Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-13

Paterson. y. j. Feb. "a great fire swept
through Paterson to-day and in its desc
late wake are tho cmb, r. and ashes of
property valued in preliminary 'stima e
at $40 OtO, 600 II burned its way through the
business section of the city ana 81 lined
as its own a iority of tho finer truc-
lures devoted to commercial. civ iu
cational and religious use. 'S as
scores of other houses. There ut
small tribute of life and injury tn ~
Migration but hundreds were l,i .c-
less and thousands without cmpl ID nj.
a relief movement for the care DE- nos"
unshcltered and unprovided for IT,
ready been organized and Mayor I'm
Hencheliffe said tonight that + !. on
would be able to care for her own vi H.
out appealing to the charity of other om-
munities and states. The great o. anu
featuring plants of the place are sal' ana
the community temporarily dazcd by the
calamity has already commenced the work
Of reorganization and restoration.
The fire started at midnight and was
only checked after a desperate fight that
lasted until late this afternoon Every
city and town within reach of Paterson
sent fremen and apparatus to the relief
of the threatened city. and ii took the uni
ted efforts of them all to win the battle.
a northerly gale gave the confiagration its
impetus and carried its burning brands to
kindle the blaze afresh at other points.
fore the wall of fire, but We're repe eddy
driven back, and when victory finally
come to them they We're grimed and eX
hausted.
A partial list of the properties destroy
cd follows:
Public buildings-City hall, public library.
old city hall. police station, number en-
CINE house, patrol stables, high school and
school No. 10.
The churches-The Baptist. Second Pres
Episcopal and st, Joseph Roman Cath
Ollie.
Banks-First National, Second National
(partiaD, Paterson National, SIX city
Trust, HAMILTON Trust and Paterson Trust
Club houses--Y. NJ. c. A. Knights OF COL
umhuS, Progress club, st. Joseph's hall ana
hamilton club.
Office Northumberland building, Kat2
building, Marshall and Ball, COhn building,
Did Town Clock, Old Kline building and
Stevenson building.
Telegraph compancs-Wcstern Union
md Postal Telegraph.
Theater-The Garden.
Newspapers-The Evening News and
sunday Chronicle
s-Quackenbush x Co, dry goods;
Boston Store, Cry goods Globe store, dry
goods National Clothing company, and
Eents drug store; kinSillc's drug store,
Euzzy's hardware and general merchand-
Use; Marshall & Ball, clothiers; John Nor
wood, paints; Oberg grocery; Wertcn-
sykes grocery; r. II. & w. G. Shields
torcers, THE Patterson" dry goods; Jor-
tans piano store; Sauter q Co., pianos ;
FEEDER & McNair, shoes; Zenlers Confec-
lionery; Lappins tea store; Rasowski 5
millinery; Bruhal d MuelerS, shoes; {, j."
Beach, automobiles; Morehead Son,
,lothiers; Paterson Gas and Electric COM
pany; Skyc's drug store and Macintosh 9
Srue store.
An estimate made from a general in
Jpcction of the smouldcring ruins placed
inc number of dwellings and apartm mt
houses destroyed at I'VE hundred and the
number of families left without shelter
pt one thousand. A re-estitnate when or
Ser succeeds confusion may alter those hg-
pres.
BEGINNING or THE FIRE.
The fire began it's work of far-reaching
destruction at the power house of the
Jersey City, fIobolscn and Paterson Troc-
hon company. which frontcd on Broad
way and extended block to the rear on
Van Houten street. II was in the car
shed that it commenced and ii was burn
ing fiercey when one of the employees do
lccted it. 1T was lcaping through tha
roof and the gale was lifting 1t in forks
Ind swirls when the fire apparatus came
tlaneing into Broadway. Main and Van
Houten streets. The firemcn tried to hem
II in but il speedily crossed Van IIOuttn
Urcect in one direction, Main street in an
pther and gaining Vigor as 1t went, burnc
unchecked down into the business ais
trict. Every piece of fire mechanism IN
the city was called out but fire and gal
were masters. A great torch OF fam
rose high in the air, lighting up the coun-
Try for miles and carrying a threat an d
warning to the people and property i'm s
path. There were efforts TO rescue furul
ture, but the speed with which the fir
moved gave the resCuers but little tim
Property was often moved to a place u.
presumed safety only to he cventua .
reached and destroyed. The warning q
many was brief and they ~ere forced to
fee, scantily clad, into streets glazed over
with ice and swept by the keen wind OF
rigorous winter.
Main street was soon arched over with
g. canopy of fire for block and then for
two blocks, az the flames fastened them
selves upon building after building. I h
firemen fought with every resource of ia IL
craft and the impulse of desperation. but
tine flames found new avenues In FL isou
and Market streets and got beyond all con
troll. Calls for relief went out to every
city in this portion of the State and The
faded firemen labored on through the hope
less hours of the morning. The city hall
O magnificent structure surmounted by =
clock tower, finally caught and with II
went all of the splendid business stru
lures that surrounded It, They made
great furnace OF fire that burned with
fierce roar and the radiance of day.
SERIES OF EXPLcEdONS.
There was a series of explosions ant
scores of walls fell when the fire left
them strengthless. Flying fire brands
carried the conhagration over some build