The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-26
NEARLY ONE-HALF
OF ANCIENT TOWN
IN BURNING RUINS
One Thousand Buildings De-
stroyed and 10000 People
Rendered Homeless.
USE DYNAMITE TO CHECK FIRE.
Most Priced Landmarks Believed
Safe From Destruction-No
Fatalities Reported.


the "old Witch City" of Salem. rich In
historic buildings and tradition, was
devnsted to-day and tonight by n fire
that caused on estimated loss Of S20,-
600. .oOo-destroyed 1000 buildings. in
cluding score of manufacturing es-
Establishments, and made 10000 of the
$4,000 residents homeless.
The fire originated In the korn
leather factory, on the west side of
tho city, about o'clock this after
noon, and swept through the shoe and
leather manufacturing district ruin
ing every building in II curving path
two miles long and more than a half
mile wide.
Burning embers, carried by strong
northwest wind, started fires III two
other sections. the fashionable resi-
Dental district adjacent to Lafayette
Street, and a manufacturing tenement
house district on the peninsula,
bounded by Palmer's Cove, South River
and the waterfront.
Late In the evening brands kindled
a fourth fire in the plant of the Salem
OIL Company. in Mason Street. The oil
tanks blew up with Il terrific report,
and showers of sparks fell threaten
ingly on part of the town that be-
fore had not been in imminent danger.
Ihis fire. however. was checked after
1t had destroyed the oil company's
plant and thirteen houses
MOST PRICED LANDMARKS
ESCAPE DESTRUCTION
When the flames were believed to
be under control at IL o'clock Tonight,
all the historic and literary landmarks
had escaped destruction. These in
cluded the Peabody Museum, Essex In
stitute. custom house, where Nathan
iel Hawthorne did much Of his lit
erary work, and The House OF tho
Seven Cables" made famous by tho
novelist.
Info
on Derby Street. not far from the Pea
body Museum, but il was thought the
building and It's valuable collection OF
curios would be saved.
The House of Seven Cables" also
was in tho danger zone. Several
buildings were dynamitod and late to-
night 1t looked rs though the fire had
been checked. No fatalities had been
reported up to midnight. but in the
confusion 1t was impossible TO de-
termine the casualties. Some fifty in
jured persons were received at hos
pitfalls.
Thousands OF homeless were en-
camped on Salem Common tonight.
and the city was policed by militia
men.
The great destruction was due 10
poor water-pressure.
FIERCE FIRE FINDS NEW
PATHS OF DESTUI CTION
Half OF tho city Of Salem was in
flames tonight. Block after block was
dynamiteI. but the fire. checked in one
direction. driven by shifting winds,
found new path OF destruction. 1t
was nearly II o'clock before the area
OF the conilagration reached its limit.
Starting about o'clock this after
noon. as n result OF an explosion in
the factory Of the 1Noru Leather COM
pany. just east of historic Cfallows
Hill. where alleged witches were
hanged 200 years ago, the fire spread
quickly through the shoe and leather
manufacturing district. then south to
tho Boston and Maine Railroad tracks
at Jefferson Avenue. and eastward to
the waterfront.
Late Tonight frcbrands carried into
the business section started Il second
fire at North Street. a little later IL
tank of the Standard Oil Company. in
the extreme northwest of the city was
abiaxc. and presently u third fire was
levcling the buildings in that vicinity.
ESTIMATE or MONEY Loss
NOT POSSIBLE LAST NIGHT
No definite estimate on the money
loss is possible tonight. The burned
buildings include the plants OF n score
OF manufacturing companies, among
them the big factory of the Nau:ukeaE
Cotton Mills. twice as many business
places. st. Joscphs Roman Catholic
Church. recently erected III "A cost OF
S25h.0oo: the orphan asylum and moro
than 200 residences and tenement
buildings Among these residences
N''' NoicIidi houses winch artists
have declared to he the finest tyne OF
that architecture in the country
determined effort was made 10
stop the fira at the Boston and Maine
Railroad Station. close TO the centre
OF the city. Several garages were dy
namitcd after 4 tower In the r,ilrood
yard had burned.
The entire district occupied by the
Italian and Greek colonies was de-.
vasiated Most of the 1000 persons
who had homes in that district were
housed temporarily at the Y NJ C. A.
building, the State armorv. police sto
ton and other public buildings
Tie blaze was started by an ,,nex
planned explosion In the factory OF tba
.orn Leather Company, at Proctor AMI
Hoston Streets. in the shoe and leatha,.
manufacturing district. In the Wester,,
part OF the city. 1t quickly jumped Re, i.
adjoining property.
ONE SERIOUSLY HURT
Famed by n brisk northwest VIM
IL swept rapidly through the enfsrs
district. destroying moro than tSxent1
factory buildings and scores OF dwen Il
inSS and small stores. There Syas - b
panic among employees in the Korn facs @
tory, hut only ono person was serjous-
ly hurt '1ssrS =
The lrst spread was the west aIie =, K
the city. at The foot OF Gallows Hill
Tcrritor! about two miles long .fs,t Z.
moro than half mile wide, extendins !. .li'
from Proctor and Boston Stroots or