The Washington times., 1914-06-26
FIRE HORROR GROWS
IN CITY OF WITCHES"
Yearly Half of Historic Town Is
in Ruins-Water Famine
Now Is Threatened.
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he edge of the old colonial residences.
aving III ruins. in its wake, the BIRTH
ace Of Nathaniel Hawthorne and 9TH
historic spots.
The tire has ALREADY surpassed the
helsea fire horror of April u, 1905,
-.hen 0n1 were rendered homeless. !. .5n1
uildings destroyed, l.eOO families prac-
cally ruined. 800 injured, and property
IS Of S60 900 suffered.
Famous Houses Gone.
The whole industrial section and the
french residential section was wiped out
5 the vanguard of the fire ate its way
30 the older part OF the city. There
many old colonial mansions. the Iinest
examples of New England's great archi-
ectural era, stood prey to the flames
n Lafayette and lower Chestnut streets.
They were the homes of the old East
india merchants in the days when Salem
was among the greatest of American
seaports. and her harbor crowded with
square riggers and clippers, and they
have annually brought thousands of
tourists to the Witch City.
Hawthorne's birthplace, one Of the
long before the famous witchCraft days,
and came into the possession of his
grandfather in 171e.
The House of the Seven Gables"
hich he imTnortalized. was saved.
The irst spread of the fire was on the
west si1c OF the city. al the foot OF
GllIows hill. territory about two
lies long and more than half a mile
ide. extending from Proctor and Bos-
IN streets. on the north. to Jefferson
venue on the south, early was devas-
ted in this district are Proctor. pope
road Hawthorne, Wicthrcp, Mount
vernon, FndIcott, and Peabody streets.
here practically all structures were
..stroved
In the meantime. the falling embers
7ad stlrte:: fires in Sorth Salem and
he moro exclusive residential part of
the city. All the available fire-fichting
ppsratus was in the GalloWs hill dis
riot ard South Salem was without pro-
cction One building after another
rurst into flames.
For several hours the fire in this dis
'riCt was confined TO small oval. eX-
ending from Porter street on the north
10 Hancock street on the south and
rom the canal 10 Lafayette street As
avening approached the flames spread
n all directions, destroying hundreds OF
1andsome homes on Lafayette street.
he most fashionable thoroughfare in
salem
Orphan Asylum Destroyed.
The city orphan asylum. on Lafayette
destroyed. All the children were taken
by the nuns TO a place of safety.
The Salem Hospital next was attack
ed. The patients were removed to safety
on stretchers In the excitement a
daughter was born 10 Mrs. Rossetti, an
inmate.
Up Lafayette street the fire swept,
making a clean path from the State
Normal School north to Cedar and Ev-
81 he
OF the fire moved like a huge sickle
across Salem and Park streets to the
water front.
There was no apparatus here to
scores of tenements and high wooden
apartment houses.
St Joseph's Church, a huge new
brick structure with lofty twin towers,
buildings recently erected at 4 cost Of
5000 made ready fuel.
The fire made intense heat and many
nreInen were overcome. More than
hfty firemeE were overcome. Many
persons also received injuries whi n
employees who leaped from the third
floor windows of the Korn factory we're
taken to hospital for treatment.
The new high school. police sta ation.
and city hall were thrown oper 10 care
tor the homeless
PANIC In the Streets.
While the FIRE was a. its height there
vas q semi-pani il the business and
~esidential districts. Women ran about
the streets calling for heip. Some car
ned bedding and other household fur
niture in their arms. Many women col
lspSed on their doorsteps and in the
street from excitement. Others tired
TO put out fires IN roofs with hroUnls
and pals Of water. More than 10 au-
tomobiles were drawn up AT the edge Of
the FIRE zone. taking household ARTICLES
away. ETen the mOth-spraying maChirn
Of the city was used in an effort to put
out some Of the smaller 'fires.
Charles Lee. an CmptOye of the Eorn
factory. jumped from the thrd-Etory
window and broke born legs. The eX-
plosion in this fact ~ which caused the
fire has not been explained. All traffic
between Peabody AMI Salem WAS stop
ped. and many telephone lines were