New-York tribune., 1902-02-12
PLANS FOR REBUILDING.
CONTACTS LET BY PATER-
SON SUFFERERS.
.rnrRMEN ALLOW NO FRAME BUILD
AREA-AnLITIA STILL IN
CONTROL.
[Br TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]


Paterson. Feb. 1.-Two days have passed
siucs ths terrible conf7agration swept over
rhis city, and still the fire is the chief topic
Of conversation. II is the great event OF the
year. and Of many years. 70 the Paterson peo-
pie Il seems that every man, woman and
child for fifteen miles around has been here to
see the black spectrelike ruins. And truly the
burned district has a certain weirdness about It
that holds the gaze. Shivering with wind THAI
respects the thickness OF no oyercoar, thou
sands OF people have walked for hours through
the ruined distr1ct-except those streets which
are hedged in by militia-watching gangs Of
men tumble weak walls over and other gangs
burrow under heated bricks for safes and valua-
bles The soldiers strictly adhered to their or
ders regarding the close inspection Of passes
Falling bricks made this imperative.
The burned district is exclusively under the
control Of the military tonight, and passes
from the Mayor, Sheriff or Chief OF Police
not recognized by the national gTardsmen. Only
those countersigned by Captain Ross. who is in
command Of the battalion, are good. This
changed condition went into operation at 7:30
O'Clock tonight, and before o'clock Sheriff
sturr, Chief Of Police GrauI and City Controller
Donahue were arrested by a sentry as they were
trying % pass through the lines. The city off,
csls had failed TO secure military passes for
Themselves, and they found themselves in a
tight place. The sentry had called the corporal
Of the guard. and they were about to be
marched UP to the aTrnory when Colonel Camp
bell and Colonel Parker came along and secured
their release. They were passed through the
The most interesting feature Of the day TO
those Who have the future welfare of the city
al heart was the number of contracts let for the
construction Of new buildings on the site OF the
fz lent
among all classes which finds steady encourage
ment from reports Of contracts let Every one
argues with pride that Paterson cannot be
downed that il has affluence enough TO pusL.
past its sister cities and invested wealth enough
TO increase tenfold its reputation q thriving.
energetic. prosperous commercial city.
The crowds were thickest this afternoon in
front Of the new City Hail. at Market and
Hamilton sts-. which was destroyed. They stood
there for several hours watching worknen pull
ing down the front and east wall Of the Pater-
son National Bank building. a 1ve story brick
structure. which looked a good deal like a
charred coal CRATE turned upside down. The
front wall Of the structure when jerked over
BY horses made enough noise TO please every
sightseer Nor was any disappointed when
the last wall finally dropped. The first cable
snapped after making the wall sway bit, but
the second cable was Of wire and did the job
thoroughly. Curiously enough when the dust
cleared a small safe was seen AT the second
story above q corner window.
SMALL AMOUNT OF SALVAGE.
Il IS generally conceded that there will be only
4 small amount Of salvage worth carting away
from the ruined blocks. The fire was so intense,
the heat powerful, that unprotected iron pill
lars could not Withstand the strain.
score OF iron safes dug up to-day from
under piles OF brick when opened were found to
Be anything but freproof. One mans safe
dropped upon a bunker Of coal in the cellar.
The coal took fire and is still burning. The own
er having seen the interior of other safes which
had been dug OUT has little hope Of saving his
Faluables which are locked up therein. When
ex-Judge Frank Van CIeve opened his safe In
The Romaine building to-day he found his papers
in ashes. Seventy-ave Wills and several hundred
thousand dollars worth of municipal and water
company bonds had been destroyed.
These financial bonds can be restored by hold
ers giving refunding bonds to the corporations
issuing them City Counsel Dunn's safe in the
hoHlaine Building was also opened to-day. AL
though the papers were not in ashes, they were