The Penn's Grove record., 1908-04-17

Boston, Mass.-Swept through the
city by a forty-1ve-mile gale, fire
which started at the west boundary
of Chelsea burned almost the entire
city, being stopped only by the ocean
on the east. Twelve thousand per-
son are homeless and $40, 900, 900
worth of property is in ruins.
Five bodies have been taken from
the debris and at least severty-fve
people are known to have been in
jured.
When not permitted by militiamen
to enter her burning home on Chest
nut street, a woman drew a revolver
and shot herself dead. Her name is
unknown.
The distress and the confusion OF
thousands of inhabitants fleeing be-
fore the onrushing confagration is
rarely equalled. Few American cities
are more thickly. settled, to which cir
stance was added the high wind fan
ming two blocks OF fire front over a
city of infiammable buildings closely
placed.
While people were burning up in
efforts to say property babies were
born in the streets.
The fire started among a lot of old
rags scattered about the dump in the
rear of No. 265 Second street, near
the Everett line, occupied by many
dealers in old rags. The district is
New England's clearing house for
junk.
Firemen Were Powerless.
The fire area, which was in the
form of an ellipse, a mile and a half
long and half a mile wide at it's
broadcast part, extended diagonally
across the city from a point near the
boundary between Everett and Chel-
sea to the waters of Chelsea Creek.
1t was useless for the firemen to at
tempt to check the onrush of the
flames before the gale, and their main
efforts were to prevent a spread of
the blaze upon either side. Their last
stand was taken at Chelsea Square
late in the afternoon, and for hours a
doubtful battle was waged. At 8
O'Clock word was passed that the fire
men were winning and, with re-
newed energy, the contest was
pressed. At IL o'clock p. M. official
announcement was made by Chief H.
A. Spencer that the fire was under
control.
The great majority of the buildings
were of wood and were completely
destroyed, but structures of other ma
Ierial were almost as quickly and
thoroughly incinerated by the fierce
ness of the blaze.
All the banks, more than three
quarters of the churches, half of the
business blocks and nearly all the
schoolhouses were wiped out. One
hospital and a-day nursery were de-
stroyed. In the turmoil many of the
sick and infirm found difficulty in OBJ
tanning assistance and several of them
a narrow escapes.
Late in the afternoon the gale car
rled burning embers across Chelsea
Creek and buildings in East Boston
caught fire, but extensive damage
there was prevented by prompt and
energetic work by the fremen.
Two men are said to have been
shot by militiamen when discovered
looting property. Their identity is
unknown. An unknown man, who
a lost all of his property, COM
mitted suicide in Union Park. The
military guard of the district was by
the First and Fifth regiments, M. V.
M, and n company of the Eighth
Regiment, and by a company of mar
ines from the C~harlestown Navy Yard.
Driven by a northwest gale, which
attained such a velocity that it car
ried embers down Boston Harbor as
far as Nantasket and Cohasset and
set fires to roof tops in those towns,
the fire had gained a Roadway against
which the efforts Of Chelsea firemen
and companies that had been called
from Boston, Everett, Maiden, Lynn,
Saugus and all the towns surround
ing Chelsea were powerless.
The flames forced their way to-