The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-02-26

of fine bank buildings surrounding the
City Hall, was one roaring furnace.
At the same time q great shaft OF flame
was seen to shoot up in the air from
Park avenue and Straight street, a
distance of almost half a mile, and
on the other side of the Erie track. Ihe
sparks had carried to that point and
started a new conflagration. almost as
large as the one downtown, although
among buildings which were not so
pretentiouS.
The section above the Erie tracks
is q residential section, and here fami-
lies suffered more than downtown.
Scores of families did not have time to
move their goods and chattels. They
sought shelter with friends whose
homes seemed to be outside the range
Of the confagration. The fire made a
clean sweep of the block bounded by
Park avenue, Straight street, and Six
teenth avenue, almost up to Carroll
street. 1t crossed Park avenue and
swept through the block to the south
and cleared away all the houses
through to Market street. 1t trav-
eled up Market street, on both
sides to Carroll street, and at
tackled ST. Joseph's Church, which is
on the northeast corner Of Market and
Carroll streets. This was the extreme
eastern limit Of the fire, about mile
from the place where it started. 1t
travelled in somewhat zigzag course
to the east, with width Of two blocks,
but the lines were not clear cut.
Had it not been for the men at the
silk mills of Doherty & Wadsworth
and the William Strange Company it
is likely that the fire would have
spread to the Sandy Hill section.
William Squier, q foreman in one of
the mills, got the force pump at Do
herty &; Wadsworth's mill working,
and they extinguished roof fires i'll
both of these mills and in several cf
the surrounding houses. They could
not save the silk finishing mill of Al
fred Crew, short distance from the
Doherty & Wadsworth mill. but they
kept the flames from spreading. This
was really the only volunteer effort to
fight the flames.
By 4 o'clock in the afternoon the
fire was under control. Most of the
dwelling houses to the east Of the
Erie Railroad which We're destroyed
were valued at from $4,000 to $4,000
each.
According to the general theory the
fire originated in the car barn from
electric sparks igniting the roof of
the barn. The feed wires, it was said,
seemed to carry the fire into all parts
Of the building at once, causing it to
blaze as If oil had been thrown upon
the wooden building.
The rents Of stores in Main street
and adjoining streets went up at an
alarming rate during the day, when
people who were burned out tried to
secure temporary quarters. Bankers,
lawyers. business men and others
were hurriedly trying to find PLACES
to continue operations rs usual,
but they found it a difficult task.
A number Of the business men
are practically ruined by the fire.
They had little. If any. insurance, and
they have lost their all.
A number of the churches. includ-
ing the Market Street Methodist, the
Paterson General Hospital and many
houses were opened to receive the
homeless. Ali the people in the city
who suffered no loss are showing in
every possible way their sympathy for
those in distress.
Estimates Of the losses on the prin-
cipal buildings are as follows:
First National Bank, 100000.
Paterson Savings Bank, S35, 1000.
Second National Bank. $4,000.
Paterson Safe Deposit and Trust
Company, S140,000.
First Baptist Church, 100000.
Second Presbyterian Church. $780,
900.
Park Avenue Baptist Church, S40,-
900.
st. Joseph's Catholic Church and
buildings belonging to it, 100000.
Quackenbush & Co.'S department
store. building, $4,000; contents.
100000. +
Boston Store. building. s175.0OO;
Woolworth & Co.'s new building,
$25,O0O.
Old City Hall, $4,000.
Romaine Building, $4,000.
United States Hotel. $4,000.
Hamilton Club. $4,000.
Young Mems Christian Association,
$4,000.
Paterson Evening News. 100000.
Odd Fellows Hall, $4,000.
Scheurer & Co.'S wholesale grocery
and ice plant, 100000.
Franklin House. $4,000.
Ball Building, Main street, 100000.
Garden Theatre, $4,000.
High School, $150,000.