The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-10
Loss of Ten Million Dollars Estimated to Have
Been Caused by Terribly Destructive :.
Fire, Which Swept Away Twenty
Five Blocks.
BILLOWS OF FLAME FILLED THE STREETS
Hundreds of Firemen Labored Like Heroes to-
Conquer the Fire Fiend, but Their Eff
forts Were Almost Bafled.

burned with fierce roar. There was a,
series of explosions and scores of walls
fell when the fire left them strengthIess.
Flying frebrands carrier the conhagra-
ton over some buildings and around
others and it therefore burned in an
irregular course. 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
DISSOLUTION wrought was nearly as great
as in the other.
SECOND GREAT FIRE
PROVED VERY FIERCE.-
This second great fire started at the
angle of Park avenue and Washingtons
street and swept almost unchecked un-
til on these two thoroughfares there
W2S no more fuel. On the right hand
side of Market street it encountered San
dy Hill cemetery as a barrier to check
1t, but on the left side at Carroll street
it claimed St. Josephs church, a great
cassie stone building 1t was on this
second great fire that the volunteer fire.
men from the outside cities did their
most heroic and effective work Tney
fell back only when they had to and
when the natural obstacle interposed
they seized the chance and stopped the
fire.
The final, and one of the most desper
ate fights of the day, occurred in midaf-
ternoon back in the first fire area at
the Hamilton club, situated at the cor
ner of Church and Ellison streets The
handsome club house caught and the.
exhausted firemen were rallied around
1t. They were anxious to save the
structure, and, besides, failure meant
that the fire might take new headwav
among Thp 7ioix
mousse The building was doomed how
ever, but torrent of water kept the
nre to the premises. The four walls or
the club house stood, but the roof COL
lapsed and the interior was completely
burned out.
FLAMES WERE SEEN
FOR MILES AROUND.
Paterson rests In a valley and the
conHagTation was an imposing spectacle
from the rim of hills that wall if in.
Columns of flame climbed high in the
ar and shed their light for miles. Hun
dreds of persons hurried into the eity
before daylight to watch the work Of
destruction at close range and when
the day came thousands more Joined
them. The fire became a great popular
spectacle that claimed patrons from
New York and every outlying town in
New Jersey. They crowded the regular
trains OF the railways operating through
here and compelled the dispatching or
extra trains Once in the citv thew
crowded around the fremen and at
times hampered them in their work
Polce lines were impossible and througfg
the day they poured in an endless
stream through the desolate streets
Great plnnacles Of ruined brick stood In
every street, but the crowds passed un-
der them unmindful Of the warning OF
police and f1remen
With the crowd came thieves and
looters but there was not much piIlag-
ing Under orders from Gov. Franklin
Murphy who hurried here from k,r-
sey City, companies A, C, X and M OF
the Fifth national guard, assembled ar
their armories and were held as a re-
serve force. The police, deputy sheriffs,
hundreds Of special watchmen and fire.
men united in protecting property dur
ing the day, and when night came a.
grim order clearing the streets was is
sued by the city and county authorities.
ACRES OF EAiBERS
THE ONLY LIGHT.
Despite the precaution of the authori-
ties there was much confusion in the
streets at night. The destruction of
wires left the city in darkness. save
Tor the duh glow given off by the acres
OF emberS in the two great fire areas
Thousands of belated visitors crowdel5
around the depots and struggled in the
dark for places in the overcrowded
trains. The street railway system was
also severely impaired through the in
jury of its wires.
Early in the day the mayor issued an
oroer forhiddang the sale of liquor It
was not obeyed however, and there was
drunkenness.
Three relief meetings were held during
the afternoon, the principal one of
which was attended by Gov. Franklin
Murphy, Mayor John Hinchliffe. Record
er George B. Senior, who under the
city s charter is fire marshal, In a few
moments pa $500 was handed to the mayor
FOR Immediate use. but the chief magis-
trate said that while the city hat suffer-
ed a terrible visitation he was in a posi-
ton to say that there was very little
distress. The business section OF the
city had been practically wiped out but
the residence portion which suffered was
that In which well-to-do citizens lived
BLOCKS
ARE BURNED OVER.
The area Of restriction foots up rough
ly twenty-five city blocks.
From Main street to Paterson street,
Van Houten and Market streets.
there is but little left. On the block
bounded by Main, Ellison, Washington
and Market streets, not single building
except that Of the Paterson Savings in
5titution stands. All along the West side
Of Main street property is wiped out, and
on the east side also, from Market to
Van Houten streets
Along the south side Of Broadway, be-
tween Washington and Church streets
sreat damage has been done.
Van Houten street is reduced to smold-
ering debris, so far as buildings are con-
cerned, for some distance.
Ellison street suffered from the neigh
oorhood of Prospect street, on the north
side, as far as Church street On the
south side Of this street there is wide
Continued ON Eighth Page.