Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-02-13
LAP0RTE. PENNA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY l3, 1902.

1
a place of presumed safety, only to
be eventually reached and destroyed.
The warning to many was brief and
they were forced to fee, scantily clad,
into streets glazed over with ice and
swept by the keen wind.
Three relief meetings were held
yesterday afternoon, the principal one
of which was attended by Governor
Franklin Murphy, Mayor John
Hinchliffe, Recorder George B. Senior.
who under the city's charter Is fire
marshal. In . few moments $500 was
handed to the mayor for immediate
use, but the chief magistrate said that
while the city had suffered terrible
visitation, he was in position to say
that there was very little distress The
business section of the city had been
practically wiped out, but the resi-
dence portion which suffered was that
in which wellto-do citizens lived.
Main street was soon arched over with
. canopy Of fire for block, and then
for two blocks, as the flames fastened
themselves upon building after build
ing. The fremen fought with every
resource Of their craft and the i'm.
pulse of desperation. but the flames
found new avenues in Ellison and
Market streets, and got beyond all
control Calls for relief went out to
every city in this portion of the state.
and the jaded fremen labored on
through the hopeless hours of the
morning. The city hall. . magnificent
| structure, surmounted by q great
clock tower, situated on Washington.
Ellison and Market streets, finally
| caught nre. and with 1t all Of the
| splendid business structures that sur
rounded It. They made great fur
| mace of IRE that burned with fierce
roar.
There was series of explosions
and scores of walls fell when the fire
left them strengthless. Flying fire.
brands carried the conflagration over
some buildings and around others, and
It therefore burned In an irregular
| course. These brands finally cleared
the tracks Of the Erie railroad and
Ramapo avenue. and, alighting on
| Straight street, started another great
area OF fire, in which the destruction
| and desolation wrought was nearly as
great as in the other
Second Fire Starts.
This second great fire started at the
angle OF Park avenue and Washing.
ton street and swept almost un.
checked until on these two thorough.
fares there was no more fuel. On the
right-hand side of Market street It
encountered Sandy Hill Cemetery as
barrier to check II, but on the left.
hand side at Carroll street 1t claimed
st. Joseph's Church, a great classic
| stone building. 1t was on this second
great fire that the volunteer fremen
from the outside cities did their most
back only when they had to, and when
the natural obstacle interposed they
seized the chance and stopped the
fire.
The final and one Of the most des-
perate fights Of the day occurred in
mid-afternoon back in the first fire
| area at the Hamilton Club, situated
| at the corner OF Church and Ellison
streets. The handsome club house
caught and the exhausted flremen
were rallied around 1t. They were
anxious to save the structure. and,
besides, failure meant that the hre
might take new headway among the
properties adjoining the club house.
The building was doomed, however,
but torrent OF water kept the fire
to the premises. The four walls OF
the club house stood. but the roof col
lapsed and the interior was completely
burned out.
There are many persons supposed to
be missing. but in the excitement and
fright most Of these are supposed to
he separated from their families and
friends. Reuben Isleib. while serving
coffee to the exhausted firemen. was
hit on the head by falling beam, and
it is doubtful If he lives. He was car
ried away by the fremen. George
Fitzmaurice. fireman, Is also dying.
He was driving an engine from Pas
sale. when the horses bolted, and be-
fore Fitzmaurice could get them un-
der control they brought the apparatus
against an electric pole, and Fitz-
maurice. who had not waited to strap
himself in, was hurled out upon his
head. There is no chance of his
living.
A relief movement for the care of
those Unsheltered and unprovided for
has already been organized, and
Mayor John Henchliffe said last night
that Paterson would be able to care
for her own without appealing to the
charity Of other communities and
states. The great manufacturing
plants OF the place are SAFE and the
community. temporarily dazed by the
calamity. has already commenced
the work OF reorganization and
restoration.
Paterson rests in a valley and the