The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-26
I.srly One Half Of Historic
| city is in Utter Ruin To-
day as Result Of Great
Blaze.
5000 ARE HOMELESS
Two Mile Avenue Of Ashes
Nearly q Mile Wide, Runs
Through the Place
Now.

United Press Leased Wire Service. ]
SALEM, Mass, June 26.-Nearly
lalf OF the historic city OF Salem, rich
a buildings and traditions, Is In utter
uin today as the result OF the terrible
onflagra.ion which has already cos,
even lives, destroyed nearly the whole
manufacturing section, several houses
Ceyeral dating back to colonial times
rendered $4,000 homeless and caused
damage estimated all the way from 81,
100000 to as high as $4,000, 900. A,
Eight o'clock today the fire was still
raging but was being held In check tc
The two mile swath already devastat
ed. The water pressure IL restored
ind unless the wind shifts again. it II
5ust a question for the flames to burn
themselves out. Martial law, with ten
companies OF militia comprising 1.1O0
men, has prevailed practically since
mine o'clock last night. Kahiki clad
soldiers with fixed bayonets and un.
der orders to shoot, patrol all streets
TO prevent looting by thugs. The no.
pal militia was called out 1t about 8: 80
when panic spread beyond control oi
Ne local police and Qoxefnor WALSH
Eho AAihs q me Stsickssf city 4
high powered auto, later ordered out
Tie whole Eighth regiment. A thous
and tents and blankets and O,0O0 ra.
lions are on their way.
The widest havoc prevailed today
Thousands Of people, homeless. sleep.
less and rendered paupefs in one blow
wandered .he streets, held back from
entering the doomed area where their
homes had been. Many frantic with
fear for missing friends and relatives
tramped back and forth exhausted in
their hopeless search. Carts, convey.
ances, automobiles, even baby car
riages jammed the streets in a wierd
seetinng mass. doggedly bent on re-
moving savings to places OF safety.
Meanwhile the flames continued to
curl upward completing their devas-
tation while smoke-grimed firemen,
completely spent after Is hours strug-
gle with insufferable heat and smoke,
directed their puny efforts to over
come .hem.
The fire broke out Just about 2 o.
clock yesterday by terrific chemical
explosion In the Korn Leather Co. In
fifteen minutes the factory was in
ruins. Tinder box sheds and shops
We're soon a seething mass of flames,
the water pressure failed and aid sum-
moned from twenty-five miles proved
nnavailing. Dynamite was resorted
20 and whole blocks blown to debris
but the concussions seemed only to in
crease the fury OF the conflagration.
a capricfous sixteen mile wind drove
Tho flames helter skelter, setting. three
separate fires which ate their way out
ward until they finally merged in one
tremendous swath two miles long and
three quarters OF mile wide. From
places where witches were hanged
two and q quarter centuries ago the
ilames raced upwards to the EDGE OF
the old colonial residences, fsaving in
the ruins of their wake the birthplace
of Nathaniel Hawthorne and other his
.ic spots.
The fire has already surpassed the
Chelsea fire horror OF April, IL, 1908
when 5000 were rendered homeless.
l,So0 buildings destroyed, 1000 fami-
lies practically ruined, 300 injured