Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-11
Estimated Loss at Paters'
New Jersey, is Eight Mil
lion Dollars.
SCENE ONE OF DIsASTEn

Thousands of People Are Homeless =
Bread Is Being Distributed-Two
| Are Dead and sixty.three Are Iniur-
ed-Burned Out Banks Resume.
-
Paterson, Feb. 1O.-The fierce con-
flagration which burned it's way
through the business center of Pater-
son yesterday, has completely spent
its force and the firemen from other
cities have gone back to their homes,
and the several local companies have
been ordered to their houses for the
rest and refreshment they so sorely
needed.
Conservative opinion places the to-
tai loss of SS,OOO,0OO; insurance be-
tween 100000 and $5,OOO,O0O. No sat
isfactory tabulation of individual losses
and insurance can be made for sever
al days.
In the hospitals are sixty-three per-
sons injured in the long fight against
the flames. Two deaths are 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 woman who had just become a
mother, and who died as the result of
being removed from her home.
The sternest feature which Mayor
Hinchchiff and his co-workers find
confronting them today is the neces-
sity of providing employment and per-
manent homes for the destitute. A
bread and coffee famine has been
averted by outside aid. The Newark
Bread Co. early, this morning started
wagons loaded with 5000 loaves Of
bread for free distribution. Wealthy
residents OF this city have ordered
large supplies OF coffee and provisions
from Passaic, Newark and New York.
The wonlen's relief committee has es-
tablished headquarters in St. PaIrs
Episcopal church and will provide for
all who may apply for. assistance.
Banks Resume.
All the banks burned out yesterday
opened for business in temporary
quarters today. All banks and trust
companies announced their safes and
vaults had proved strong enough to
preserve the securities, moneys and
records locked in them at the close OF
business Saturday. Many of thos';
whose business places and homes We're
destroyed were ruined financially and
must give up but a majority will be
able to start afresh. They are cour
ageous and confident.
The Losses.
The principal buildings destroyed
beside twenty-five stores, are:
Public Buildings.
City hall ........... $500, D0(
Public Library .......... $50. 10000
Old city hall ...... .......... 5000,
Police station 80. ...... -. LOG, 00
No. / engine house ......... $4,000
Patrol stables ...... ........ 10000
High school ........ ........ $4,000
School No. 1 ........ ........ $4,000
Churches.
First Baptist $3.50. .........$100 90
Second Presbyterian ........ LIS, 90
Park avenue Baptist ........ $500
st. Marks Episcopal. ...... 125 90,
ST. Joseph's Roman Catholic +, 14O, 90
Banks.
1yirst National ;. ....... ..... 1926, OO(
Second National (partially) -. 5000
( paterson National ...... -. 100 ,0Ot
* silk City Trust. ..... ........ 10000
Hamilton Trust $500. ...... $4,000
Patterson Trust ...... .... 10000
Office Buildings.
R omaine Building. ...., $780, 90
Kt ltz Building. ............ 10000
Ma rshall & Balls. ........ 1850
Col in Building ........ 100, 90
Old Town Clock ............. 1000
Old Kline Building .......... $4,000
Stew enson Building -. 1925. 90
Theatre.
The Garden ........ ........$ $500
Club Houses. i
Y. M. G. A.
Kni gifts of Columbus.
Pros tress club.
ST. J oseph's Hall.
Ham. .lton club.
Telegraph Companies.
Weste TN Union.
Postal Telegraph.
Newspapers
The Ew ening News.
Sunday Chronicle.
sAtory of the Fire.
The fire started at midnight Satul
day and blu rned for twelve hours, viii
ing out the heart of the business sec
ton and So 100000 worth of propert
including tn , city hall, five. bank. builc
fngs, the I ublic library containin
100000 volui aes, five churches, two he
tells. two sci toolhouses, police heat
quarters, f IRE station, a theater, tn
home of the Hamilton club and fort
Or more stol yes, office buildings, an
public halls
Everything that the city had to b
proud of, SO fal. as architecture is col
cerned, save TIVE new county cour
house, is in ruiz as. In addition to tn
business blocks' about five hundre
frame dwelling houses, occupied as
rule by two ia miles each, were d.
stroyed with tn sir contents. House