The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-02-26
Banks, Churches, Hotels, Mo.
nicipal Buildings and Dwell
inss in Ruins,
MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED
Governor Murphy Called Out Troops
to Prevent Looting and Sup
press Disorder---loss Esti-
mated at $4,000, 900.

Paterson, N. ia liz "hANh
saused by an overheated stove in a
trolley car barn, has destroyed the
chief business section of the city, lay
ing in ruins nearly 700 buildings In
GUIDED in twenty city blocks. Many OF
the finest structures in the city were
burned, including the new City Hail.
the Public Library, and large and
costly, buildings devoted to civic, edu-
$cational, religious and commercial
uses. A portion Of the best residence
locality of the city was devastated by
the flames. No loss of life accompanied
the disasterand only few persons were
injured. The damage to property was
estimated at $10.000.000. Thousands
of persons were thrown out of en-
pfoyment, although the great manu-
featuring plants Of the city escaped
destruction.
The fire started soon after midnight.
and was spread rapidly in the early
morning hours by the high wind. Ev-
cry city and town within reach OF
Paterson sent firemen and apparatus,
but 1t was not until late in the after
noon that the fire was under control.
The police Of Paterson were utterly
unable to deal with the situation. and
Governor Franklin Murphy called out
several companies Of the National
Guard to guard the devastated dis
hicts. Mayor Hinchcliffe announced
that although many people were made
homeless. they were not poor people,
and would be able to care for them
selves. No aid would be asked Of other
places.
The fire, the like of which has never
been seen in this State. broke out in
the car sheds of the trolley company.
In lower Broadway. The high wind
famed the flames into fierce blaze
In a few seconds. and before the fire.
men reached the scene the fire was be-
yond their control. In twelve hours it
traversed q mile, cutting wide swath
through the business section Of the
city. =
The flames swept through the old
car sheds to Van Houten street, taking
Continental Hall. and bursting out in
Main street, the business street Of the
city. Quackenbush's big dry goods
store was the first important structure
to 60. At the same time the flames
leaped to the other side Of the street.
and took the Boston Store. the largest
department store in the city. In these
two nearly S1,000000 was lost. In
Its course with the wind the fire swept
down the First Baptist Church, the
High School, the old City Hall, the
First National Bank, the Young Mems
Christian Association Building. the
News building, the fine new City Hall,
which cost over s500,O00; the Romaine
Building, an Office building; the Pater-
son National Bank, and on through
Market and Ellison streets, taking hun
dreds of the finest structures in the
city.
Twenty blocks Of business buildings
are practically level with the ground.
A thousand families have been driven
from their homes, many Of them los
ing all they had.
!: The firemen were powerless to cope
with such a confagration. They did
their best to prevent the spread Of the
fire to individual buildings. Mayor
Hinchcliffe took charge Of the work,
and every effort was made to meet the
awful destruction. Calls for aid were
sent out to the fire departments in
Jersey City, Newark, Passaic, Ruth
erford, Rtdgewood. Hoboken, Mont
clair and surrounding places. These
responded promptly, but their efforts
seemed to be lost in the holocaust.
At first the flames went In leaps,
starting fires in many separate places.
The high wind carried great vol
umes Of sparks for blocks and caused
fires to start in the roofs. Fires were
raging In SO many places at once that
the fremen could not distribute them
selves, and these places were simply
allowed to burn down. Soon the
spaces between these fires closed up,
In the heart of the city, and the great
mass Of seething flames swept on in
nm awful march of devastation.
The wind was from the northwest,
and the direction Of the fire followed
The course of the wind. 1t cut a swath
over two blocks wide and travelled for
fully mile, jumping at intervals in a
strange manner before it burned itself
out. From the car shed, in Broadway,
1t travelled east across Main street,
taking the blocks bounded by Broad
way and Market street. 1t crossed In
Its path Washington, Church and
Paterson streets, the Erie track,
Victim Of Samar Adventure.