The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-26

easterly direction from the foot of Gal
lows hill, the place where witches were
hanged two and half centuries ago, it
spread to South Salem and then changed
its course and erept steadily in north
erly direction toward Town House square,
the center of the city's retail business
district For time the entire city
seemed doomed; but the firemen concen-
trated their energies on a single point
of defense near the Boston & Maine rail
road station and several buildings in this
vicinity were dynamited and every avail
able line of hose was directed against
the approaching flames. Then the fire
men began to get control.
Panic Where Fire Broke Out.
There was panic in the korn factory
when the fire broke out but only one
person was hurt in leaving the build
ing
All the stores. houses and other build
ings along the other side of Boston
street from Putnam street to the corner
of Boston and Essex streets and thence
up Essex street to jackson street were
burned.
The fire spread rapidly through the
west side of the city at the foot of
Gallows hill. Buildings in territory
about two miles long and more than n
mile wide, extending from Proctor and
Boston streets on the north to jefferson
avenue IN the south, were devastated by
the flames. Included in this district
were Proctor, Pope, Broad, Hawthorne.
Winthrop, Mount Vernon, Endicott and
Peabody streets on which practically all
the structures were destroyed.
In the meantime falling embers from
the conhagration started fires in South
Salem.
All available fire apparatus was in the
Gallows hill section and South Salem
one building and then another burst into
flames. As evening approached the fire
spread in all directions, destroying hun
ireds of residences, including many
handsome homes on fashionable Lafay |
lite street,
The city orphan asylum on Lafayette |
street, sheltering l50 children, was de-
'troyed All of the children were taken |
1y the nuns to place of safety.
The flames devastated buildings on
.afayette street from the State Normal I
chool north to Cedar and Everett !
treets.
From this point the fire swept like
huge sickle across Salem and Park |
treets, to the water front. There was
70 apparatus here to check the flames.
which licked up scores of tenements and
Ugh wooden apartment houses.
At the start the water pressure was
ow. and when the fight had become des-
crate great water main near the Bev-
rly bridge broke, and the frcmen were
lmost helpless.
Other Cities and Towns Aided.
Meantime calls for assistance had been
ent to nearby cities An enormous
uantity of apparatus ranging from the
lost Anticipated tubs TO the new high |,
ressure automobile engine used in the
'arick fire at Manchester n H., on 4
Wednesday. were rushed to Salem.
The Manchester engine undertook to
ump water from the ocean, Boston,
.ynn and other cities sent apparatus
nd details of police.
The combined efforts of the great ag-
regation of fire efghting machines was
ltile, and when darkness fell resort
as had to dynamite. Several blocks in
he path of the flames were blown mp
, the hope of checking their progress,
ut tickle wind, that shifted four
mes. each time carried the destruction
a new direction.
The Salem hospital was emptied of its !
lmates, about 100 in number, when the
re became threatening in that section
he patients were placed on cots and
.retchers and removed to the homes of
eople in the neighborhood Some of
ne less seriously i'll were cared for on
ne lawns of private residences.
One child was born in the hospital
uring the excitement of the fire, the
1ughter of Mrs. Rosetti.
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic church.
,lued at S250,0OO. was burned and the 9
hurch of the Immaculate Conception J
as in great danger Both these a
lurches were on Chatham street. Ic
The Naumkeag cotton mills, employ I
e 5000 hands. were swept by the j
,mes, and the entire South Point dis o
let, where most of the mill operatives
Id their homes, was wiped out n
The wind blew the flames away from U
lie big factory of the American Hide Il i
Gather Co. and the Cass & Daley Co, ;
I'd these structures were saved.
The firemen hoped at one time to I
axe stand behind the solid brick 0
alls of St Joseph's church. but the
aze jumped the Boston & Maine track
st south of the depot and then reached
e block bounded by Salem harbor and a
ard street, where a group of tenement
'uses was soon in flames. Directly OPP
'site was the large brick plant of the =
lem Electric Light Co. This was de- \
royed and the city was deprived of !.
yht and power.
Police and militiamen drove a panic !,
ricken crowd up Lafayette street As
e fire Ieaped to that thoroughfare near y
ard street many barely escaped being I,
lpped. :,
Cinders Started Another Fire. h
Another fire started by cinders from Il
e burning buildings in the leather dis C
let, swept through the French settle c,
INT. Most of the buildings were wood 8.
tenements. Several factories in and t,
ound Lafayette street, near the bus
ass district, including the Glover shoe
ant and the Goodale machine factory.
re destroyed r
The whole of the Italian and Greek
Ionies, including $50 houses and stores.
re destroyed.
All roads leading out of the city we're P
L. L..