The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-28
"A RED-HOT FIRE.
Total Destruction Of Schwartz Il
Bros Machinery and
Iron Depot.
A Total Loss of $4,000, Partly Gov
cred by Insurance

| At 1045 o'clock last night the great machin-
cry and iron depot of Messrs. nj. Schwartz
q Bro Nos. 149. 151 153, 155, 1877, 159, 161. 1863,
| 1865, 1877 and 1863 Magazine street, was totally
destroyed byfire.
| The flames bursted forth from various
parts Of this mammoth building, which takes
up half square, and although the alarm was
sounded promptly and the three departments
| were instantly on the scene, the whole build
ing was ablaze before single stream could
be brought to bear on the devastating element.
The rapid progress of the fire is owing to
the very combustible material 1t fed on. At
first the belief was general that the entire
block, bounded by Girod, Magazine, Camp
and Julia streets would be destroyed, and
everybody residing within that boundary
began packing up, and were on the eve of
moving out when Chief O'Connor concern
trated his engines on tl@ four streets and had
the pipes of the different engines carried
through the alleyways leading to the fire.
When the steamers were fairly at work on
the blaze and he saw that he could prevent 1t
from spreading, he notified the residents OF
the block that they could remain in their
houses with safety to both themselves and
property.
1t was long time before the fire showed
any signs of diminishing, and although the
sight it presented was pleasing to the eye 1t
was terrible to contemplate.
The monstrous sheet of flame shot heaven
ward to the extent of fifty feet, and the air
WAS filled with burning sparks.
Both members OF the firm were promptly
on hand. and with the assistance of a num-
Der of American No Is men, succeeded after
much labor in rescuing the ponderous iron
safe from the burning building.
Shortly after the safe WAS taken out OF the
private Office the immense brick wall on Mag
lzine steet fell with a terrible crash, and filled
the street with red hot bricks and mortar.
This wall, in giving away, fell with such force
that the shock brought down the wall in front
Of Rice, Born d Co.'S warehouse, which adj
joined Schwartz Il Brothers. and as soon as
the wall fell the roof Of the warehouse caved
Rice Born & Co.'s warehouse contained a
large stock of nails, stoves and iron kettles,
which, except the kegs Of nails, were more or
less damaged. Their loss will aggregate
$751; 900 to $4,000. Fully covered by insur
ance.
One singular thing about this fire was that
the crowd gave it a wide berth, and the rea-
son was that it was rumored that there was
q large number Of bombshellS in the build
ing, which were momentarily expected to ex-
1t is impossible to say what Schwartz e.
Bros stock consisted of; In fact, it consisted
Of everything from locomotive to a keg OF
nails, from q grate-bar to steamboat, be-
sides everything that could be found In a
hardware store, a jewelry store, gun
smiths establishment, foundry or a sail
makers establishment. It was o fact, that
when you called on Schwartz u Bro. there
was nothing you could name that they could
not furnish you with, SO complete was their
stock.
The estimated value of their stock is 100000
and unfortunately for the owners it was not
fully covered by insurance. Mr. Schwartz
stated that they were insured In the Mer-
chants Mutual and Crescent Insurance Com
panies, but it was impossible for him to state
the amount, but he answered the reporter
that it did not, by a long way, cover their loss.
Owing to the falling of the walls the street
cars were prevented from passing for hours,
much to the dispeasure of the night pedes
TRANS whHwished to get home.
MINOR INCIDENTS.
A little clubhouse attached to Mr. W. B.
Ringrose's furniture store No 172 Camp
street, took fire from the immense heat and
was destroyed. Loss $50.
Capt. Kalinski, Of the salvage corps lost q
number of tarpauins which he had used in
covering up some Of the valuables in the office
of Schwartz Il Bro.
LATER.
At a. m. 1t was ascertained through Capt.
Kalinski that the insurance on Schwartz x
Bro s establishment and stock was $4,000