The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-10
LOSS S8,OOO,OOO.
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of the Erie railroad and AamapO avenue
and alighting on Straight street started
destruction and desolation wrought was
nearly as great as in the other.
This second great fire started at the
angle of Park avenue and Washington
street and swept almost unchecked until
on these two thoroughfares there was
no more fuel. On the right-hand side of
Market street it encountered Sandy Hill
cemetery a barrier to check it, but
on the left-hand side at Carroll street
it claimed st, Joseph's church, a great
classic stone building. 1t was on this
second great fire that the volunteer fire
men 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 the chance and stopped the
fire.
A DESPERATE FIGHT
The final and one of the most desper-
ate fights of the day occurred in mid
afternoon back in the first fire area at
the Hamilton club, situated at the cor
ner of Church and Ellison streets. The
handsome club house caught and the
exhausted fremen We're rallied around
it. They were anxious to save the Struc-
ture, and, besides, failure meant that
the fire might take new Roadway among
the properties adjoining the club house
The building was doomed. however, but
a 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
Paterson rests in valley and the con-
hagration was an imposing spectacle
from the rim of hills that wall 1t in.
Columns of flame climbed high in the
air and shed their light for miles. Hun
dredS of persons hurried into the city
before daylight to watch the work of
destruction at close range and when
the day came thousands more Joined
them. The fire became a great popular
spectacle that claimed patrons from
New York and every outlying town In
New Jersey. They crowded the regular
trains of the railways operating
through here and compelled the dis
patching of extra trains. Once in the
city they crowded around the firemen
and at times hampered them in their
work. Police lines were impossible and
through the day they poured in an end
less stream through the desolate streets
Great pinnacles of ruined brick stood in
every street. but the crowds passed un-
police and firemen. With the crowd
came thieves and looters. but there was
not much pillaging. Under orders from
Governor Murphy, who hurried here from
Jersey City, Companies A, c, K and
NJ, of the Fifth infantry, national guard.
assembled at their armOrieS and were
deputy sheriffs, hundreds of special
watchmen and f1remen united in pro-
tecting property during the day, and
when night came a grim order clearing
the streets was issued by the city and
county authorities. Despite the precau-
ton of the authorities there was much
confusion in the streets at night. The
destruction of wires left the city in
darkness save for the dull glow given
off by the acres of embers in the two
great fire areas. Hundreds of belated
struggled in the dark for places in the
overcrowded trains. The street rail-
way system was also severely impaired
through the injury of its wires
Early in the day the mayor issued an
order forbidding the sale Of liquor. 1t
was not obeyed, however, and there
was considerable drunkenness.
Had not the wearied Paterson fire.
men been helped during the day by
brother firemen from neighboring cities
and towns it is tolerably certain that
the municipality would have suffered
in a. far greater degree than it did. Jer-
sey City, Newark, Passaic. Rutherford,
Ridgewood, Hoboken and Montclair sent
engines and other fire apparatus, we'll
manned, to the stricken city as soon as
it became known how tremendous a
conffagpation it was. The Jersey City
firemen arrived about o'clock in the
morning when the fire was at it's height,
the engines being run over railroads on
fiat cars The horses were carried in
box cars speedily pressed into service.
The Sunday Chronicle issued an eX-
ira at o'clock in the morning, giving
the story of the first two hours of the
down Ellison street attacked the
Chronicle office and completely de-
stroyed it.
ORIGIN IS UNCERTAIN.
What started the fire is not certain,
but it is thought that one of the feed
wires running into the 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. In
side of two hours the fire reached Main |
street. This was the critical point of |
the fire. The firemen sought to hold it |
and failed. The First Baptist church /.
was one of the first to go after this. |
The destruction of the church was spec |
tacular. The tower burned before the !
body of the building. A big blazing |
splinter was carried through the air |
and lodged on a window sill From |
this the flames spread up to the top of |
the tower and while all around it was
still intact the tower blazed up and |
presented a beautiful sight. From the /
tower the flames descended into the |
church and from then on the fight was
seemingly hopeless.
One death was reported as a possible /
outcome of the conflagration, Mrs.
Brown, who it was said was over 80
years old, and who was removed from
doors from where the fire started in
the car sheds. She was taken to the
residence of a friend nearby shortly
after midnight and died about an hour
later 1t was said that her death was
FASTENED by the excitement consequent
on her hasty removal to a place of
safety.
Scores of persons We're hurt and
burned, but the loss of life is not
thought to be great There are many
persons missing, but in the excitement
and fright most of these are supposed
to be separated from their families and
friends. Until order is brought out of
the chaos nothing definite can be
known.
Reuben Islip, while serving coffee to
the exhausted firemen, was hit on the
head by falling beam and it is doubt
full if he will recover He was carried
away by the firemen as they made their
retreat from the doomed school house
George Fitzmaurice, a firemen who
had been acting as driver for Fire
Chief Stagg, is also dying. He was
fn1. Patssai c 11rta1, the