Broadway and enveloped
them one after another, creeping slow
ly but steadily toward Chase square,
the center of the city
In Broadway the Masonic temple and
Odd Fellows building were burned. as
were II business blocks, mostly of
brick construction. The fire swept
down Broadway west to within block
Of Chelsea square, where it seemed to
be held in check late in the after
noon
Then the exodus of the city began.
over Chelsea bridge into East Boston
streamed long line of fire refugees,
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 in sheets. These were
mostly gray headed women of the
foreign class. Among these poor peo-
pie there did not seem to be any panic.
All seemed stunned by the disaster
that had wiped out their homes.
CITY HALL GOES
The greatest damage was done when
the fire reached City Hall square at the
junction of Park and washington
streets. In the space of a few moments
every building in the square, including
the city hall building, was in flames.
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 went by leaps and
bounds. A four story, brick building at
the corner Of Congress and Shurtleff
streets had been sought by many fam
lies as temporary refuge Suddenly
came the cry that the block was afire.
Again men, women and children were
hurrying into the streets with all they
possessed. Half an hour later the block
was a smoldering waste.
1t was the same story throughout the
whole southeast side. Down to the
water 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
Of Shawmut avenue, in Maverick and
Congress streets, were scores of fam
lilies, burned out and homeless, who
were helpless to convey their POSSES
sions to a place of safety.
Steadily they We're forced back by
the flames which Were being hurled
down upon them by the gale until it
became necessary for them, to save
their lives. to retreat around the wharf
frontage toward Revere.
Suddenly there was terrific explo-
sion 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 black smoke curled and rose
into the sky. making it as night ali
over the east end. The smoke was seen
as far away as Portsmouth, N II.
At least two children were born dur
ing the fire. Mrs ]. Smoke of 1874
Chestnut street and Mrs j. NJ Arnold
of II Maverick street were the mothers
of the infants. In both cases the births
occurred shortly before the fire reached
the homes of the parents. The mothers
and children were removed to the naval
hospital in an ambulance.
It was estimated tonight that fully
10000 persons were homeless. Neigh
boring cities and the commonwealth
hastened to the assistance OF the fire
sufferers. Two representatives OF the
state board iof charity were on the
scene early. being sent by acting Gov
ernor Draper,
The Boston charitable authorities
were also prompt to give assistance
while the Salvation Army and the Asso-
ciated Charities made every effort to
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