The Sentinel=record., 1914-06-26
HISTORIC CITY IS DEVASTATED BY CONFEDERATION CAUS-
 ING $2o,ooo, ,ooo LOSS.
MANY FACTORIES DESTROYED
Loss Is Many Millions and at Least Half of the City Is Destroyed. Many Cities Send Aid and Fire Fighting Apparatus.

Salem, Mass, June 25.-Nearly half the "old witch city" of Salem, rich in historic buildings and traditions, was devastated today and tonight by fire that caused an estimated loss of $20,000, 900; destroyed one thou sand buildings, including score of manufacturing establishments, and made 10,000 of the 45,0O0 residents homeless.
 The fire originated in the Korn leather factory on the west side of the city about o'clock in the after noon and swept through the shoe and leather manufacturing district, ruin ing every building in curving path two miles long and more than half mile wide.
 Burning embers, carried by a strong northwest wind, started fires III lMO Obllcl StCllOilns tilG ldpliOldulI residential district adjacent to La fayette street and a manufacturing and tenement house district on the peninsula bounded by Palmers Cove, South river and the water front.
 Late il the evening brands kindled fourth fire in the plant of the Salem Oil Company in Mason street. The oil tanks blew up with terrific report and showers of sparks fell threateninely on part of the town that before had not been in imminent danger. This fire, however, was checked after it had destroyed the oil company's plant and thirteen houses.
 When the flames were believed to be under control at II o'clock tonight all the historic and literary land marks had escaped destruction. These included the Peabody museum, old custom house where Nathaniel Hawthorne did much of his literary work, and "The House of Seven Gables" made famous by the nov elist.
 At midnight the fire was burning on Derby street not far from the Peabody museum, but it was thought the building and it's valuable collec- ton of curios would be saved.
 The House of Seven Gables" also was in the danger zone.
 Several buildings were dynamited and late tonight it looked as though the fire had been checked. No fatali- ties had been reported up to midnight but in the confusion it was impossible to determine the casualties. Some fifty injured persons were re- ceived at hospitals.
 Thousands of the homeless were camped on Salem commons tonight and the city was policed by militia men.
 The great destruction was due to poor water pressure.
 A determined effort was made to saon the fire at the Boston and Maine | railroad station, close to the center of the city. Several garages were dynamited after tower i'll the rais- road yard had burned.
 The entire district occupied by the Italian and Greek colonies was de- vastated. Most of the 2,00O persons who had homes in that district were housed temporarily at the Y. M. c. A. building, the state armory, police sta tions and other public buildings. All roads leading out of the city were crowded with refugees on foot, in automobiles and all sorts of con veyances. Many carried all they had saved of their household possessions wrapped in sheets over their shoul- ders.
 The blaze was started by an unex- plained explosion in the factory Of the Korn Leather Company at Proc tor and Boston streets, in the shoe and leather manufacturing district in the western part of the city.
 Famed by brisk northwest wind, the flames swept rapidly through the entire district, destroying more than twenty factory buildings and scores of dwellings and small sores. There was panic among employees in the Korn factory but only one person was seriously hurt.
 The first spread of 1he fire was on the west side of the city at the foot of Gallows Hill. Territory about two