The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-02-10
PATERSON FIRE
LOSS WILL BE
EIGHT MILLION
SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE ACCUR-
ATE AND SATISFACTORY FIG
UREs CAN BE PREPARED.
INSURANCE ABOUT S4,OOO,OOO
Small Casualty List Is Surprising, but
Accounted for by Slow Progress
of Fire-Every Zone Is
Open to Sufferers.
INSURANCE ABOUT S4,0O0,OO0
(By Associated Press.)

Paterson, N. j., Feb. 10.-The fierce
conilagration which burned ts way
through the business center of Paterson
yesterday has completely spent Itself
ana is quickly dying out In the ashes
and broken brick OF its ruins.
The flremen who hurried from other
cities to save the endangered city have
gone back to their homes and several
companies of the local department have
been ordered to their houses for the rest
and refreshment they 50 sorely need.
Conservative opinion inclined today to
cut $2.0O0,000 from the aggregate loss OF
$lO,OOO,OOO aggregated yesterday, and
$S,0D0,O0O will probably be accepted finally
as the actual cost CT the fire
No tabulation of individual losses that
can be accepted as reliable has been
maize yet and it will be several days
before satisfactory figures can be pre-
pafed. tlsAn
Equally Incomplete Is the estimate oc
insurance. 1t was stated here today
that the amount Of insurance was be-
tween $i000,000 and $5,000,000, but what
gave basis to the calculation was not
clear. Several of the largest losers said
they had not yet had an opportunity 10
examine their policies and that meantime
they could not tell what amoGn. they
carried.
Homes Thrown Open.
Probably no fire of equal magnitude
and widespread destruction ever pro-
duced an equally small casualty list.
Dozens of firemen and the volunteers
who labored with them were slightly in
jured by falling bricks and timber,
burned by flying fire brands or tenn.
porarily overcome by smoke, but ouly
a few of them needed surgical or med
icai attention.
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 hradway during the
night. Famed by strong winds, II
burned up fitfully In places during the
early hours OF the morning, but wher-
eyer It showed threatening strength the
firemen turned streams on 1t and beat ii
down.
The firemen were completely exhaust
ed after more than 80 hours continuous
work, but remained at their posts.
There was comparatively little suffer-
Ing on the part of those rendered home
less by the fire, and the armory.
churches and public places opened their
DOORS but there were but few appli-
conts during the night.
Only Two Deaths.
Practically every home that escaped
the flames was thrown open and nearly
every refugee found shelter at the home
of some school children and several hum
dred more who attended st. Mary's pa
rochial school found themselves on en-
forced vacation today, but by the end
of the week they all will be back at their
desks.
The high school pupils will divide the
quarters of the normal school with half
day sessions at the start. A bread and
coffee famine was averted by outside aid.
A Newark bread company, early this
morning, started wagons loaded with
5000 loaves Of bread for free distribution
In fhe stricken city.
But Few Injured.
In the hospitals are SO persons injured
In the long fight against the flames.
Two deaths were due to the calamity.
One was that of an old woman who fell
down stairs In her anxiety to view the
fire. The other was a woman who had
just become a mother and who died as
the result OF being removed from her
home
!. The sternest feature which Mayor
tHitchcliffe and his CO. workers find con-
fronting them today Is the necessity of
providing employment and permanent
homes for the destitute. The fact that
the great silk mills escaped the flames
Is quite important.
Half the population depends upon the
silk trade and II their occupation had
been taken away the situation would
have been appalling. Another industry is
locomotive building and 1t was equally
fortunate that these works escaped the
Games.
WI The great Rogers works and the
american locomotive works give en-
ployment to thousands and these are
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