Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-11
NOT DISCOURAGED,
Paterson Citizens Preparing to
Resume Business.
City Will Soon Be Rebuilt With
Handsome New Blocks.
Assistance Coming and Offered from
All Sides-Two Deaths.

! Paterson, n. j., Feb. 10.-The fierce
conflasration which burned it's way
through the business section Of Pater-
| son, yesterday, has completely spent it's
force and is quickly dying out in the
ashes and broken brick of its ruin. The
firemen who hurried from other cities
to save the endangered city have gone
back to their homes and several COM
panies of the local department have
i been ordered to their houses for the
rest and refreshment they so Sorely
need.
Conservative opinion, today, inclined
to cut $4,000, 600 from the aggregate loss
Of $10,000,000 agreed upon, yesterday,
and sS,0000O0 will probably be accepted
finally as the actual cost of the fire.
No tabulation of individual losses that
can be accepted as reliable has yet been
made and it will be several days before
satisfactory figures can be prepared.
Equally incomplete is the estimate of
insurance. 1t was stated here, today,
that the insurance amounted to be-
tween $4,000. 900 and s5.000OOO. but what
gave basis to that calculation was not
clear. Several of the largest losers
said that they had not yet had an OPP
portunity to examine their policies and
that meantime they could not tell what
amount they carried.
Probably no fire of equal magnitude
and widespread destructiveness ever
produced an equally small casualty list.
Dozens of firemen and the volunteers
who labored with them were slightly
injured by falling bricks and timber,
burned by flying fire brands or tempo
rarily overcome by smoke, but only a
few of them needed either surgical or
medical attendance.
The small casualty list is explained
by the fact that the people had ample
warning and time to abandon their
homes before the flames came upon
them.
The fire made no Roadway during the
night and within few hours will be
completely burned out. Famed by a
strong wind it burned up in places dur
ing the early hours of the morning. The
firemen were completely exhausted
after more than 80 hours continuous
service, but they remained at their
posts. and will go on until nothing fur
Their remains to be done.
There was comparatively little suffer-
ih7 oi tic part OF those rendered nome
less by the fire. and the armory,
churches and public shelters opened
their doors to but few applicants dur
ing the night. Practically every home
that escaped the flames was thrown
open in a spirit of broad charity and
nearly every refugee found shelter at
the house of some friend. The decIara-
ton of Mayor Hincliffe that the city
can care for its own is not concurred
in by everybody and there may be an
appeal later for outside help. The local
plan of relief is rapidly perfecting or
ganization and when it fully measures
its task by complete inquiry there will
be decision of the question of asking
aid from other communities.
With the embers still aglow in the
business district, commercial Paterson
planned resumption and restoration.
All of the banks burned out, yesterday,
opened for business in temporary quar-
tiers. today, and the officials of the
banks expressed a determination to do
their part in the maintenance of the
financial standing and credit of the
CONTINUED on page ~