The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-07-01
Food In Abundance For $4,000
Homeless in Fire Swept City
5000 TENTS ARE ERECTED

More than $500 were directly de
pendent upon the relief committee for
shelter, while $500 waited patiently in
the various bread lines for the food
which streamed into the city in
abundance. Five thousand tents have
been erected.
Those cared for in the tented camps
were of the poorer class, mostly for
eigners. Nearly all the well-to-do had
found refuge with friends.
The value of the property destroyed
by the fire is from $12,000,000 to $15,.
100000, according to the insurance
men, and little more than one.half
was insured.
SO far as is now known only four
persons lost their lives in the fire and
two more died as a result.
The charred body of the infant child
of Mrs. Mary Hassel was found in the
ruins of 27 May street.
Samuel p. Withey, a paralytic, lost
his life at 26 Prospect street and Mrs.
Sarah Abbott of 131 Lafayette street
perished.
An unidentified body was also re.
covered, the sex of which has not been
determined
Those who died were Sarah Fiske,
a nurse, who passed away while being
moved from one hospital to another,
and Mrs. Edward McGlone, who died
of heart failure when her house caught
fire.
More than 1000 homes were de
stroyed, many of the larger industrial
plants, schools, churches and several
business buildings.
The fire, which started in the leath.
er district, got beyond control and
ragged until the water of South river
would allow it to go no farther.
The principal part of the devastated
district includes all that section west
of Boston street and east of Essex
street The burned over section is
about three miles long and from half
mile to mile and half wide.
The fire started in the plant of the
Karn Leather company in Boston
street, where seventy-ive hands were
at work. All escaped, although many
were obliged to jump from second
and third floors. One of these,
Charles Lee had both legs broken.
After more than twenty-five plants
in the leather district had been
burned the fire spread to the resi-.
dental section in ward and de.
stroyed from fifty to seventy-ive
houses. Then it continued swirling
through the frame dwellings into ward
3 and finally reached ward 5, the fash
ionable section. The flames licked up
the handsome homes almost the entire
length of Lafayette street.
The public schools Saltonstall and
Ropen went down before the flames.
All the houses on the side streets west
of Lafayette street were destroyed.
The fire leaped over into the French
district, which is populated by at least
10000 persons.
From this point the fire attacked
mill No. of the Naumkeag Cotton
company, which gave employment to
$500 persons. The mill was de-
stroyed. Five plants in the lower part
OF ward were burned.
st. Joseph's Roman Catholic church,
which was recently completed at a
cost of $2J0,0O0, was burned. st.
Joseph's convent and st. Joseph's
parochial school were also wiped out.
The sisters and children escaped. The
orphan asylum conducted by the city
also caught fire after twenty-five
sisters had escorted their $50 charges
to st. Mary's school, The asylum
property was destroyed
When the Salem hospital was
threatened physicians and nurses,
pressing automobiles, wagons and am
balances into service, took all the
patients to various public institutions,
where they were as comfortable as
possible on cots.
The fire got such terrific headway
early that calls were sent to nearby
towns for firemen and policemen. Fire
companies from Boston, Haverhill,
Lynn, Lawrence. Beverly. Peabody,
Marblehead, Danvers and even as ia"
as Quincy, Newburyport and Glou-
cester helped the local fire department
stay the blaze.
Five companies of local militia were
ordered out to police the city, help the
homeless and prevent looting and
they were supplemented by two com
panies of militia and one company Of
naval cadets from Lynn.
All autop )bile owners in the city
gladly placed their machines at the
disposal OF rescuing parties and many
Of the well-to-do joined in helping
their poorer fellow-citizens save what
furniture and other personal effects
they could.
II. o. Benson, director of the
Nallmkeag Steam Cotton company, an
nounced at a mass meeting of citizens
that the mills. employing $500 opera
tives, would be rebuilt Immediately.