Great Fire in Chelsea

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 29, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 18.

Great Fire in Chelsea

A very destructive fire swept away a large part of the city of Chelsea, a suburb of Boston, on Sunday, April 12. Chelsea is a suburb of 40,000, but has its own local government. Formerly it was principally a residence place, and some very fine homes were located there. But in recent years a large number of factories have been established and many of the former fine residences were turned into apartment houses for the workers in these factories. Insurance officials from hasty calculations place the loss at from $7,500,000 to $10,000,000. The total that the insurance companies will have to pay is figured at about $5,000,000. Four persons are known to have lost their lives in the fire, and fifty persons were injured. 1,500 families, comprising about 10,000 people, were rendered homeless. A forty-five mile an hour gale was blowing while the fire was raging. A relief committee was promptly formed, and every effort is being put forth to care for the homeless victims of the great disaster.