The Lamar register., 1902-02-12
GREAT FIRE At PATTERSON.
Worst Fire in the History of the New
Jersey Town.-loss, Ten Millions.


and in its desolate wake are the EN-
bers and ashes of property valued ut
SO 100000.
1t burned its way through the bust
ness section of the city and claimed as
its own Il majority of the finer struc-
lures devoted to commercial. civic, ed
ucational and religious use, rs well as
scores of houses.
There was but small tribute Of life
and injury to the contiagration, but
hundreds were left homeless and thou
sands without employment.
A relief movement for the care of
those unsheltered and unprovided for
| has already been organized and Mayor
John Hinchcliffe said tonight that
Paterson would be able to care for her
! own without appealing to the charity
| of other communities and states. The
great manufacturing plants of the
place are safe, and the community,
temporarily dazed by the calamity,
has already commenced the work of
reorganization and restoration.
The fire came ut midnight and was
only checked after desperate fight
that lasted until late in the afternoon.
Every city and town within reach of
Paterson sent tiremen and apparatus
to the relief of the threatened city, and
|
to win the battle.
| A northerly gale gave the conflagra-
ton its impetus and carried Its burning
brands to kindle the blaze afresh at
other points. The tiremen made stand
after stand before the wall of fire, but
We're repeatedly driven back, and
when victory finally came to them they
We're grimed and exhausted.
A partial list Of the properties de-
stroyed follows:
Public Buildings-City hall, public
library, old city hall, police station, No.
1 engine house, patrol stables, high
school. school No. 10.
Churches-First Baptist, Second
Presbyterian. Park Avenue Baptist,
ST. Joseph's Roman Catholic.
Banks-First National Second Ma
tional partially. Paterson National,
silk City Trust, Hamilton Trust, Pat
erson Trust.
Many other business blocks and of
flee buildings We're also destroyed.
An estimate made from II general in
spection of the smouldering ruins
placed the number of dwellings and
| apartment houses destroyed Mt 800.
and the number of families left with
out shelter at 1000. a re-estimate
when order succeeds confusion may
alter those figures.
The fire began Its work of far
reaching destruction at the power
house of the Jersey City, Hoboken ~
Paterson Traction Company, which
fronted on Broadway and extended II
block to the rear on Van Houtcn
street 1t commenced in the car shed
and was burning fierccly when one of
the employees detected it. 1t was leap
ing through the roof and the gale was
lifting 1t in forks and swirls when the
fire apparatus tame changing into the
roadway ut Main and Van Houten.
The fircmen tried to hem the blaze
in, but II speedily crossed Van Houten
street in one direction and Main street
in another, and. gaining vigor as 1t
went, burned unchecked down into the
business district. Every piece of fire
mechanism in the city was called out,
but the fire and gale were masters.
Calls for relief went out to every city
in this portion of the county and the
faded firemen labored on through the
hopeless hours of the morning. The
city hall, a magnificent structure, sur
mounted by great clock tower, stu
ated on Washington. Ellison and Mar
ket streets, finally caught and with 1t
went all of the splendid business struc-
lures that surround 1t. They made Il
great furnace of fire that burned with
a fierce roar.
There were n series Of explosions and
scores of walls fell when the fire left
them strengthless. Flying firebrands
carried the conflagration over some
buildings and around others, and ii
therefore burned in an irregular
course THESE brands finally cleared
the tracks of the Erie railroad and
Ramapo avenue. and alightingA on
Straight street, started another great
area of fire in which the destruction
and desolation wrought was nearly as
great as in the other.
This second great fire started at the
angle of Park avenue and Washing
ton street, and swept almost un,
checked until on these two thorough
fares there was no more fuel. On the
right hand side of Market street 1t en-,
countered Sandy Hill cemetery as a
barrier to check it, but on the left
hand side at Carroll street it claimed
St. Josephs church, n grent classic
stone building. 1t was on this second
great fire that the volunteer firemen
from the outside cities did their most
heroic and effective work. They fell
back only when they had TO and when
the natural obstacle interposed they
seized their chance and stopped the
fire