The Cairo bulletin., 1908-04-13

Boston, April 12.-An apparently in
significant fire that started among
rags on the dump in the city OF Chel-
sea today, was famed by northwest
gale into confagratien which obliteF
ated nearly one third of the city. Five
hundred dwelling buildings and pub ic
buildings were destroyed, fifteen hun
dred families were driven from their
habitations and ten thousand people
made homeless.
Several Lives Lost.
Two lives are known to have been
lost and at late hour tonight it
was reported that two other persons
had perished, one woman, having
shot herself in a frenzy over her in
abaility to save her property. From
fifty to one hundred were injured.
sto,oo0,0oo Loss.
An accurate estimate of the loss ID
impossible. The city solicitor esti-
mates II at nearly 100000. The
fire, which was the worst Greater
Boston has known ia many ynars.
ragged before a 45mile gale for more
than / hours, defying the utmost Ell
forts of the combined fire departments
of Chelsea and several nearby cities
and a large detachment of Boston
firemen.
Large Area Burned.
The fire area, which was in the
form of an elipse, mile and hall
long and half mile wide at It's
broadest part. extended diagonally
across the city from a point near the
boundary between Evett and Chelsea
to the waters of Chelsea Creek, IL
was useless for the firemen to attempt
to check the on-rushing flames before
the gale and their main efforts were to
prevent the spread of fire on either
side Their last stand was taken at
Chelsea square late in the afternoon
and for hours doubtful battle was
vaged. But at 1850 o'clock the fire
was under control.
Mostly Wood Buildings.
The great majority of the buildings
were of wood and were completely de
stroved but structures of other ma
terial were almost as quickly and
thoroughly incinerated by the fierce
ness of the blaze.
Narrow Escapes.
All banks. more than quarter OF
the churches. half of the business
block and nearly all the schools were
wiped out. One hospital and a day
nursery were destroyed. In the tur-
moil many of the sick and infirm
found difficulty in obtaining assistance
and several of them had narrow es'
capes.
East Boston Saved.
Late in the afternoon the wind hal
carried burning embers across Chessea
Creek and buildings in East Boston
caught but extensive damage there
was prevented by the prompt and en-
ergetic work of the firemen
Spontaneous Combustion.
The exact cause of the fire is not
known but it is supposed that spohtah'
eous combustion among the rags was
responsible. The high wind blowing
at as miles an hour from the north
west drove the flames from the rag
beaps directly upon the wooden build
iugs of the Boston Blocking company
General Alarm.
The buildingss were soon mass oi
flames and as the surrounding prop
erty consisted largely of wooden build
ings used for the storage OF rags the
fire department realized that serious
fire was threatened and general
alarm was sounded.
In the gale shingles, burning paper
and oil soaked rags were flying high
into the air and went soaring over the
city.
Among the structures destroyed
were thirteen churches. two hospitals
the public ibary. city hall, five school
houses. twenty business blocks. neariN
a score of factories and upwards oi
800 tenements and dwelling houses.
Militia Called Out.
A militia call by Beck, the mayor oi
Chelsea. brought out the first company
of Coast Artillery in order to guard
the property moved into the streets
from the buildings in the path of the