The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-10
ELEVEN LIVES AND MANY
HOMES DESTROYED BY FIRE
Some of the Best Resi-
denCeS Burned.
Damages From the ConHagration
Reach Millions.

1
of which was told in these
dispatches yesterday, developed into
confagration. 1t swept through
Paterson today, and in its desolate
wake are the embers and ashes of prop
erty valued al $l0,0g0,0G0.
1t burned its way through the bust
ness section of the city and claimed
as its own a majority OF the finer struc-
lures devoted 10 commercial, civic. ed
ucatiOnal and religious use, as well as
scores Of houses. There was but small
tribute Of life and injury TO the con
nagration, but hundreds were left
homeless and thousands without en-
plOymeut. \ relief movement for the
care of those Uusheltered and unpro-
vided for has already been organized,
and Mayor Hinchciiffe said tonight
that Paterson would be able 10 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 COM
munity, temporarily daZed by the ca
lamity, has already commenced the
work of reorganization and restora-
ton.
1t commenced in The car shed and
was burning fercely when one Of the
employees detected il. III was leapiug
through the roof and the gale was lift
ing il in forks and sWirls when the
fire apparatus came into the roadway
at Van HOuten and Main streets The
firemen tried TO hem the blaze in, but
1t skipped across Van HOUten street
in one direction and Main street IN
another, and, gaining Vigor as il went
burned unchecked down into the bust
ness district. Every piece Of fre
mechanism in the city was called out.
but the fire and gale were masters
a great torch of flames rose high IN
the air, lighting up the country for
many miles and carrying a threat and
warning to the people and property IT
/ its path. There were efforts 10 rescue
furniture and stock, bat the speed with
/ which the fire moved gave the resCUers
/ little time Property was often moved
! to place of presumed safety. only 70
/ be eventually reached and destroyed
/ The warning 10 many vas brief and
! they were forced TO flee, scantily clad,
! into streets glazed over with ice and
( swept by the keen wind.
Aid From Adjacent Cities.
Main street was soon arched over
with a canopy of fire for block, and
then for two blocks. as the flames
] fastened themselves upon building
after building. The nremen fought with
/ ever. resource Of their craft and the
I impulse of desperation. but the flames
/ found new avenues in Ellison and Mar
| ket streets, and got beyond all con-
I troll
: CaHsf or relief went out TO every
! city in this portion of the country, and
/ the jaded firemen labOred on through
] the hopeless hours of the morning The
( city hall, magnificent structure. sur
mounted by a great clock tower, situat-
/ ed on Washington. Ellison and Market
] streets. finally caught. and with It
went all of the splendid business struc-
/ lures that surrounded it. They made
! great furnace Of fire that burned with
/ a fierce roar.
There was a series Of explosions, and
scores of walls fell when the fire left
tLem strengthless. Flying fire brands
carried the confiag grafton over some
buildings and around others, and II,
I therefore. burned in an irregular
course. These brands finally cleared
/ the tracks of the Erie railroad and
/ Ramapao avenue, and, alighting on
/ Straight street, started another fire,
from which the destruction and desc
1 latiOn wrought was nearly as great as
in the other.
All the Buildings Burn.
This second great fire started at the
angle of Park avenue and Washing
ton street and swept almost unchecked
until on these two thOTOughfares there
| was no more fuel. On the Tight-hand
side of Market street 1t encountered
Sandy Hill cemetery as barrier 10
/ check it. but on the left-hand side OF
Carroll street il claimed St. JOseph's
church, a great classic stone building
II was on this side that the FIRE de
Dartments did the most and heroic
work. They fell back only when they
had to. and when the natural obstacle
interpOsed they seized their chance and
stopped the fire
The final and one of the most des-
perate fights of the day occurred In
rnid-afternoon back in the first fire
area at the Hamilton club, situated at
the corner OF Church and Ellison
streets The handsome club house
| caught and the exhausted Eremen
were rallied around it.
They were anxious to save the struc-
ture. and realized that failure meant
the fire might take new Roadway
among the properties adjoining. The
building was doomed. but torrent OF
water kept the fire TO the premises.
The four walls of the club house stood,
but the roof collapsed. and the interior
was completely burned out
Many Spectators Bother Police
Paterson lies in a valley, and the
conhagration was an imposing spec
tacIe from the hills that wall it IN
Columns Of flame climbed high IN the
air and shed their light for miles.
Hundreds of persons hurried into the
city before daylight To watch the work
of destruction at close range, and when
1.-THE day came thousands more Joined
them. The fire became d great popular
SPECTACLE that claimed patrons from
, New York and every outlying town IN
New Jersey. They crowded the regu-
lar trains of the railways operating
through here. and compelled the dis
Matching of extra trains. Once in the
? CITY. they crowded around the frenen.
; and at times hamDered them IN their
work
Police lines were impossible, and
through the day they poured in an
endless stream through the desola te
! streets. Great pinnacleS Of ruined
! brick stood in every street, but the
crowd passed under them Unmindful Of
? the warnings of the police and hremen'
Not Many Deaths Reported
one death was reported as a possible
outcome of the cOnhagration, Mrs.
! Brown. who, is was said, was over 81
wears old. and who was removed from
her residence. IS Broadway, just two
, doors from where the fire started in the
, car sheds. She was taken TO the resi-
dence of d friend near by shortly after
midnight, and died about an hour later