Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-02-15
FRE-SWRPT
More Than Twenty-siI City Blocks
Wiped Out.
THE Loss WILL REACH 5000. 600

Flames Started In Traction Power
House and Swept Through Business
Part Of City With Relentless Fury.
Hundreds Are Rendered Homeless.
Paterson, n. j.. Feb. 10.-A great
sre swept through Paterson yester-
Say, and in its desolate wake are the
emhers and ashes OF property valued
at $S,oOo,0oo. II burned its way
through the business section Of the
city and claimed as it's own a ma
Jority Of the finer structures devoted
to commercial, civic, educational and
religious use. as well as scores OF
houses. There was but small tribute
OF life and injury to the conhagration,
but hundreds were left homeless and
thousands without employment.
More than &c blocks Of the city have
been destroyed. The business section
Of the town lying between Prospect
street, Broadway, Paterson and Mar.
ket streets was wiped cut completely.
The residence portion destroyed ex-
tended from Pearl street to Market
street and from Straight street to
Carroll street
What started the fire is not certain.
but 1t is thought that one of the feed
wires running into the car barns was
responsible. From the car barns the
flames leaped to other buildings close
by, and these were burned before the
first call fremen reached the scene.
The fire came at Saturday midnight
and was only checked after a des-
perate fight that lasted until late yes
terday afternoon. Every city and
town within reach OF Paterson sent
hremen and apparatus to the relief of
the threatened city, and 1t took the
united efforts of them all to win the
battle. A northerly gale gave the con.
Migration its impetus and carried it's
burning brands to kindle the blaze
afresh at other points. The fremen
made stand after stand before the wall
Of fire, but were repeatedly driven
back, and when victory finally came
to them they were begrimed and ex-
hausted.
Buildings Destroyed.
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 and school No. Is.
Churches-Eirst Baptist. Second
Presbyterian, Park Avenue Baptist.
ST. Marks Episcopal and ST. Joseph's
Roman Catholic.
Banks-First National, Second Ma
tional partially. Paterson National.
SILK City Trust, Hamilton Trust and
Paterson Trust.
Club houses-Y. M. C. A. Knights
OF Columbus, Progress Club. st. Jo-
seph's Hall and Hamilton Club.
Office buildings-Romaine building,
katE building, Marshall & Balls, Cohn
building. old town clock, old Kline
building and Stevenson building.
Telegraph companies-Western I'm.
ion and Postal Telegraph.
Theatre--The Garden.
Newspapers-The Evening News
and Sunday Chronicle.
Stores-Quackenbush & Co.. dry
goods; National Clothing company.
Kent's drug store, Kinsilla's drug
store, Muzzy's hardware and general
merchandise store, Marshall & Bail
clothiers; John Norwood, paints:
Oberg's grocery, wertendyke's gro.
Gerry, p. II. & w. G. Shields, grocers;
The Paterson" dry goods; Jordan's
piano store, Sauter 6 Co., pianos,
FEEDER & McNair, shoes; lenders con-
fectionery; Lsppin's tea store, Ra-
gowski's millinery, Brohal & Mueller,
shoes; c. e. Beach, automobiles;
Morehead g. Son, clothiers; Paterson
Gas and Electric company, Skye's
drug store and Mackintosh's drug
store.
An estimate made from a general
inspection of the smouldsring ruins
placed the number of dwellings and
apartment houses destroyed at 500
and the number of families left with
out shelter at 1000.
The fire began it's work OF destruc
ton at the power house of the Jersey
(NitV Hnbnkan md Datarcnn To al.