THE CHELSEA CONFLAGRATION
From a paper read by Chief Henry A. Spencer, of Chelsea, Mass., at the convention of the Massachusetts State Firemen’s association on the subject of the conflagration at Chelsea on April 4, 1908, the following extracts are made:
The city of Chelsea is the most compact city in the New England States. It has more buildings and more inhabitants to the square mile than any other city. There were 40,000 inhabitants on 2 1/4 sq. miles, or 1,441 acres. Where the fire started—and the direction of the wind was in that direction—the wind carried it across the city, long blocks running one way about 600 ft., and short blocks running the other way 120 ft. Bearing that in mind, you will see the disadvantages we labored under, working in a gale of wind, cutting us off in the long blocks not only one street, but going down five different streets at the same time. In the northwest corner of the city, the land has been reclaimed from the sea by means of a dyke. This land has always been held cheap, thus attracting a large number of Hebrew rag-sorters, junk dealers, junk-collectors, etc. The buildings were cheap, wooden structures 50 x 40, 2 stories high and placed on the hack part of the lot. Three-flat tenement houses would be built on the front of the lot and, perhaps, a stable. On the next parallel street the owner would do the same, thus bringing two rag-shops close together. The owners of the adjoining lots would do likewise, and so, gradually, there was built up a dangerous collection of large wooden buildings, many of them with no partitions throughout the whole building. The natural physical danger was a standing menace as regards fire; but, when to this was added the moral hazard produced by a fall in the price of stock and a full line of insurance, the situation was serious in the extreme. Most of those men are good square business men doing business legitimately; but some of them are rascals, and the moral hazard there was something to be considered, and, in addition to that, there came a fall in the price of rags and a good big insurance, you can see what the hazard was. This was in the northwest corner of the city, the direction from which the strongest winds are experienced. We have had many large fires in this section. Many times a conflagration has been avoided by such a narrow margin as to cause serious misgivings in the minds of the commanding officers, as to what would have happened, if something had gone wrong, such as an engine breaking down at a critical point or a second fire occuring at the same time. On January 22 last, a really serious fire occurred in this section during a gale of wind, and was stopped only by the use of seven engines, three of which were from outside cities. Several times when engaged on a fire uptown, a fire has started in this district, some of them undoubtedly of incendiary origin. The habits of the people, who seem to have no conception of the danger from fire, was another factor to consider, and predictions of a sweeping fire starting in this neighborhood have been many among the firemen ; but, inasmuch as we always had succeeded in controling these fires, the city fathers and the general public rested in fancied security. Here and there, however, were men who knew the conditions and were capable of sizing up the situation.” * * * The chief had recently begged for hydrants enough to be set in this section for fifteen engines, and the board, moved by his prediction of a probable conflagration, had promised to grant his request. The conflagration of April 12. however, intervened, and all the conditions necessary for a fierce fire were on hand. F.ach “was provided and was present in full force. The conditions required were a dry spell of weather, a serious lire requiring the services of the whole department and. while so engaged, a second fire starting in the socalled rag district, attaining dangerous proportions before the department, handicapped as it was bv the first fire, could get the first stream of water upon it, and. finally, a northwest gale blowing at the rate of 40 miles an hour.” * ’ * At first the men called to the fire thought one hydrant stream would be sufficient to extinguish it. and the rest of the apparatus was about to be ordered to its quarters, when it was found that the wind had blown some of the rags into the buildings of the Boston Blacking company about 60 yards to leeward and was hidden by the smoke. A brisk fire at once broke out and soon four or five streams w’ere “playing on the flames; but, owing to the nature of the contents and the fierce gale that was blowing, it was found necessary to order a second alarm, which brought every piece of apparatus into service. On the arrival of this reinforcement, the fire was soon checked, driven back to the first building and was safely under control, although 500 barrels of resin were still burning fiercely, when we were informed that bales of rags in the yard of one Rosenfield, 1,000 ft. southeasterly and not in line with the first fire were burning. Two chemical engines were immediately sent to this fire, followed a minute later by a hose wagon. This force was sufficient to control the fire in the yard; but, while the firemen were still overhauling the rags, they W’ere astonished to see the large rag shop of Levisky & Co. burst into flames on all three floors. This was a frame building 100 x 40 and 3 stories high, and was one of a group of similar flimsy structures in this section of the city. This fire started from the inside, and there was not a door or window open in the building. Word of this new danger was immediately sent to the chief, who ordered everything to make up and get down to this second fire, except one engine, which was left to finish the Boston Blacking company’s fire. This it did unaided, but it was four o’clock in the afternoon before it was able to join the rest of the department., * * * On the arrival of the chief, he found two chemicals and a hydrant stream at work. An extra engineer and team brought the reserve engine from the central firehouse, and Everett was telephoned to for aid, as were Boston, for all the help that it could spare without regard to the alarms, and all the surrounding cities within ten miles. This outside assistance arrived as promptly as could be expected, “yet the fire was gaining headway a good deal faster, and the Hebrew tenants in the neighborhood were panicstricken, coming out of their homes carrying mattresses and clothing, on which sparks would alight, and they would be dropped on the street: the wind fanned them into a blaze in an instant, and blew them in among the wooden houses, thus spreading the flames.” * * * Roofs all round were catching fire, and soon the blaze became altogether unmanageable. The department did its best to hold the fire as best it could, “until reinforcements arrived, and, wdiile we succeeded in holding it in some places, owing to the velocity of the wind and character of the material, there were so many fires set behind us, that the whole neighborhood in the rear was afire, and we had to abandon our lines several times to save the apparatus. We backed off. losing first one block after another.” Tn the end, the fire burned itself out at the water’s edge. No mention of using dynamite was made by anyone either of the Chelsea department or those who came to the aid of the city from Boston or elsewhere. To have attempted to do so “would have been useless, the fires not advancing with any regularity. The fires that jumped over our heads and set back fires were what ‘knocked us out;’ and what was the use of dynamiting? We were thirtysix hours in the Boston fire and eleven hours in the Lynn fire, where powder was used, and we failed to see any good results from it. Under the circumstances, we certainly would not have permitted anything of the kind in the Chelsea fire. When the city of Richmond was evacuated at the close of the War of the Rebellion, it was set on fire by the retreating Confederates. An army corps under General Witzel entered the city and by the use of powder leveled a large circle round the fire and thus succeeded in stopping it. This is the only case on record in this countrv. where explosives have been used successfully in checking a conflagration. These men were trained soldiers, commanded by skilled officers. and they could handle powder successfully. The modern fire department has not such was afire. He at once ioaded an Ahrens engine on a flat car and, with its crew, hose. etc., sent it over the railway to the scene, while he himself made the trip in an automobile. On arrival at the scene of the blaze, he found that the main plant of the concern, which had been erected three years, consisting of a 1 -story expanded metal and wood buildings, covering about 2’A acres, had been destroyed. The fire originated in the kiln, and, as there was no means of quelling it, except by a bucket-brigade, Chief Tyron reorganised the workers and systematised their work. The source of supply was a lake, and, when the steamer arrived, 1,800 ft. of Eureka cotton hose was stretched to the w’ater, and two streams w’ere thrown, the nozzles used being i-in. No special fire-tools were used, and not a length of hose burst. The plant, of course, could not be saved; but the houses of the workpeople were preserved intact. The cause of the fire was the dropping of a redhot clinker upon oily waste. The machinery was burned, and all the cement that was in storage was ruined by fire and water. The total loss was $250,000.
