Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-06-26
OVER ONE THOUSAND BUILD
INGS WERE DESTROYED
BY THE FLAMES
Controlled At MIDNIGHT
From 2 o clock in the Afternoon
Until Midnight the Flames
Ragged Uncontrolled

fNNl'I'Nls 'I"'1t JHH' -'. 'N'e'i -
half the "Old witch CITY, Of Salem,
rich is historic buildings and tradi-
tions. was dcyastcd today and tonight
by a fire that caused an estimated
loss of S2O,O0OOOO, destroyed one
thousand buildings including a score
of manufacturing Establishments, and
made 10000 Of the $4,000 residents
homeless.
The fire originated in the Korn
Leather factory on the west side OF
the city about ? O'Clock in the after
noon and swept through the shoe and
leather manufacturing district, ruin
ing every building In a curNlng path
two miles long and more than half
mile wide
Burning embcrs, carried by a strong
northwest wind, started fires in two
other sections, the fashionable resid-
entail district adjacent to Lafayette
street. and manufacturing and tene-
ment house district on the peninsula
bounded by Palmers cove, South river
and the water front
Late in the evening brands lNndled
a fourth fire in the plant of the salem
oil company in Mason street the
oil tanks blew up with terrific re
port and showers of sparks teil
thrcatcningly on "A part OF the town
that before had not been in imminent
danger This fire, however, was
checked after it had destroyed the
oil companys plant and thirteen
houses
When the flames were believed to
be under control at II o'clock to-
night. all the historic and literary
These included the Peabody museum,
old custom house whore Nathaniel
Hawthorne did much Of his literary
work and "Thc House OF the Seven
Gables" made famous by the novelist.
At midnight the fire was burning
on Derby street. not far from the
Peabody museum, but 1t was thought
the building and its valuable collec-
tion Of curioS would be saved.
"Thc House of Seven Cables was
also in the danger zone.
Several buildings were dynamited
and late tonight it looked as though
the fire had been checked No fatal
tiles had been reported up to mid
night. but in the confusion 1t was
impossible TO determine the casual
ties
Some fifty injured persons were re-
ceivcd at hospitals
Thousands Of the homeless were
campcd on Salem Common tonight
and the city was policed by militia
men
The great destruction was due to
poor water pressure.
Half of the city was in flames to-
night while firemcn were helpless.
Block after block was dynamited, but
the fire. checked in one direction.
driven by shifting winds. found new
path Of destruction. IT was nearly
II o'clock before the area of the con-
flagration reached its limit.
Starting about o'clock this after
noon as a result Of an explosion in
the factory OF the Korn Leather com
pany. Just east of historic Gallows
hill. where alleged witches were
hanged 200 years ago, the fire spread
quickly through the shoe and leather
manufacturing district then south to
the Boston & Maine railroad tracks at
jefferson avenue and eastward TO the
water front
Late tonight fire brands carried
into the business section to the north
started second fire at North street.
A little later a tank OF the Standard
oil company in the extreme north
west of NJ city was ablaIc and pres
emily third fire was lcveling the
buildings in that vicinity.
No definite estimate of the money
loss IL possible tonight. but II was
variously placed at from s5,00O.00O
{ OIL 200. 900 The burned buildings
include the plants of a score Of manu-
featuring companies among them the
big factory of the Naumkeag cotton
mills. twice as many business places,
st. Joseph's Roman Catholic church.
recently erected at a cost Of a quarter
of million dollars. the orphan asy-
lum. and more than two hundred
residences i1c to1er,cn' luildings
Among the residences were colonial
houses which architects have declared
to he the finest types Of that archi-
lecture in the country.
A determined effort was made to
stop the fire at the Boston & Maine
railroad station. close to the center
of the city Several garages were
dvnamted after a tower in the rail-
road yard had burned.
The entire district occupied by the
Italian and Greek colonies was de-
vastated Most of the two thousand
people who had homes in that dis
trict were housed temporarily at the
Continued on page two).