Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-04-17

An apparently insignificant fire. that
started among rags on a dump in the
city of Chelsea, a suburb of Boston.
was famed by a northwest gale into
q cOnhagration which Obliterated
nearly one-third of the city. Five hun.
dred dwelling houses and public build
ings were destroyed, 1900 families
were driven from their habitations and
10000 people were made homeless
Six lives were lost, and from fifty
to seventy-five persons were injured
The loss is estimated at 100000 and
the insurance at $3,5O000O
The fire started on the marshes Dor.
deTing the eastern division tracks OF
the Boston & Maine railroad in the
rear of the Boston Backing companys
works, where employees were at work
drying out rags. The exact cause OF
the fire is not known, but it is sup
posed that spontaneous combustion
among the rags was responsible.
A high wind, blowing at forty-fve
miles an hour from the northwest
drove the flames from the rag heaps
directly upon the wooden buildings OF
the Boston Backing company. The
buildings were soon a mass of flames
and as the surrounding property con
sisted largely of wooden buildings USED
for the storage of rags, the fire de
partment realized that a serious fire
was threatened and a general alarm
was sounded. Soon a dozen factories
and cheaper tenement houses west OF
Everett avenue we're in flames and the
6iremen saw that they were utterly
unable to cope with the cOnfagratiOn
By requisltioning 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 Frost hOspita |
and the Childrens hospital outside the
city limits to retreats of safety. II |
was none too soon, for both Hospital !
buildings were shortly consumed.
In the meantime Broadway and the |
water front, the southern section OF
the city, was in flames. No one knew |
where the fire would spring up next /
Householders piling up their goods OUT
of doors occasionally found a mattress
in flames in the middle of the street !
All the frenlen were in the center OF
the city and half mile square of the I
residential section was in flames an0
no protection available or possible
Men, women and children ran around
the streets begging some one to cal
the ffremen, but there we're no firemeL
to respond. All the money men pos
sossed was offered teamsters to cart
away household goods but there were
few teams to be had.
The greatest damage was done wheI
the fire reached City Hall square. The
First Baptist church, a lofty brick
building, first caught fire on the high
est part of the spire. Soon the ROOT
was in flames, and in the space of a
few moments every building in the
square with the exception of the city
hall building was in flames.
For a time it looked as if the mag
nifcent city hall structure, built OF
brick and separated from all other
buildings by a wide area, might be
saved. The hope was but momentary
however, for a tiny Pickering flame
was seen gaining Roadway under the
coping of the cupola. Gathering force
in the mighty wind. the fame licked
the cupola Next the elements Sc
cured control of the interior of the
city hall, and then the entire structure
was swept away. and a dozen new
buildings in the vicinity had become
ignited from the sparks and heat.
It was the same story throughout
the whole southeast side. House after
house caught fire, and where a few
moments before men had been storing
their household goods in the street
and watching the distant flames to
ward the heart of the city. now might
flames their entire distance.