The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-02-13
PATERSON BLAZE
AGGREGATE LOSS BY SUNDAYS
BIG FIRE NOW PLACED AT
EIGHT MILLIONS.
GREAT INDUSTRIES ESCAPE

GREAT INDUSTRIES ESCAPE
Immense Silk Mills and the Large Lo-
connective Works, Giving Employ.
ment to Thousands of People, Out of
the Way of the FIames-Fire RACES
for Thirty Hours Before It Is
Brought Under Control.
Paterson, N. j., Feb. 1.-THE fierce
confiagration which burned its way
through the business center of Pater-
son Sunday has completely spent it's
force and is quickly dying out in the
ashes and broken brick of it's ruins.
The firemen who hurried from other
cities to save the endangered city
have gone back to their homes and
several companies of the local depart.
ment have been ordered to their
houses for the rest and refreshment
they so sorely need. Conservative
opinion is inclined to cut 100000
from the aggregate loss of $10,000,000
agreed upon Sunday and $S,000,000
will probably be accepted finally as
the actual cost of the fire. No tabula-
ton of individual losses that can be
accepted as reliable has yet been
made; and it will be several days be.
fore satisfactory figures can be pre-.
pared. Equally incomplete is the esti.
mate of insurance. 1t was stated that
the insurance amounted to between
$4,O0O,OO0 and $5,OOO,O0O, but what
gave basis to the calculation was not
clear. Several of the largest losers
said that they had not yet had an op-
portunity to examine their policies,
and that meantime they could not tell
what amount they carried. Probably
no fire of equal magnitude and wide.
spread destructiveness ever produced
an equauy small casualty list. Dozens
of firemen and the volunteers who
labored with them were slightly in
jured by falling bricks and timber,
burned by flying firebrands or tenn.
porarily overcome by smoke, but only
a few of them neeued either surgical
or medical attention. The small cas-.
ualty list is explained by the fact that
the people had ample warning and
time to abandon their homes before
the flames came upon them.
Firemen Completely Exhausted.
The fire made no Roadway during
the night. Famed by strong wind
it burned up fitfully in places during
the early hours of the morning, but
wherever it showed threatening
strength the firemen turned streams
on it and beat it down. The firemen
were completely exhausted after more
than 80 hours continuous work, but
remained at their posts.
There was comparatively little suf.
ferings on the part of those rendered
homeless by the fire and the armory,
churches and public shelters opened
their doors to but few applicants dur
ing the night. Practically every home
that escaped the flames was thrown
open in spirit of broad charity and
nearly every refugee found shelter at
the house of some friend.
The declaration of Mayor Hinch.
cliffe that the city can care for it's own
is not concurred in by everybody
and there may be an appeal later for
outside help. Those who are organic.
ing a plan Of relief will soon be able
to reach a decision of the question OF
asking aid from other communities.
With the embers still aglow in the
business district commercial Paterson
planned resumption and restoration.
All of the banks burned out opened
for business in temporary quarters.
and the officials expressed determi.
nation to do their part in the main.
tenance of the financial standing and
credit of the city.
The militiamen remained on guard
all day, and will be kept under arms
and on DUTY as long as necessity for
their services exists. Much valuable
property is still exposed and the
authorities are determined to prevent
looting or disorder. Saloons that at.
tempted to open after midnight were
promptly closed and the sale of liquor
was prohibited until after daylight.
Principal Industries Escape.
The fact that the great silk mills
escaped the ravages of the flames is
most important, as silkmaking is the
principal industry of the city. About
half the population depends upon the
silk trade and if their occupation had
been taken away the situation would
have been appalling. Another impor
tant industry is that of locomotive
building, and it was equally fortunate
that these works escaped the flames.
The great Rogers works and the
American Locomotive works give EN-.
ployment to thousands and these are
running as usual
Just before daybreak, the militia ar
rested in one haul II men caught
footing a building. Companies A, c
and M of the Fifth regiment; Com
pany A of Passaic and SO deputy sher
ifs were on guard all night. They had
orders to club any one who did not
obey orders to move on. The 12C
members of Paterson's police force
went on duty at o'clock, relieving
the militiamen.
The anarchists who have made this
city their headquarters mourn the loss