Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-04-17
FIRE SWEEPS
CHELSEA, MASS.;;
LOSS 100000
AREA OF $50 ACRES OF BLACK
ENED RUINS MARKS SCENE
OF CONFEDERATION.
THREE KILLED, FIFTY INJURED.
Relief Work to Care for 10000 Home
less Sufferers Is Started
Promptly.
MILITIA GUARDS BURNED AREA

Senting nearly a quarter of the total area
Of the city marks the scene of the great
fire which swept through the business
section Of Chelsea yesterday and last
night, turning 10000 people out of their
homes and causing a property damage
estimated at approximately $5OOO,OOO
Today the burned area is guarded by mi
litia men and marines to prevent possible
iooting and military regulations prevail
throughout the city.
Early today only three persons were
known to have lost their lives in the fire.
but it was feared the number would be
increased when a search Of the ruins
was made. Over half a hundred people
were injured and many were taken to
the hospitals suffering severely, but this
morning all the injured ones were re
ported to be doing well although several
still remained on the serious list.
Starting near the public dumping
ground, the blaze spread before a north
east gale straight across the city to the
southeast, spreading out as it advanced
Even at Chelsea creek the fire was not
wholly stayed for sparks blown across
set fire to several houses and to the plant
Of the Standard Oil company. The oil
plant was still burning at daybreak, and
was practically destroyed. Nine build
ings were burned here, including the
JiLIIJIOuSc, SlOi6IOuSt, tOOpeI SuCD, OIL
fee and tank rooms, the latter contain
ing about 5000 barrels of oil. The loss
on the Standard Oil property was esti-
mated at 100000.
Find Shelter in Schools.
Charitable organizations found places
for many of the sufferers, school houses
and other public buildings in Boston and
other places near the stricken city were
thrown open to provide temporary lodg-
ings, and hundreds of military tents
brought from the state camp grounds at
South birmingham served as protec-
ton for victims of the fire. Acting
Gov. Draper, early last evening, author
lied the city Of Chelsea to procure pro-
visions for emergency use up to any
reasonable amount at the expense Of
the state, and dairy baker companies
generously contributed large supplies of
their products which found their way
promptly to the sufferers, but notwith-
standing the efforts of all sides to rem
der aid, there were thousands of home
less ones who passed the night wander
ing the streets, or shivered in the parks
and squares. Many of the unfortunates
applied at police headquarters for shell
ter and were cared for temporarily in
however, tents had been pitched in omen
lots in Chelsea and the neighboring city
of Everett and all applicants We're sent
to these temporary camps.
Although it was impossible to even
approximate the number of people made
homeless by the fire, conservative qsti-
mates placed it at ABOUT 10000, this
number representing perhaps 1000 fam
lilies
While prompt measures for caring for
the homeless were being taken scores
OF physicians. nurses and volunteer
workers were attending to the injured.
The Chelsea police station was turned
into a temporary hospital and many suf-
fererS were brought there and treated
temporarily Later they were sent TO
the naval hospital and the marine hos
pItal, both of which were packed to
the limit of their capacity, from this
source and from the influx of patients
from the two other hospitals which were
burned.
Many Babies Picked Up.
During the afternoon and evening
more than fifty unidentified babies who
had been picked up by the police, fire
men and citizens were taken to the po-
lice station. They ranged in age from
months to D years. \ boy brought
in baby less than 6 months old that
he had picked up in the gutter A
woman brought u pair of boy twins,
not more than year old. She said that
Il II tthtiC iIOlileE udu thrust the DaDleS
INTO her arms as she stood on the street,
saying: Here, hold these. I've got to
get the others" What became of the
mother had not been ascertained at an
early hour today. Some of the dere-
hct infants were taken away during the
night by relatives, but others remained
still unclaimed today. Among the wom-
en- taken to the hospitals in ambulances
were two who became mothers after
the fire started.
The bodies of the two women and
the man who were found burned to
death in the street last night remained
unidentified at the North Grove street
mOrgue this morning. No other bodies
had been brought to the morgue at that
time and, as far as the authorities had
been informed, that number represent
the total of deaths from the fire. 1t
was feared. however. that Il search of
the ruins by daylight would result in
the discovery of other bodies.
Suspend Liquor Licenses.
The liquor licenses in East Boston and
that part of CharleStown adjoining Chel-
sea were suspended today by order of
Police Commissioner O'Meara as an aid
to the militia and police in their efforts
to bring about condition of order and
safety.
AS the dawn broke cold and gray over
the fre-swept city, the fright Of the
night previous which had overcome the
populace disappeared. Parents roamed
the streets searching for lost children.
The schoolhouses of the city. as we'll as
those of the neighhoring cities and
towns. were filed with lost children and
scores of parents went from one to an,
other, growing more alarmed as each
was visited and no tidings of missing
children were discovered.
Remove City's Cash.
The total taxable property of the city
amounted to about S24.000,0 900. and. ac-
c0rding to estimates by members of the
board of assessors, the property in the
districts covered by the fire was worth
at least S5,000,OO0. The burned dis
trict included a large number of manu-
featuring concerns, stores and business
houses. many costly residences and tene-
nent blocks, churches and public build
ings. Cash to the amount of several
thousand dollars was removed from the
safe IN the city treaSurerS Office before
the city hall was burned.
The yaluableS left in the safes in the
burned business houses We're guarded
from possible hooters by attachments of
marines from the Charlestown navy ward
and companies of infantrymen and ar
tillerymen of the state national guard.
Military regulations were enforced and
no one, unless provided with q pass. was
permitted TO approach the ruined section