Daylight breaking over stricken Chelsea today revealed a desolation
never before seen in New England. A pretty city of homes yesterday –
today great blackened waste marks the places where stood 1200
dwellings, stores, churches, hospitals and public buildings. A pall
of smoke hangs over the ruins. Weary firemen are still battling with
the flames that are slowly dying out.
Alert Militiamen, with loaded rifles, guard the streets that are
filled with the remnants of household furnishings saved from the
flames. Martial law, hitherto unknown to this section of the country
prevails. Thieves have been shot at, in some instances bayoneted,
when caught trying to steal the pitiful savings from the homes.
Today the work of relief is pressing. After a fitful night’s sleep,
the homeless ones, men, women and children at daylight walked by the
smoldering ruins of their dwellings, to weep bitterly at their
misfortunes and wonder what was to become of’ them. Somewhere in
these ruins there are believed to be bodies. Today the work of
investigation has begun, to determine how many lost their lives.
Already three bodies have been recovered. One was that of a woman.
As rapidly as possible the work of relief is being carried out under
the direction of Acting Governor Draper, Mayor John E. Beck of
Chelsea, Mayor Hibbard of Boston and committees of the big financial
men of State Street. Thousands of dollars have already been contributed.
Their first duty is to care for those who by the conflagration, lost
everything they had in the world, home, money, even clothes. It is
estimated that there are in the city today not less than 10,000 who
must be cared for, must be provided with food and shelter.
It was the worst fire that has been known in the State since the
great Boston Conflagration of 1872. Then the financial loss was
greater, but the blaze that swept over Chelsea and extended into East
Boston yesterday wiped out the dwellings of those who were not
protected against the loss.
Thousands have fled from the city taking with them all they could
rescue before the mad rush of the flames reached them. Panic
stricken, they gave their last dollars for the use of conveyances to
take them far away from the horror.
Nearly one-half of the city has been wiped out. Only four churches
are left standing. Thirteen others are in ashes. City Hall, banks,
library, post office, hospitals and stores have disappeared. In their
places are either piles of broken granite or unsupported walls that
threaten to topple over at any moment.
Fifteen hundred buildings of all kinds fed the flames. In its path
there were many tenement houses. Unchecked, the flames swept toward
them. The occupants fled in panic, stopping only to seize necessary clothes.
Boston was appealed to, as was Everett and Malden. Engines were
rushed over the bridge from East Boston. They could do nothing. Alarm
after alarm was sounded in East Boston, which brought nearly a score
of engines across the ferries.
Other cities called by telephone, placed engines and crews aboard
special trains and rushed them to Chelsea’s help. Even New York had
apparatus loaded on trains and ready to rush toward the city in
record time should the call come.
Leaping across all open spaces where vain efforts were made to check
its progress, the fire went steadily on through the residential
district, through Second, Third, Elm and Arlington Streets to Everett
Avenue. When it reached this point Chelsea, which had been slightly
alarmed because of the spread, became wildly panic-stricken. Those
who were at home made haste to pack their valuables, even though they
were blocks away from the fire. Wagons were pressed into service at
any price. $25.00 being offered in many cases to convey household
effects out of the way. The rout commenced.
The churches were holding the usual Sunday morning services. Without
warning the congregations fled save where their pastors called upon
them for the work of saving the movable property. Steeples caught
fire, and with no engines or firemen at hand to help they toppled
over. Thirteen of them were wiped out of existence.
After crossing Arlington Street, the fire swept toward the business
blocks on Broadway. Small buildings allowed the path to widen. The
wind carried the blaze steadily onward. Indescribable scenes took
place when the flames reached the poorer quarter, the area where
lived the foreign factory workers. As they saw their possessions
being swept away, they became frantic with fear and ran shrieking
through the streets.
The police force could not cope with the situation. Chief Shannon
asked the Boston Police for assistance and a hundred men were rushed
to Chelsea.
Across the bridges and by way of the ferry there suddenly appeared
that excited mob that always gathers at a scene of great excitement.
As they pushed into the burning city they met the frightened refugees
leaving. Each crowd pushed forward in its different way.
In little more than an hour Broadway with its blocks of new stores,
banks and business houses, had been reached. Between Third and Fourth
Streets, the first building on Broadway went down, its pile of
granite crumbling in the intense heat.
Easily crushed also was the new $100,000 armory. Stone could not
stand against the terrible onslaught of fire. Tons of water at this
point had no more avail than a bucket of sand. Broadway was crossed.
The fire divided and while one section raced along the city’s main
business thoroughfare, the other climbed Bellingham Hill, where stood
many pretty residences.
Realizing that the City Hall could not be saved, the various
officials called city carts into requisition and removed all the
books. Inside of an hour after they had accomplished this feat
nothing was left of the City Hall but a blazing, smoking ruins.
On Shurtleff Street not far from City Hall were situated the Frost
Hospital and the Shurtleff School. These went down also. The patients
in the hospital were removed to the Naval Hospital which was out of
the danger zone, save one, a contagious case, which was taken care of
at the Lynn Hospital.
The blaze gradually worked down over Essex and Suffolk Streets to the
mass of dwellings bordering on or near Chelsea Creek. Once in
possession of the frame dwellings the flames moved more rapidly.
Many explosions occurred. They gave rise to the report that buildings
were being dynamited. No dynamite was used at any time during the
fire. Several kegs of powder stored in the armory exploded but did no
damage other than to hasten the destruction of the handsome new
quarters of the Chelsea Militia Men.
On Washington Avenue is the Convent of St. Rose. Up to the very last
moment the twenty-eight sisters of the order remained within the
building praying that the convent would be spared. When the order
came for them to move they went calmly and without the slightest
trace of excitement.
It was 2 o’clock when the parochial school caught fire and
immediately after St. Rose Church fell a prey to the flames. Leaping
across Broadway, they seized the barns of the Boston Elevated and
destroyed the cars that were in at the time because the shutting off
of the power made it impossible to get them out.
Steadily the blaze moved onward, taking in business houses and
dwellings, until it reached the waterfront where more food was
devoured in the yards of the Tidewater Oil Company, loaded barges
that were tied at the docks and piled up barrels of oil. It was
because of the barges catching on fire that the blaze was
communicated to East Boston. One of them, owned by the Tidewater Oil
Company, broke away from a tug that was endeavoring to tow it down
the creek, across to the East Boston side and communicated with the
plant of the Standard Oil Company.
At this point the firemen from Boston had to turn their attention to
their own city. Additional engines were brought across the harbor. In
this thickly settled locality, bounded by Bennington and Pope
Streets, were many dwellings that were quickly consumed. All of the
buildings of the Standard Oil Company fell before the flames. Only
the great tanks that were several times surrounded by fire remained.
It seemed at one time as though there would be an onward sweep of
fire from the Chelsea side of East Boston to the waterfront and the
big steamship docks. Fire Commissioner Parker and Chief Mullins drew
a cordon of engines that completely circled the territory and fought
the battle for hours. It was not until 1 o’clock this morning that it
was assured that East Boston was saved. Even then a bad fire was
still raging.
In Chelsea the contest was still on. At the corner of Everett Avenue
and Broadway, after consuming the Chelsea Trust Company’s building,
the fire continued through the main thoroughfare, and reached the
Post Office, which under heavy guard of marines, was emptied of its
money and valuables. All of the mail was saved.
In Winnisimmet Square the last stand was made. Here the largest
number of engines were assembled. Weary and blackened firemen put
forth all their energies. Some of them dropped overcome, to be
revived and rushed back to the fight. One fell so badly burned that
he had to be carried to the hospital.
At the Park Hotel the fire was checked. Buildings around it were leveled.
Darkness settled down on a city that was thoroughly frightened. Few
electric lights were burning and the majority of the streets were in
total darkness save where the lanterns had been brought out to aid
the military guards in their work. The fire still burned on lighting
one section of the city.
In the police station and the hospitals went on the work of caring
for the injured. Doctors and nurses from all parts of Boston
volunteered for the work. Society women donned aprons and caps to
help bind up wounds or dispense food to the weary firefighters. As
fast as injuries too serious to be more than temporarily treated had
been bound up, ambulances conveyed the patients to the Marine and
Naval Hospitals. These two institutions were crowded to the doors.
In every way there were handicaps. No telephones were working out of
the city. The water supply ran low because of the bursting of the
mains. There was suffering and anxiety on every side.
There were acts of heroism almost unparalleled in history. Acts that
in any other case would arouse intense enthusiasm passed almost unnoticed.
A woman was found raving crazy in the streets and made an effort to
commit suicide. She is now in a padded cell at the police station.
Her name cannot be learned but she is believed to have been a
resident of Chestnut Street.
Three babies were born during the fire. By some miraculous means they
were attended by physicians instantly and taken to the hospitals.
Neither mothers nor children will suffer greatly from the terrible experience.