Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-09
so buildings SWEPT BY
F|REAT MANCHESTER, NH.
Six Hundred Homeless About $150,000..-
B|azes at Chelsea, Mass, HarwiCh and Cliff
tondde, Mass, and Other Places.

Manchester, n. H., April S.--The ten
ement house district just to the south
of the business section of the city came
near being wiped out today by a fire
which was stopped with the combined
help of apparatus from six other cities
after it had destroyed 80 wooden three
story and four story buildings. sent 500
men, women and children. mostly
Greeks. homeless into the world, and
caused q property loss of about
$150. 900
Starting in a tenement which was
practically vacant because nearly every
woman and child was at work in near
by shoe shops, the fire was driven by
fierce wind from the corner of Elm
and Auburn streets through the city
squares. bounded by Elm, Auburn,
Cedar and Pine streets. Nearly every
house in this area was destroyed, al
though the flames jumped few build
ings.
There We're many smaller fires out
side the main area but these were not
only put out, but the entire district
to the lceWard of the fire for some
distance was thoroughly wet down by
the out-of-toWn firemen and the city
saved from as extensive loss as that
which prevailed at Chelsea under al
most similar conditions a year ago.
The fire broke out q few minutes af-
ter II A. NJ. and within the next hour
had become SO threatening that help
was summoned from Concord and
Nashua and later from Rochester. Do
ver. Portsmouth and Lowell, Mass
In tho n ina the on1A drove tho
flames steadily eastward but the fire.
men We're assisted by the fact that on
the other side OF Cedar street, on the
other side of the fire there was a park.
While on the south side Of Auburn
street there was a large cemetery. 1t
was into these two open spaces that,
the terrified inhabitants of nearly four
score tenements dragged their belong
inss aid hcaped them in a great mass.
Many OF them Were not so fortunate
fcr being in the mills they We're unable
to reach the scenes until their homes
We're well in the grasp Of The fire.
The local department at the out
break of the fire bent it's energies to
keep it from spreading westward and
when the ont IF town engines arrived
they We're sent to the eastward end to
make a stand against the fire in that
dire cotton.
For more than two hours the firemen
We're 3rVcn back house by house until
Pine street had been reached, where,
with q large number of the out of town
men, a firm stand was maintained and
further progress stopped. There We're,
however. number of smaller fires for
two blocks further on, as far as Beach
street. and practically the entire dis
trict between Pine and Beach streets
was soaked with water and this was
the main cause Of the firemen's vic
tory. The fire was practically under
control at 100, but at dark the ruins
were still blazing and smoking.
The spectacle of their homes being
rapidly devoured by the fire threw the
entire district into q pann, and 50 great
was the confusion that Mayor Reed
vas forced to call uroa the militia to
assist in policing the threatened sec
ton. Five companies CT the New
Hampshire National Guard turned out
promptly and cleared large place so
that the flremen could work UNI
hampercd -
The personal property loss in the
district was comparatively small indi
vidually, as but few of the families
We're blessed WITH many worldly POS
sessions The owners Of the buildings
were many, and: while in some cases
the property consisted of four story af
fairs of modern construction, the great
majority If the buildings which We're
destroyed, ware of the three story type
and many had been built some years.
The out-oft town companies remained
until p. NJ. A number of the in
surance agents who saw the fire to-
day. expressed opinion that such con-
tlagrations as that which occurred here
and ut Chelsea. Mass. under similar
conditions, with a gale blowing the
fire through wooden tenement houses.
closely built at a speed of a prairie
fire, can only be stopped through lib
eral supply Of water poured over the
proper ty to the leeward size of the fire
| and that outside help is necessary and
should always be called promptly.