Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-02-13
MAJORITY OF THE CITY's FINEST
BUILDINGS ARE LAID IN
RUINS.
flRtMfN STRUGGLE FOR HOURS
HUNDREDS ARE LEFT HOMELESS
AND THOUSANDS OUT OF EN-
PLOYMEST.

in its d~esolate wake are the embers and
ashes of property valued in preliminary
estimate at $40, 900, 900. 1t burned Its
way through the business section
Of the city and claimed as it's own a
majority of the finer structures devoted
20 commercial, civic, educational and
religious use, as well as scores of
houses. There vas but small tribute of
life and injury to the conflagration. but
hundreds were left homeless n thou
sands without employment. A relief
movement for the care of those unshel-
tered and unprovided for has already
been organized. and Mayor John Hench-
cliffe said last night that Paterson
would he able to care for her own with
cut appealing to the charity Of other
communities and states. The great
manufacturing plants of the place are
safe. and the community,
Temporarily DARED
by the calamity, has already COM
menced the work of reorganization and
restoration. The fire came at midnight
Saturday and was only checked after g.
desperate fight that lasted until late
yesterday afternoon. Every city and
town within reach of Paterson sent
fremen and apparatus to the relief of
the threatened city. and It took the
united efforts OF them all to win the
battle. 4 ~northerly gale gave the con-
~flagration its impetus and carried its
burning brands to kindle the blaze
afresh at other points. The firemen
made stand after stand before the wall
of fire. but were repeatedly driven back,
and when victory finally came to them
they were grined and exhausted. An
estimate made from a general inspec-
ton of the
S~mouIdering Ruins
placed the number of dwellings and
apartment honses destroyed at 500 and
the number of families left without
shelter at 1000. The fire began it's work
of far-reaehing destruction at the
powerhouse of the Jersey City, Hoboken
n Paterson Traction company. II COM
menced in the car shed and was burning
fiercely when one of the employees de-
tected it. The iremen tried to hem it
in but it speedily crossed Van Houten
street in ne direction, Main street in
another. and, gaining vigor as il went,
burned unchecked down into the bust
ness district. Every piece OF fire
mechanism in the city was called out,
bur fire and gale were masters. A great
torch of
Flame Rose High
In the air. lighting up the country for
many miles and carrying a threat and
warning TO the people and property In
Its path. Main street wa soon arched
over with a canopy OF fire for a block,
and then for two blocks. as the flames
fastened themselves upon building after
building. The iremen fought with
every resource of their craft and the
Impulse of desperation. but the flames
found new in Ellison and Mar
ket streets and got beyond all control.
Calls for relief wen out to every city
n this portion of the state and the
isded flremen labored on through the
hopeless hours OF the morning. The
city hall, a magnificent structure, sur
mounted by a great clock tower. situ-
,ted on Washington. Ellison and Mar
ket streets. finally caught, and with II
went ali of the
Splendid Business Structures
that surrounded it. They made a great
furnace of fire that burned with a fierce
roar. There was a series of explosions
n scores of walls fell when the fire
left them strengthless. Flying fire.
brands carried the confederation over
some buildings and around Others, and
IL therefore burned in an irregular
These brands finally cleared
the tracks OF the Erie railroad and
Ramapo avenue, and alighting on
straight street. started another great
area of fire in which the destruction and
d~esolation wrought was nearly as great
as In the other. Paterson rests in a
valley and the confagration was an
imposing spectacle from the rim of the
hills that wall IL in. Columns of fame
climbed high in the air and shed their |
light for miles. Hundreds of persons
Hurried Into the City
before daylight to watch the work OF
destruction at close range, and when
the day came thousands more Joined
them. Once in he city they crowded
the firemen and at times
hammered them in their work. with the
came thieves and looters. but
there was not much ~piIlaging. Under
orders from Gov. Franklin Murphy,
who hurried herr from Jersey City,
A, G, X ard NJ, OF the Fifth
Guard assembled at their ar
rnories and We're held as a reserve force.
The police, deputy sheriffs. HUNDREDS of
watchmen and iremen united In
protecting property during the day. and
when night came a grim order clearing
the streets was issued by the city and
county authorities
Loss of Life In Feared.
Scores of persons were hurt and
but the loss of life Is net
thought to be great. There are many
persons supposed TO be missing, bu. in
the excitement and fright most OF these
are supposed TO be separated from their
N friends. Until order Is
brought out OF the chaos which has ex-
here nothing definite can be
known. Reu5en Islib, while serving
'offee to the exhausted ffemen, was hit
on the head BY a falling beam and IL
. doubtful II he viii Owe