The Cairo bulletin., 1908-04-13
FIVE HUNDRED BUILDINGS
BURNED; 10000 H0MEAsESs Il
1sSE> ss
One Third Of City Of Chelsea 0bIiterated- Good
Work of Firemen Saved East Boston
Across Creek--HcspitaI Inmates
Barely Escape

flames.
Colonel Wood, commanding the ma
rines at Charleston Navy Yard voluu-
pany and ON request by Mayor Beck
the company was sent to the fire un.
der C, mmand of Captain Hill.
Marines Guard Property.
The marines with fixed bayoncts
held back the crowds, while the militia
and sailors helped the families rn-
move their goods. Advance squads of
the military and police were sent
ahead warning out families living II
the path of the fire.
Minister Averts Panic.
The first evidence of the fire on the
asst side of Everett avenue was when
the roof of Peoples A. M. u, church
was seen to be ablaze. Services We're
in progress inside at the time. Some
one notified the pastor, Rev. Charles
p. Watson, who Immediately turned to
his people and advised them to flle
slowly from Rho bniIding. Twenty
minutes later there was not vestige
of the edifce left.
Fremen Fight Hard.
Forced down Everett avenue to the
south the firemen hatttd with the
flames in an endeayor to save the
heart fthe business section. Within
small area were several churches
and school houses. One by one they
fell before the flames.
One after another were burned, the
Polish Catholic church, the Fourth
Street M. f. church, and the Advent
Christian church on Heard street.
Spectacular Feature.
A hundred yards away at the corner
of Chestnut and Fourth streets, the
First tTniversalist church caught fire
and was soon enyeloped in tlames. A
spectacular feaure of the burning of
the Universalist church was the pie
ture of the flames as they burned
completely around the base of the
great golden cross which tipped the
spire. For few moments it stood out
against the sky flaming golden bea-
con. and then with crash tumbled
headlong into the rcof breaking as it
struck the roof.
Business Blocks Burn.
Spreading to the northeast from Ev-
erett avenue, the fire siezed upon rows
of business blocks facing on Broadway
and enveloped them one after another
and creeping slowly but steadily to-
ward Chase Square, the center of the
city.
The Fitz Public Library. a magnifi
cent stone structure, was destroyed
On the flames crept toward the Frcst
Hospital and the ChiIdren's Hospital
Hospital Inmates Saved.
BY reuuisitioning ambulances from
the surrounding towns and cities and
calling into service all available car
riages the police were able to speed
ily remove the inmates of the Frost
Hospital and Children's Hospital out
side the city limits to retreats of safe
ty. 1t was none too soon, for both
hospital buildings were shortly con
sumed.
Lodge Buildings Burn.
On Broadway the Masonic Temple
and Odd Fellows buildings were burn
ed as were twelve business blocks,
mostly of brick construction.
The fire swept down Broadway west
to within a block of Chelsea Square.
In the meantime Broadway and the
water front of the southern section
of the city was in flames.
In City Hall Square.
The greatest damage was done when
the fire reached city hall square at the
junction ofn Park and Washingto
streets. The First Baptist church, q
lefty brick building, first caught fire
on the highest part of the spire Soon
the roof was in flames and then the
embers settled down on the unoccL-
pied church building of St Luke 5
Episcopal parish and the quarters 81
the Veterans Firemen's association
The tower Of the First Uniterian
church on Hawthorne street then be
came enveloped and in the space of a
few moments every building in the