The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-13

 late in the afternoon. In the mean time between Broadway and the wat er f' ont, the southern section of the city was in flames. All the firemen were in the center of the city and a half mile square of the residential section was in fla mes and no protection avail able or possible. Men, women an l children ran around the streets beg ging some one to call the fremen, but there were no firemen to respond Over Chelsea bridge into East Boston, streamed a 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 up in sheets
 Several of the large type of cars used by the Boston Elevated railway in the East Boston tunnel, and abandoned when it was found necessary to shut off the power, were left helpless in streets swept by the flames.
 Greatest Damage.
 The greatest damage was done when the fire reached City Hall Square at the junction of Park and Washington streets The First Baptist church, a lofty brick building, first caught fire on the highest
 
 in flames and then the embers settled down on the unoccupied church building of St. Luke's Episcopal church and the quarters of the Veteran Firemen's asso- citation. The tower of the First Unitarian church on Hawthorne street then became enveloped in flames. and in the space of a few moments every building in the square was in flames.
 : For a time it looked as if the magnifi- cent city hall structure. built of brick and separated from all other buildings by a wide area, might be saved The hope was but momentary, for about 3 o'clock a tiny flame was seen gaining headway under the coping 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 levelled to the ground.
 Down Maverick, Congress and Essex streets the fire went by leaps and bounds.
 A four-story brick block at the corner of Congress and Shurtleff streets was seemingly far removed from danger. Sud denly came the cry that the block was afire Half an hour later the block was flat and fremen had been brought to that section to make an attempt at stop ping the flames.
 On Water Front.
 Down to the water front the flames swept Factories along Maverick and Marginal streets were enveloped in flames. Behind the bank of flames families were cut off for a time from help and escape, and it became necessary, in order to save their lives, to retreat around the wharf frontage toward Revere
 Suddenly there was a terrific explosion and the oil tanks of the Tidewater Oil company on the water front in the vicin- ity of Marginal and Highland streets, burst into flames. Thousands of gallons of oil were soon burning, and great clouds of black smoke curled and rose into the sky making as night all the east end of the city. It was a terrifying sight. but in a measure the black smoke was n Llessing for enveloping as it did the showers of burning embers from the mnin onf1agration on the west and north, 1t smothered the fire in them and became a protecting mantle which laid low over Chelsea for mile or more to the east, keeping off the fire and flames from many homes which doubtless otherwise would have been swept away.
 As the fire made it's way rapidly to- wards the water front. where consid- erable shipping was tied up. there was much excitement among captains and crews Several tugs were dispatched to the scene and all the vessels in that DOT tion of the threatened water front were pulled out to safety, although two schoon- CTS tied up near the oil company's works were beginning to blaze. The flames were extinguished. however, without much damage being done.s
 Fire brands were. swept across Cnel- sea creek to East Boston and five dwell ings on Wadsworth street and vicinity were consumed The Boston hre depart l. ment was hard pressed at g o'clock to- night to prevent the fire from spreading and in this they finally succeeded. The fire. after raging for II hours is now un- ! der control
 10000 Are Homeless.
 It was estimated tonight that nearly ! 10. 900 persons are homeless Neighborine ! cities and the commonwealth hastened to | the assistance of the fire sufferers The 1 Boston charitable authorities also were I prompt to give assistance while the Sal ivatjon Army and the associated charities | made every effort to care for the home l less Thousands were sent to Boston where they were furnished with food ant ! lodging in public buildings. In addition 1 to offers of financial assistance and shei !! ters for the homeless came guarantees | froi bakeries, dairy farms and provision dealers of a plentiful supply of food. A | relief committee was formed, which me | the indefinite measures of relief. At z late hour tonight none of the four bodie: l recovered from the ruins had been identi fled.
 Under MatriaI Law.
 Boston, A pril 13.-At an early hour thi 1 morning the ruins of the burned distric in Chelsea was under guard of II com panies of the state militia and marines from the Charlestown navy yard ant the city was under martial law to pre- vent footing. The soldiers were supplie, with ball cartridges.
 The bodies of three persons so badl. burned as to be unrecognizable are a