The Dickinson press., 1902-02-15
I ZEN MI I. LION FIRE
PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AND RESI-.
DENcE SECTION OF PATER.
SON, N. ., DESTROYED.
The Fire Gets Beyond Control and
Twenty-Five Entire Blocks Are De.
oyed-Departments Of All the
Nearby Towns Lend Their Aid and
4 the Flames Are Finally Checked IA
Thousand Families Without shelter.

~. = . q j . s l.
Paterson, N. j., Feb. 10.Fire which
broke out in this city at midnight has
burned the principal business and
residential sections and caused a loss
estimated. at 100000, 900. So far az
known no. lives have been lost, but q
score or more persons have been in.
jured. Famed by 40snile gale the
confagratiOn ragsi beyond control
until afternoon, when. afer destroying
Is entire blocks, it was checked by
the combined efforts of the fire de
partments Of all the nearby towns.
The business section Of the town
lying between Prospect street. Broad.
way, Paterson and Market streets
was wiped out completely. The resi-
dent portion destroyed extended from
Pearl street to Market street and
from Straight street to Carroll street
The city hall, all the national banks
i've churches, the high school and all
of the principal business houses and
public buildings were in the ruined
section. The militia is on duty guard
ing property. 3tEa
An estimate made from q general
inspection of the smouldering ruins
placed the number of dwellings and
apartment houses destroyed at soc
and the number of families left with
out shelter at 1000.
The fire began its work of far
reaching destruction at the power
house Of the Jersey City, Hoboken
and Paterson Traction company
which fronted on Broadway and ex
tended block to the rear on Var
Houten street. It commenced In the
,carshed and was burning fercely
when une of the employees detected it
1t was leaping through the roof and
the gale was lifting It; in forks and
swirfs when the fire apparatus came
upon the scene, and, gaining vigor az
1t went, burned unchecked down into
the business district.
Every piece of fire mechanism In
the city was called out, but fire and
4 to rescue furniture and stock, but the
speed with which the fire moved gave
the: rescuers little time. Property
was often moved to place of pre-
sumed safety only to be eventually
reached and destroyed. The warning
to many was brief and they were
forced to flee, scantily clad. tnte
streets glazed over with ice ant
sWegt .by the keen wind.
Calls Sent Out for Aid.
The f1remen fought with every re
source of their craft and the impulse
Of desperation, but the flames found
~ nyr IN. IC11{ory,s snySH Mo xlynt
streets and got beyond all control
Calls for relief went out to every city
|. in this portion Of the state and the
jaded' firemens 1abored on through ths
hopeless sahours Of the morning.
E Flying frebrands carried the con
|. .fiagratton sdRef some buildings ant
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 desolation wrough
was: nearly as great as in the other.
| This second great fire started at th.
angle of ark:avenue and Washing
/ ton street and swept almost unchec ecket
until on these two thorosighfares ther,
was.no more fuel. On the right hans
side, Of Market street it; encountered
Sandy Fill cemetery as q barrier t,
check it, but on the left. side at Car
roll street it claimed st. Joseph
church, "a great classic stone building
1t: was ION this: second great fire tina
FFthe volunteer firemen from the outsid,
cities did their most heroic and effec
tive work. They fell back only whel
they had to and when the natural oh
stacle interposed they seized tn,
chance and stopped the fire:
Paterson rests IN valley and th,
confiagration was an imposing spec
tacfe from the rim of hills that wal
1t in. Columns of flame climbed higl
in the air and shed their light to
miles. Hundreds Of persons hurrie,
into the city before daylight to watcl
the work Of destruction at close rang
and when the day came thousand
more Joined them. The fire becam,
a great popular spectacle that elaine,
patrons from New York and ever.
outlying town in New Jersey.
b Z