Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-02-13
PATERSON'S
LOSS BY FIRE
Will Probably Reach Eight Millions OIL
Dollars.
UNABLE TO STATE The INSURANCE
Said TO Total Between Four and FIVE
Millions but the Basis of Calcula-
tiOn Was Not Clear.
UNABLE TO STATE The INSURANCE

Paterson, N. j., Feb. lO.-The herce
c,nAagralion which burned its way through
the business portion of Paterson yesterday
has completely spent lis force and Il
ouickly diving out in the ashes and broken
brick OF its ruin.
Conservative opinion inclined today &c
cnt 81. 900 600 from the ggIegate loss o.
$4,000. 600 agreed upon yesterday an
So OOO, 900 probably will be accepted nnal
" as the actual cost OF the fire. No taou
lation of individual losses that can be ac
cepted as reliable has yet been mace Sno
il will be several days before satisfactory
figures can be prepared.
Equally incomplete is TIE estimate o.
insurance. 1t was stated here today 'ha'
tbe insurance amounted to between S4'
600. 600 and S., 900, 600 but what gave Oa
sis to The calculation was not yet cleSr
sovera, Of the largest losers sid they hac
not had the opportunity to examine 'heii
no,icies and that meantime they couio
not tel! what amount they carried.
STARTED AT MIDNIGHT.
The fire began at midnight and was
checked only after desperate light 'na'
lasted late until this afternoon. Every
citv and town within reach Of Paterson
sent firemen and apparatus, and u 'ooA
the;r united efforts to win the battle. a
northeast gale gave the cOnhagra'lon
great impetus and carried burning Oranc'
70 kindle and blaze afreeb. The hremen
made stand after stand before the wall ol
fire hut were repeatedly driven back
When victory finally came to them they
were exhausted.
Like many Of the greatest Tires OF reeeA'
times II l. one had lis origin as far as car
be determined, in the def ctive insulation
of elect,ic cecd wires in the power house
and car sheds Of the Jersey City, Hoboker
and Pa,tron Traction Company, OF
Broadway. Il was a few moments sltel
midnight when Charles Abrams, who Ii
employed on the night force in the black
smith shop of the company, saw flames II
the rear Of the sheds. Within few nhn
utes he had the night dispatcher turn II
the alarm, but the employe and tiremer
could not prevent the FIRE from spreading
The firemen tried to hem it in, but u
speedily q ossed Van Houten street in one
direction and Main street in anoiher
Gaming vigor as it went, it burned nn
checked down into the business district
The warning to many was brief anc
they were forced to flee. Fcantily clad into
streets plaz. d With ice and swept by The
keen Wind
There was series Of explosions, an(
scores of walls fell.
Among the properties destroyed wer
EIGHT public buildings, five churches, 81
banking houses, five club houses, sever
office buildings, the Western Union an
Postal Telegraph buildings, the Garde
Theatre, the Evening News and Sunda
Chronicle newspaper offices, and twenty
five store houses.
The fire became great popular spects
Gle that aimed sightseers from New Hor
and OUTLYING towns in New Jersey. The
crowded the regular trains and the raj
WAYS we're compelled to disT atch ext
trains.
With the crowd came thieves and loo
era. but there Wac not much plllagln
Early in the day the mayor Issued
order forbidding the sale of lquor 1t WI
not obeyed, and there was conslderab
drunkenness.
The heart of the proud "Silk City" is
mass of ruins. 1t was eaten out IN LEI
than "a hours by blaze which, for fer'
de,iructiveness. has not been paralIellt
since that which desOlated Jacksonvill
Fla.
Relief meetings are being held in sever
of the nearby cities and towns Tor the De
est Of the stricken city.