Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-16

ton and all the surrounding cities ana
towns and all the available apparatus
was sent to Chelsea from Everett, Lynn,
Haverhill Wakefield, Salem. Maiden,
Cambridge. Winthrop and Revere.
DRIVEN OUT OF CHURCH.
The roof Of the Peoples A. NJ. r
Church on Fourth street was found to
be ablazc while services were in prog
ress The congregation was unaware
that serious fire was raging out
side. Some ono notified the pastor.
the Rev. charles =. Watson. that the
building was IN danger of burning
ana he notified the worshippcrs of the
danger and advised them TO file slow
" from the building. Twenty minutes
later the church was in ruins
So rapid was the rush of the flames
that those families nearest the start
of the connagration had only time to
escape Crnm their homes and they
lost all their possessions.
Tho hrcmen battlcd bravcly though
unavaiingly to save the heart Of the
business section and to conhnc the
fire to that part of the city lying be-
tween the railroad tracks and Everett
avenue. Within an area of half
mile square were several churches ano
school houses. one by one they foil
before the flames. Flaming embcrs
falling on stccple and roof would al
most instantly envelop the whole
structure in flames and In the intense
heat the buildings survived but n few
minutes. When the tip of the stceple
of the Polish Catholic Church caugh,
fire several pieces of apparatus were
rushed there in an effort to save the
building. Service had Just ended and
many people were in and about the
cditicc. In - minutes the entire top
of the church was in flames All tn,
movable effects and furniture were re-
moved. Among those who did cffcc-
| tive work in saving the more prcc
| ious of the church's belongings were,
Sisters Conrad. Lucy, Elizabeth and
Margaret, nf the st. Francis convent
of Bethel, y. Y. The loss here is cs-
| timated at 1000.
! hundred yards away the first Uni
v"rsalist Church caught fire in exactly
| tn" sam" manner as the Polish Church
! and it soon was enveloped in flames.
The pastor declared that the loss will
be fully $4,000.
\ ~
Up to this time tine fire had been
confined to the west of Everett avenue.
! That it could be stopped there was be-
yond all question and impossiblity,
however, for already burning embers
borne on tn" high wind had started
fires in scores of places all the way
from Everett cvenue across Broadwav
lcaping the business street of the city
and creating new sources of danger
in the poorer tenement and residential
section of the city between broadway
and the water front. Spreading to the
northeast from Everett avenue the fire
seized upon the rows Of business
blocks facing on Broadway and en-
veloped them one after another, crcop-
ing toward Chase square, the center
OF the city
The Fitz public library. a ma gnifi
cent stone structure, was destroyed
and on the flames crept toward the
Frost Hospital and the Children's Hos
ptal.
BY rcGuisitioning ambulances from
surrounding towns and cities and call
ing into service all available carriages
the police were able to speedily re-
move the inmates of the two hospital
outside the city limits. This was done
none too soon for both hospital build
nEs were shortly consumed.
Tho fire at the Fitz library marked
the limit of the burned area on Broad
way to the east.
In Broadway the Masonic Temple
and odd Fellows building were burn
ed as also were twelve business blocks.
mostly of brick construction. The fire
swept down broadway west to within
Il block of Chelsea square. where It
seemed to be held IL check late in the
afternoon.
In the meantime between broadway
ana the water front the southern section
OF the city was in flames
no PROTECTION FOR REsIDENC Es
All the hremen We're in the center o!
the city and half mile square of the
residential section was in flames and nc
protection was available or possible
Men. women and children ran around the
streets begging some one to call the hre'
men. All the money men possessed was
offered Transfers to cart away house
| bold goods, but there were few teams
l to he had.
over Chelsea bridge into East Boston
streamed long line of fire refugees lug
ging what few household effects they
! were able to save. Push cars draws anC
! even baby carriages were piled higl
vita furniture and bedding, Hundreds
of persons carried hugcs punL.cs tied NJ
IL sheets These were mostly gray head
ed women of the foreign class. Among
, these poor people there did not seem t.
be any panic. There was no crying OF
wrirging Of hands All seemed stunned
by the disaster that had wiped ont thei
homes These people seemed mostly q
the poorer class who could not afford Il
lose what little they possessed, VIII
factories and mills closed or earnings r"
= d,cod hv half time work. Dense throns
+ moved towards the fire from Boston, Toe
pr,- occupied with the flames and h"av!
) nall of smoke sweeping in swift PIANO
q rama 10 take notice of the misery am
= suffering passing by in the opposite di
n rcc,i,n. I'm the house OF engine No.
g we're stored many trunks and furniture
= MI of which later had to be abandoned
5 to the flames.
!, AT CITY HALL SQUARE.
) The greatest damage was done Whei
+ the fire reached city Hall Square. Thu
c First Baptist Church caught fire AZ TIT
f ton of the spire. Soon the roof was II
r flames and then the embers settled dowl