USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > The burning of Chelsea 1908 > Part 5
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Mr. Herbert Norton, chairman of the Chelsea License Commission, immedi- ately canceled all licenses which had been issued in Chelsea and Police Commis- sioner O'Meara of Boston issued the following order the night of the fire: -
"City of Boston, Police Department. " April 12, 1908.
"Under the authority conferred upon me by sec. 19, chap. 291, acts of 1906, I hereby suspend and make inoperative until further notice all licenses to sell intoxicating liquors in police division 7 (East Boston) and in that part of police division 15 (Charlestown) lying between Mystic and Charles rivers and the har- bor on the north and east and southwest and a line on the west drawn through Everett Street, extended to Mystic River, Concord Street, Monument Square, Pleas- ant and Devens streets, Rutherford Ave-
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nue and Arrow Street, extended to the water, including both sides of said streets, square, and avenue.
"Sec. 19 provides further that :-
"'Any licensee who personally or by his servants or agents sells, furnishes, or delivers any intoxicating liquors during such suspension shall be punished by a fine of $200 for said offense, and his license shall become forfeited.'
"This suspension will be revoked as soon as it becomes evident that public safety and order in the parts of the city specified no longer require it.
" (Signed) STEPHEN O'MEARA,
"Police Commissioner of the City of Boston."
Nearly two hundred refugees were sent to the South Armory, and housed in the quarters of Battery A, Field Artillery. Armorer George Thorpe worked untir- ingly for their comfort. The Mellin's Food Company sent to Chelsea twenty-
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five cases of malted milk, the National Biscuit Company two hundred boxes of Uneeda biscuits. The Horace Memorial Church on Webster Avenue took care of two hundred people. The McGee Fur- nace Company, the Revere Rubber Com- pany, the Forbes Lithograph Company, and many other big manufacturing plants, established relief stations for their own employees.
The rector of Saint Rose Catholic Church issued the following notice: -
"Chelsea, April 15, 1908.
"The parish is fully covered by insur- ance and has no need of assistance, and has a glorious future before it. We have no need to think of that now. Provision will be made for masses and everything of that kind.
"What we are wholly intent on now is the relief of the poor. We have three bureaus of supplies open day and night, and all may come for relief. All who are in the city, whether of our faith or not,
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will be gladly welcomed. We will sup- ply them with food and clothing, and will engage and furnish tenements in Boston and elsewhere. We beg Chelsea people who have left the city, and are temporarily with friends, but who can- not stay long where they are, to come and let us provide for them.
"Our depots are at the Spencer Avenue Catholic school, at the old parochial resi- dence, Broadway and Crescent Avenue, and at the corner of Williams and Broad- way.
"THOMAS J. CUSICK, Rector."
The three banks which were destroyed secured temporary quarters in a building near the Court House, and inside of twenty-four hours had their securities out of the ruins, and were able to pay depositors who needed money.
The morning after the fire the Chelsea Post-office opened temporary quarters in a pool room on Park Street. All mail that was in the burned Post-office was
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saved by heroic work of the department, and three deliveries were made during the day following the fire, although the majority of people to whom mail was addressed could not be found.
Congressman Roberts at once intro- duced a bill in the House of Represen- tatives appropriating $125,000 to pro- vide for a new building.
Furniture companies and other busi- ness concerns took immediate measures to relieve their patrons. Instalment houses announced that their customers having unsettled accounts need not worry about payment, as all goods sold were insured.
Major Walter E. Lombard made an appeal to the military organizations throughout the State for funds to relieve the members of the Fifth Com- pany, Coast Artillery Corps, whose Ar- mory had been destroyed, and who had lost, not only their clothes, but in thirty- five cases their homes. Over $1500 was contributed to this fund.
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The labor unions of Boston were prompt in coming to the aid of their members who suffered in the fire.
Hundreds of loaves of bread came over in the wagons of Ferguson, Fox, and other bakers, while Cobb, Bates & Yerxa and S. S. Pierce & Company had great four-horse wagons early on the scene, loaded with provisions of all sorts. Sup- plies piled in from all sides. The Keany Square Relief Station looked like a great warehouse. In one day the following gifts were acknowledged by this sta- tion : -
A carload of clothing from the Phillips Brooks House, a carload of suits from the Brookline relief committee, a box of clothing from Mrs. Kennison, gifts from the First Presbyterian Church on Colum- bus Avenue, clothing from boys of Phil- lips School, gifts from Shepard, Norwell & Company, gifts from C. F. Hovey & Com- pany, an express load of packages from the city of Somerville, gifts from the King's Daughters of Cambridge, twelve
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barrels of gifts from the Salem Thought and Work Club, gifts from W. S. Butler, fifteen mattresses from the New York Mattress Company, three boxes of goods from the Jordan Marsh Company, goods from James A. Houston & Company, goods from W. H. Brine & Company, goods from High School at Dorchester Heights, goods from the Friendly Society of the South Congregational Church, goods from the Concord Woman's Club, one hundred and seven dozen pairs of stockings from the Star Theater Com- pany, goods from the Women's Guild of the Church of the Good Shepherd, and gifts from G. B. H. Macomber.
The spirit the citizens themselves showed, compelled admiration from every outsider. They were courageous, to say the least, and the general sentiment among them was not downheartedness, but determination to relieve the suffering at once, and then to reestablish the municipality on a better basis than formerly.
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The people fully appreciated the gen- erosity shown them throughout the State, and more than one, big, strong, able-bodied man felt a lump come into his throat when he read of and saw the many things that were being done by strangers outside of the city for its relief.
Two days after the fire the city had hundreds of unemployed at work clearing the streets. Judge Bossom announced that until conditions were relieved he would deal stringently with drunkards and other law breakers, and suiting his actions to his words, gave four men ar- rested the night after the fire the full penalty allowed by the law.
The prompt and systematic organiza- tion for relief gave assurance to the peo- ple of the State that their funds would be wisely directed in relieving the needs of the people and resulted in private purses being opened in a most generous and liberal way.
Lee, Higginson & Company received
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sums ranging from a few dollars up to several thousand, aggregating in the neighborhood of $350,000.
In spite of all that was done in the city there was not room for all, and the sur- rounding towns and cities made Chelsea's needs their own. The Revere Town Hall was thrown open to the refugees, the Revere Women's Club taking care of one hundred and fifty at night and feed- ing more during the day.
In Malden Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, the First Baptist Church, the Congregational, the Methodist, and the Catholic churches were thrown open to the needy.
Everett, Medford, and Winthrop also took care of many of the destitute. The Civil Service House in Boston was opened from the beginning of the trouble, and most of the lost children were sent there. The Boston English High School opened its doors and took care of about one hundred refugees as long as was neces- sary.
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A monster dramatic entertainment was held at the Boston Theater, and all the actors playing in Boston at the time gave their services. The entire proceeds were given to the relief fund. The best seats sold at large premiums, and every seat and all standing room was taken.
Mrs. Pelbouth of the Dennison House, offered the service of women connected with that institution; the Wayfarers' Lodge accommodated two hundred men; the Bay State House on Hanover Street took care of from thirty to forty; the Parker Memorial on Appleton Street of- fered the use of its rooms; H. F. Denny of the Lakeshore Home, Sharon, took care of fifty women and children; Sister Gabriel of the home for Destitute Chil- dren offered shelter for children left homeless; about five hundred people found shelter at the Salvation Army Palace; the Saint James Hotel, Bowdoin Square, Boston, offered to take care of a number; the Massachusetts General Hos- pital offered employment to five men and
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agreed to take twenty to thirty sick people and supply nurses.
The Animal Rescue League sent men to Chelsea to look out for the homeless dogs and cats in the burned district. Those suffering from injuries were at once chloroformed; the others were taken to the Carver Street Home and held for owners to claim.
Help of every description was offered to man and beast. It came quickly and in abundance without being called for; and those who wondered during the fire if there was a God, soon found him in the hearts of the people of the Common- wealth.
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CHAPTER XII
CHELSEA'S FUTURE
In spite of the fact that no munici- pality in the State ever had such a blow as Chelsea, which lost millions of tax- able property and fully one third of its population, the city has a glorious future before it. Of this there is no doubt. It will be rebuilt, bigger and better in every way. It will be a different kind of a city, howeve The conservative people, who have lived in their old houses year after year, although the environment about them had changed, will in many cases rebuild in different sections of the town. The old style of architecture will give way to the new. There will be a relocation of schools and churches, and the City Hall and other
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public buildings will be more conven- iently located. Streets will be widened and laid out differently in many cases, and the old houses and buildings which had been remodeled into stores along Broadway will be replaced by fine busi- ness blocks of brick and concrete con- struction. Hardly had the smoke of the fire cleared away when the people turned their thoughts towards rebuilding.
Chelsea is the home of many able and influential people, representing large man- ufacturing, banking, political, and pro- fessional interests. These men, who had their business and property interests at stake, decided that to secure confidence in the city and rapid rebuilding was impossible under the existing city charter, but that if a board of five competent men were appointed by the governor and given the power of the mayor, Board of Aldermen and School Committee for five years, it would be possible. The appointment of such a board or com- mission, it was believed, would cut out
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all political strife. A bill was there- fore introduced and at a hearing held on April 28 at the State House nearly all the prominent citizens were present. As a matter of record the following speeches are of interest, showing, as they do, the general feeling of the people.
Mayor John E. Beck spoke as follows :-
"We have come to the conclusion, regardless of everything else in the city, that legislation is needed to promote the welfare and future of our city. Nearly five hundred acres have been destroyed by the fire, and now we are confronted with the task of rebuilding the city. We have agreed, I believe, in the city of Chelsea, almost to a man, that if we have Chelsea's future at heart, and we believe that her future must be pro- tected, that legislation of this kind is needed. Political ambition and other things of that nature must be eliminated. We have come to you as a unit from the city of Chelsea, to ask you gentle-
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men of the committee to give us this bill. It will then be in the hands of the governor to appoint whom he sees fit, citizens, as the members of that commission, so long as they are of our own citizenship. We can then bring back the confidence that is desired, and build a more beautiful and substantial Chelsea than before. The mayor or Board of Aldermen lack the power to do what is now needed to accomplish this work. The work of reconstruction must be carried on by a body, indepen- dent in action, and as a citizen, I wish to further those things which are of essen- tial benefit to every inhabitant of our city. This cannot be accomplished by politics. This is my first year as mayor; I am willing to sacrifice that and all my own political ambitions, that our city may prosper in this year of progress and take its place among the leading cities of the Commonwealth. A bill of this nature carries with it the one thought, that we must have the best men possible;
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in order to restore confidence and thus secure results which will insure the fu- ture and best interest of the city."
Congressman Ernest W. Roberts said :-
"The little I have to say will be as a citizen of Chelsea, a resident of that municipality for over forty years. Chel- sea of to-day is not a city of wealthy people. You have heard from the city treasurer somewhat of the losses that we have sustained. If our city is to be rehabilitated, if we are to become once more a flourishing municipality, it is necessary in the first instance to restore confidence, both in the people now liv- ing in Chelsea and those who have been forced out of the city by reason of this fire, and what is much more important, the confidence in financial men in the future of that city. We have got to have large amounts of money poured into the city to rebuild it, and without that basic principle of confidence in the future of the city we are not going to
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get the money. I am not in favor of government by commission, but there are times and conditions when it seems to me that the commission is the only solution of the problem, and I firmly believe to-day that the question con- fronting the people of Chelsea can only be solved through a commission. With- out a commission there would be a lack of continuity of government, so essen- tial for the successful solution of the problem that now confronts the people of Chelsea. Through a commission a comprehensive scheme can be laid out and can be carried out, step by step. After its conclusion and when the com- mission has done that work, the govern- ment of the city can be turned back to its citizens under its present plan, or such other plan as the conditions then presented to the city and country may warrant. I am not here to argue for every line in the bill, but I am in favor of the basic idea of the bill, which is a commission which shall have a fixed
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tenure of office in order that there may be given to those men sufficient time to carry out their plans. If your bill does not provide enough time, you are not going to accomplish what we want, and that is the creation of confidence among monied men. I would suggest for the consideration of the committee one possible amendment, and that would be towards fixing a definite sum of money which the commission could raise by the issue of bonds. It would seem to be wise not to leave the matter en- tirely open in the bill as it is to-day."
Hon. Willard Howland spoke as fol- lows: -
"I think there has been wiped out no single complete ward. The area of the city is fourteen hundred acres, and about four hundred and ninety have been devastated. That is a strip about six thousand feet long and one thousand feet wide. It is estimated that about $8,000,000 of its taxable property has
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been destroyed. This bill comes before you as the result, I think, of a very great concerted action among all the citizens. Necessarily, some one must take the lead. Shortly after the fire, within a day or two, representatives of the financial interests and the insurance interests, manufacturing and other in- terests of the city, were called together by some few representative men and others and discussed the prospective needs of the city. The great problem is the one of to-morrow, and it was believed that in- asmuch as a very large proportion of the property destroyed must be rebuilt by capital borrowed for the purpose, the essential was a large degree of confidence in the city's ability to go forward and pay the debts which it would be obliged to incur, a confidence which it was necessary to reestablish, if it had been destroyed. Now it is true that the fire passed through largely the residential portion of the city, and on both sides of the fire-swept district remain many business enter-
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prises. I think there were thirty-seven of the various institutions represented in the consideration of this matter, for we have some manufacturers there who employ a thousand men and whose pay- roll amounts from $10,000 to $11,000 a week. The people's opportunity for employment has not been interrupted, but their homes have been destroyed. It is intended to rebuild them, but the constitutional limitations would prevent our asking for aid for the accomplish- ment of that purpose. That must come through the confidence of private in- vestors in our ability to rebuild and maintain our city.
"I think, however, it may be said that there are three propositions on which we agree absolutely, and that is, that there should be at this time a commis- sion appointed to take charge of finan- cial affairs and administer the govern- ment for the city. I think we are agreed that the commission should be appointed by the governor with the advice of the
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council. There is necessity for the State's assistance to be rendered in this emer- gency. We differ on some things which I think are not so essential as those things upon which we agree. I think that the appointment of the commission should be in the hands of the governor, without the limitation as made. We are not agreed as to the terms of the commission, that is, the length of time that it should serve. My own opinion of that is this, that we should appoint a commission for such term as should be sufficient to warrant the opinion that some policy could be defined and carried out. If the Legislature chooses at some future time to change the situation, they can do so. If any citizen desires a change, he, individually, or they, collec- tively, can come to the Legislature and ask for a change. If government by commission is to the satisfaction of all citizens, it may continue without fur- ther legislation. The necessity is ap- parent and I think nine tenths of the
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citizens are in favor of the bill. You may feel that some of its elements should be changed or limitations made, and, of course, that is open to your considera- tion."
Others who appeared in favor of the commission were: Judge Albert D. Bos- som, Ex-Mayor Carter, Ex-Mayor Mitch- ell, A. B. Atwood, Rev. R. Perry Bush, Hon. James Gould, William Martin, Hon. H. W. Pratt, Walter C. Mitchell, Ex- Mayor Strahan, Benjamin F. Dodge, Colonel Moses, Councilor Hoag, Charles G. Roberts, H. P. Sanborn, Royal S. Wentworth, C. Willis Gould, John Dun- can, William Prescott, George H. Buck, Reinhard E. Bartels, Lorenzo D. Dixon, George H. Dunham, Hon. Eugene T. Endicott, George B. Guild, Ralph W. E. Hopper, Andrew T. Hunnewell, Geo. E. Morrill, Herbert L. Slade, Henry H. Stickney, Leonard A. Treat, Walter Whittelsey, and James S. Wilson.
The hearing was practically unani- mous in favor of the bill as presented.
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The next day two other bills were put in, not greatly different, and after a tiresome delay a combination of the three was made up by the Committee on Metropolitan and City Affairs and put before the Legislature. The bill quickly passed the Senate, only to be held up in the House, but finally after a lengthy debate passed, to the general satisfaction of all those who had the best interest of Chelsea at heart.
It is pretty safe to say that any com- mission the governor appoints will pro- hibit light and flimsy buildings. This will tend more than anything else to drive out the undesirable citizens.
This commission will not be preju- diced for or against any particular ward, neither will the members have any con- stituents to care for to the detriment of the city.
Although Chelsea has an attractive residential district, which was not de- stroyed by the fire, as can readily be seen by the illustrations, it never again
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will be the residential city that it was fifty years ago, as the area is too limited and the shipping facilities make it too valuable for anything but manufacturing purposes.
When the work of dredging, now in progress along the water front, is com- pleted the city will have a mile of valu- able wharf property, which is bound to bring more business into the city and to increase the valuation.
The shoe factories, which employ thou- sands of people, were just outside the burned area, which was fortunate for the employees, who lost their homes. Most of these people carried some in- surance and can rebuild as long as they are assured of employment.
The Chelsea Trust Company proposes to erect a fine building entirely for their own use. The Chelsea Savings Bank has bought additional property, and in rebuilding will double the size of its former building.
The city is assured of a hundred and
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twenty-five thousand dollar Post-office. Ex-Mayor Strahan proposes to re- build his beautiful home on Bellingham Hill.
The Frost Hospital drew $35,000 in- surance, and as much more is assured to build a new hospital.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will certainly provide Chelsea with a fine armory to replace the one destroyed.
Most of the churches will at once start to rebuild; and when the city gets its many buildings up, it will not be long before many new and desirable people will locate in Chelsea.
An attempt is to be made to get the Metropolitan Park Commission to secure permission from the United States gov- ernment and carry out the plans origi- nally made during Mayor Pratt's admin- istration for a Marine Park along the Mystic River in front of the Naval Hospital.
At that time John D. Long was Sec- retary of the Navy and was interested
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to the extent of visiting Chelsea and inspecting the project. It was found, however, that the cost of filling would be too great.
Since then the government has appro- priated money to dredge the Mystic River, and the only expense would be to move the sea wall out several hun- dred feet to the low-tide mark. The dredging could then be done by the new hydraulic system, thus saving carting the dirt out to sea to be dumped.
This improvement would not only greatly help Chelsea, but would make the hospital grounds and neighborhood much healthier.
The residents of Chelsea are determined to drive out the Hebrew junk dealers, and the insurance companies are helping by canceling all policies on rag shops. The people of Chelsea have tolerated these undesirable citizens as long as they propose to; fire after fire of incendi- ary origin has taken place until there is no alternative, - they have got to go.
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As terrible as the fire was, God saw it was for the best, and in a very few years the people are going to look at it in the same way. The new city which is about to spring up will take the place that the Chelsea of the sixties held, - excelled by none, and better than most.
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